Meeting report
Using the OECD Principles as a catalyst for change: Insights and recommendations from the GFMD regional meeting for the wider European region
The GFMD regional meeting for the wider European region took place on May 24, 2024, in Sarajevo during the IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival. The meeting was organised by the GFMD and UNESCO, in partnership with the International Press Institute (IPI), the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN).
The GFMD regional meeting aimed to provide a unique space for members and partners based and working in the wider European region to foster dialogue and collaborate on critical issues facing the present media landscape. Through collaborative discussions and knowledge sharing, participants explored best practices and innovative solutions to support a thriving and independent media in the region. The meeting also reinvigorated support for independent media and the information environment across the wider European region by uniting journalists and media support actors with donors and policymakers in brainstorming strategies for implementing the recently adopted OECD Development Cooperation Principles for Relevant and Effective Support to Media and the Information Environment.
Zoe Titus, Director of Namibia Media Trust and Chair of GFMD, Saorla McCabe, Director of Communication and Information Strategy and Policy at UNESCO and Deputy First Secretary of the UNESCO IPDC, and Sara Lindegren, Deputy Head of Mission-Counsellor at the Embassy of Sweden in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, opened the meeting by highlighting how important media support is today, and how new initiatives are paving the way for more effective engagement by donors and funders.
“We are meeting today amidst a period of great peril and uncertainty about the future of journalism and the media support sector. All of us in our different ways are navigating our organisations through a myriad of economic, political and cultural challenges. But there ARE opportunities. Opportunities that we can grasp if we are able to work together and show genuine solidarity with each other,” said Zoe Titus.
Using the OECD Principles as a catalyst for change
A panel moderated by GFMD's Executive Director Mira Milosevic initiated a discussion of the OECD's Development Cooperation Principles on Relevant and Effective Support to Media and the Information Environment as a catalyst for change.
The IPI Congress was organised in the hotel Holiday that has a symbolic significance and was the base for journalists during the 1992-1995 Sarajevo siege, and one of the Congress sessions was dedicated to reflecting on the siege of Sarajevo. GFMD’s regional event panel also looked back on the experiences and lessons learned and how assistance changed over the years.
Mediacentar Sarajevo was established in April 1995 during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the gap in journalism as media outlets multiplied but lacked sufficient journalists.
Reflecting on the do no harm principle and lessons on what did not work, Maida Muminovic, its Executive Director, noted:
“Careful attention to local context and being cautious with ideas to transpose effective solutions from something that works somewhere will not necessarily work in the countries where assistance is being given. We have a number of examples in terms of the laws that don't work, that are superb in the paper, but simply not adapted enough to the local context or the work of institutions. So, mere application and copying of solutions do not frequently work”.
In terms of what worked well, Maida emphasised the importance of investing in the education and capacitation of journalists and newsrooms, citing the BBC School of Journalism at Mediacentar Sarajevo as a successful example. Over nearly 30 years, this investment has proven crucial for fostering professionalism and good practices in journalism in the country.
Davor Glavas, Chief of Party of the USAID-funded Balkan Media Assistance Program (BMAP)-Forward and Internews Advisor for the Western Balkans, recounted his earlier involvement in preparing an analysis of ten years of donor support (1995-2005) for media projects in Croatia. This report, conducted when donor funds were drying up, examined 47 media projects that had received substantial international support. Surprisingly, only three of these projects survived two years after the donor community withdrew from Croatia. The common factors among the successful projects were that they existed before international donor involvement and enjoyed stable, long-term financial support from a consistent pool of donors, rather than relying on ad hoc funding.
Mark Nelson, former Senior Director at CIMA, highlighted the earlier challenging conversations within the OECD DAC regarding the inclusion of media in development discussions, eventually leading to a shift in perspective among donors. A report by the World Bank in 2012, for example, revealed disorganised and duplicated efforts in media development, prompting a push for collective donor responsibility and increased funding. In response to the question from the audience on scepticism regarding actual donor unity and engagement, he referred to the Principles and stated:
“This document is more of a process that we are outlining here that pushes the donors to live up to these kinds of commitments, and I realised that they have made many commitments that they did not keep. So it will be up to us to push for those commitments and to try to hold them accountable according to the things that they agreed in this document. But it's coming from a very long road of lacking coordination and coherence”.
