A snapshot of youth news consumption habits in Colombia, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Thailand highlights that the predominance of smartphones, and increasing access to the internet and social media, is fundamentally altering how youth access, interact with, and value independent news | Local Radio Stations in Africa: Sustainability or Pragmatic Viability? Satirical comedy is uniquely effective in its ability to bolster media development objectives |
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Despite initial progress, including the establishment of the regional Media Institute for Southern Africa MISA , independent media in the region continues to suffer | Despite the explosion of digital news outlets globally, millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa continue to rely on radio as the most accessible independent news source |
This evolution can be stimulated by donor support, private investment, or indigenous processes of change led by media owners, managers, journalists, or other players such as media industry associations, or other collective efforts.
7A more pragmatic understanding of viability and more flexible donor strategies can help these outlets stay on air and maintain their independence | Are Punchlines the New Front Lines of Media Development? Despite its deleterious impact on media development and foundational rights, throttling remains an often-neglected topic and