Mira Milosevic highlighted the historical context of development assistance, noting its original focus on poverty alleviation and humanitarian aid rather than media support. She emphasised the structural limitations of development assistance in catering to the needs of the media sector, in spite of its evolving importance. Despite systemic constraints, the panellists underscored the significance of development assistance in funding impactful journalism, particularly investigative and cross-border reporting. Additionally, they discussed the broader applicability of media development principles to other sectors like anti-corruption and health, presenting new avenues for engagement with international financial institutions.
Lessons learned from media assistance in the Western Balkans:
Local Ownership: Assistance must be rooted in local knowledge and expertise. International experts should trust and work with local professionals to ensure support and success.
Engagement with Local Political Actors: Consider existing political power relations to prevent local powers from seizing control of media post-assistance.
Donor Coordination: Early international assistance was ad hoc and uncoordinated. Different donors had varying focuses, leading to perceived competition and gaps.
Consistency and Long-term Commitment: Projects need time to evaluate success; abrupt changes can lead to failure.
Adaptation to Local Context: Effective solutions from one area may not work elsewhere. Laws and institutional solutions must be adapted to the local context.
Importance of Thriving Economy: Media relies on a strong economy and market for advertising revenue. Diverse financing models are crucial, but a flourishing economy remains important for media sustainability.
Reflections on the OECD Principles: identified challenges and recommendations
Structure of the summary
To examine the OECD Principles in depth we invited six members and partners to share their experiences of both effective and ineffective practices, highlighting the benefits of aligning with the OECD Principles and the drawbacks of misalignment. Afterwards, participants were divided into five breakout groups to discuss themes identified as crucial for the media in the region under the framework of the OECD principles – how would main regional challenges improve if the principles were implemented and what would be the best modality to leverage the principles to adopt better practices of media assistance. For the purpose of this report, we summarised and grouped main points, identified challenges and recommendations from both presentations and group discussions and presented them under each of the OECD principles
Principle 1: Ensure that assistance does not harm public interest media
Principle 1: Ensure that assistance does not harm public interest media.
When discussing Principle 1, Maida Muminovic noted: “What I didn't see enough highlighted in this do-no-harm principle in relevance with the media systems is the importance of the economy as such. Media is part of the market that has to flourish so that companies and individuals have funds to spend on advertising. However, with diverse financing models in the media of today, this is still quite important. So, out of all processes that have to happen in parallel with media development, I would emphasise the importance of a thriving economy, a thriving market that can sustain business development”.
Davor Glavas also highlighted: “There are two principles that we should take into consideration when thinking about safeguarding Principle 1, doing no harm to independent media. And these principles are number one - localisation strategy and localisation approach, meaning giving the local actors the lead in all the processes that we are doing. Providing them tailor-made expertise, and tailor-made support, not one size fits all. Number two, not in order of importance - donor ”.
Identified challenges to implementation
Lack of Safety Culture in News Organisations: Many news organisations lack a robust safety culture, leading to inadequate preparation for risks and threats faced by journalists, especially in areas of digital security, mental health support, and emergency protocols.
Gender-Based Safety Concerns: Attacks on women and non-binary journalists are increasing, highlighting the need for gender-specific safety considerations.
Safety Challenges for Freelance Journalists: There is a lack of formal mechanisms to address the safety needs of freelance journalists, leaving them vulnerable to threats and attacks.
Recommendations
For donors: Donors should insist on a culture of safety, with funding/budget lines specifically allocated to safety infrastructure, training, and awareness campaigns.
For implementers and media organisations: Organisations should be required to conduct interim assessments and audits to ensure compliance with safety standards and identify areas for improvement.
For media organisations: Recognise gender as a critical aspect of safety and integrate gender-specific considerations into safety measures and protocols. Implement awareness programs and training sessions focused on addressing gender-based risks and promoting inclusivity and diversity in safety initiatives.
For newsrooms: establish formal mechanisms to address the safety needs of freelance journalists, leveraging existing networks such as journalists' unions or registration systems.
For donors, implementers and media organisations: Promote peer-to-peer support networks among media professionals to share safety resources, information, and best practices.
Principle 2: Increase financial and other forms of support
Principle 2: Increase financial and other forms of support to public interest media and the information environment, in order to strengthen democratic resilience.
Evgenia Konovalova, Program Manager for Amplify Europe at the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), described MDIF's mission to support independent media globally without interfering with editorial policies. Launched in 2022 with funding from the Dutch and German postcode lotteries, Amplify Europe focuses on enhancing the business sustainability of small and medium-sized independent digital media companies in Europe. Through needs assessments, mentoring, and innovation grants, Amplify Europe helps media companies improve their financial models, grow revenues, and diversify income streams. Konovalova highlighted successes in Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia, where participants saw significant growth in advertising and subscription revenue. She also mentioned Pluralis, MDIF's new fund for investing in successful European media companies to preserve editorial independence. Participants were particularly interested in the lottery funding.
Katerina Sinadinovska, editor of "Agenda 35" and co-founder of the Balkan Center For Constructive Policies in North Macedonia, discussed the distortion of the Macedonian media market during Nikola Gruevski's populist right-wing government, which funnelled millions of public funds into private media, creating an uneven playing field. Despite efforts by the Macedonian media community, this practice continued under subsequent administrations. Sinadinovska and her colleagues have proposed a media pluralism fund to support real media content like investigative journalism and educational programs, instead of directly funding media owners. She emphasised the crucial support from international donors, particularly for media associations, but stressed the need for quality media programs to counter disinformation and poor journalistic practices. She cautioned against relying on government support, which threatens media independence, and called for more direct assistance in developing strong media content.
Identified challenges to implementation
Financial Sustainability: Challenges in setting up dedicated funds for independent media due to funding constraints.
Advocacy and Coalitions: Need for coalitions and alliances to advocate for ethical media and professional journalism. Difficulty in establishing criteria for investment readiness.
Skills and Education: Lack of business skills among media professionals. Difficulty in generating revenue from audiences and educating them on the importance of paying for subscriptions or membership fees.
Resistance to Transformation: Reluctance among media to adopt a business-oriented mindset and embrace transformation.
Recommendations
For donors: Encourage and provide support for media and media development organisations to establish coalitions and alliances to advocate for ethical media and professional journalism.
For media support organisations and media: Explore accelerator models and seek expertise from organisations like IREX, Thomson Foundation, Internews, and British Council to develop business skills.
For donors and media organisations: Invest in human resources focused on business management.
For donors/media support organisations: Encourage and enable/fund newsrooms to implement executive learning series to enhance strategic skills.
For donors/investment organisations: Establish criteria of transparency, structure and management for media to be investment-ready.
For donors: Encourage cooperation among donors and incentivise them to collaborate.
Principle 3: Take a whole of system perspective
Principle 3: Consider the media and information environment as a development sector in itself, a critical part of efforts to promote and protect democracy, human rights, gender equality and development as well as a sector which can support the implementation of other development goals.
Jodi Blankenship, Project Manager for Reporters Shield, highlighted the growing threat of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) targeting journalists. These lawsuits are designed to intimidate, financially drain, and silence journalists, leading to self-censorship and the avoidance of certain stories. Blankenship cited the case of Daphne Caruana Galizia, who faced numerous libel suits at the time of her assassination for her investigative work. She emphasised the importance of a whole-system perspective (Principle 3) to support the media environment, noting that Reporters Shield, in collaboration with various legal networks and supported by USAID, provides legal defence for investigative journalists worldwide. Unlike traditional media insurance, which is costly and limited, Reporters Shield operates as a nonprofit, offering a scalable mutual defence model that prioritises member benefits. This approach aims to reduce self-censorship and stress for journalists, increasing the number of public interest stories published.
A whole system perspective in any domain, including legal and technological frameworks, emphasises an integrated approach that considers all components and their interactions within the entire system. This approach not only necessitates robust legal protections to ensure ethical and fair practices but also leverages the latest technological innovations to optimise efficiency and effectiveness. In the break-out group discussion, the conversation predominantly centred around the technological challenges that hinder the adoption of a whole system perspective.
Identified challenges to implementation
Lagging Tech Development: Media organisations and media development organisations are behind in tech development and lack policies to keep up with rapid technological advancements. No real pressure from donors on the media to adopt necessary documents and practices.
Access to Big Tech and Cloud Solutions: Difficulty accessing big tech, including cloud solutions, social media platforms, cyber protection experts, and coders. Positive developments like the EU Media Freedom Act mainly benefit media in the EU or Western countries.
Access to Digital Infrastructure: Growing costs of cloud solutions make it increasingly expensive for media to ensure adequate and safe storage. The choice between big, stable companies and smaller, less known but often more expensive and less stable options. There are also safety and transparency concerns with cloud services.
AI and Intellectual Property: Uncertainty about how to handle AI's use of media content (options include suing companies, making deals, or doing nothing). Translation issues cause local language content to become distorted, affecting AI-fed content. AI developments, such as Google's upcoming AI Overview, will make it harder for new media organisations to be visible.
Recommendations
For large and small advocacy organisations: Alliances are crucial! Access to Big Tech is one of the greatest challenges for media outlets and journalists in smaller or non-Western countries; thus it is crucial to ensure collaborative global channels or organisations such as Internews’ Global Technology Hub or Access Now to speak for them in cases of hacks, cyber security and other similar issues.
For donors: Consider supporting cloud solutions for smaller media to ensure that they are able to access good quality service at reasonable prices and support.
For all stakeholders: Engage in conversations around AI and copyright issues, especially in the case of investigative media work. There is a need to ensure AI software uses credible sources rather than feeding from mis- and disinformation.
For all stakeholders: Speed up technological progress and awareness in media development as new journalism models are emerging.
Principle 4: Strengthen local leadership and ownership
Principle 4: Strengthen local leadership and ownership, empowering media partners as well as other actors in the information environment such as civil society organisations and online content creators to meaningfully participate in policies and programmes.
Milka Domanovic, Regional Director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), emphasised the importance of localisation and strengthening local leadership in media assistance. She commended the efforts of GFMD and CIMA in facilitating these discussions and highlighted the need for the meaningful participation of local actors, ensuring media assistance is context-appropriate, and based on local demands and evidence. Domanovic stressed the necessity of long-term sustainable core support for media initiatives. Despite local familiarity and support, she noted that donor coordination needs improvement, particularly in conducting comprehensive needs assessments before project inception to align with local capacities and conditions. She concluded by advocating for trust in local expertise, better donor coordination, and flexibility throughout project planning and implementation phases.
Identified challenges to implementation
Reluctance of Donors & Implementation Partners: Some donors and implementation partners may be hesitant to collaborate or share information.
Different Actors Trying to Sway the Assesment Various actors may attempt to influence the reporting to align with their own interests or agendas.
Monopolisation by Long-Established Entities: Established organisations may dominate the assessment and partner selection process, limiting opportunities for newer or smaller actors.
Loss of Institutional Knowledge: Staff turnover, both in grantee and donor organisations in smaller countries may lead to the loss of valuable institutional knowledge, affecting continuity and effectiveness.
Limited Administrative Resources: Restricted administrative resources in local donor offices may pose challenges in conducting thorough needs analysis and coordination.
Recommendations
For advocacy organisations: Advocacy efforts on behalf of the media and media development community should clearly communicate the need for collaborative approaches in alignment with Principle 4, stressing its associated benefits.
For donors: include coordination efforts as a foundational element in programme designs and evaluations to promote collaboration.
For media development organisations: need to educate donors so that they understand that needs assessments should uncover current needs rather than attempt to predict future trends to ensure relevance and accuracy.
For all relevant actors and stakeholders: contribute to and facilitate opportunities for marginalised voices to be heard and included.
For donors: institutionalise knowledge within donor organisations and facilitate regular knowledge exchange to prevent institutional and programmatic memory loss due to staff turnover.
For donors: ensure that costs associated with coordination and collaboration are included in the budgeting process from the outset.
For media support organisations: Advocacy efforts should reference the long-term resource-saving potential of effective coordination mechanisms to underscore the importance of investment in collaborative efforts.
Principle 5: Improve coordination of support
Principle 5: Improve coordination of support to the media and information environment, both among donor agencies and between development and diplomatic efforts to support media freedom, especially in contexts of crisis.
Olga Myrovych, CEO of the Lviv Media Forum, emphasised the critical need for donor coordination, especially during crises like the war in Ukraine. She highlighted the success of the GFMD’s information-sharing efforts, which facilitated timely and effective media support in Ukraine, such as providing charging stations after infrastructure damage. However, Olga noted a reluctance among many donor organisations to share funding practices, which hampers broader coordination. The speaker advocated for more inclusive and comprehensive donor coordination, involving more stakeholders and addressing broader issues beyond avoiding program duplication. She called for transparent approaches, government involvement, and a focus on building a professional and influential media environment through cooperation and healthy competition.
Identified challenges to implementation
Competition Among Organisations: There is competition among civil society organisations (CSOs) or multi-stakeholders due to overlapping initiatives or efforts to secure resources for similar projects.
Limited Administrative Resources: Organisations involved in media development may face constraints in terms of administrative resources, which can hinder their ability to effectively manage projects or initiatives.
Exploitation of Overlapping Initiatives: Some organisations may take advantage of overlapping initiatives to gain undue advantage or prioritise their own agendas, leading to inefficiencies and conflicts of interest.
Recommendations
For all stakeholders: To prevent concerns over competitiveness and ownership of ideas and approaches, international coordination efforts should encourage transparency by ensuring timely communication to inform all stakeholders about the origin of ideas or initiatives, reducing ambiguity and potential conflicts.
For coordination lead organisations: implement a decentralised approach with rotating leadership roles to distribute decision-making authority and mitigate competition among organisations.
For donors and implementing organisations: include anticipated costs of coordination when budgeting projects or initiatives
For the media development community: highlight to donors the long-term cost-saving potential of established mechanisms or initiatives to justify investments and promote sustainability.
For donors: establish regular communication channels for local experts to foster collaboration, share insights, and identify opportunities for synergy and efficiency.
For donors: When commissioning, work together or share them with other donors to ensure coordinated and collaborative development aid.
For donors: provide dedicated emergency funding that does not cannibalise existing, allocated funding.
For all stakeholders: Foster competition of ideas rather than organisations.
Principle 6: Invest in knowledge, research, and learning
Principle 6: Invest in knowledge, research, and learning
Jasna Kilalic, Deputy Democracy Officer, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, discussed the challenges faced by independent media, emphasising the threat to free speech posed by authoritarian leaders. She highlighted two USAID-funded programs: a bilateral media engagement activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a regional initiative covering five Western Balkan countries. These programs aim to enhance media outlets' operational capabilities, improve quality and reach, and foster collaboration and networking. Kilalic underscored the importance of knowledge, research, and learning in media development, citing examples of how these initiatives have helped media partners increase audience and revenue. She also mentioned the Balkan Media Assistance Program, which supports media competitiveness and resilience in the Western Balkans, including efforts to prevent media capture and promote innovative business models. Kilalic concluded by inviting continued support and engagement in the region from USAID and other partners.
Identified challenges to implementation
Lack of Evidence-Based Interventions: There is a need for more effective evaluations and evidence-based interventions in healthy knowledge management.
Insufficient Industry Data: There is inadequate data on industry spending, funding areas, and overall financial flows, hindering advocacy and analysis.
Fragmented Political and Economic Analysis: There is a lack of comprehensive data to analyse political developments and understand the political economy, including AI implications.
Overwhelming Information: There is an abundance of data, but it lacks focus, making it difficult to manage and utilise effectively.
Lack of Local Data Exchange Platforms: There is no dedicated platform for hyperlocal data exchange, complicating the transfer of knowledge when working with different partners.
Insufficient Donor Involvement in Learning: Donors are not sufficiently encouraging learning and sharing of data and information.
Recommendations
For donors: develop and adopt robust evaluation methods to ensure interventions are evidence-based. Streamline data collection and knowledge management processes to focus on the most relevant and actionable information.
For researchers and academics from the media development community: create systems to gather and analyse comprehensive data on industry spending and funding to improve advocacy and operational decisions.
For the academic media development community: establish repositories to analyse political developments and the implications of AI on the political economy.
For the media development community: Introduce targeted strategies for knowledge management, similar to the Media Viability Manifesto, to improve effectiveness.
For donors: fund the hyperlocal data spaces or exchange platforms to facilitate knowledge transfer between partners.
For the media development community: advocate for donors to place a higher emphasis on learning and sharing information.
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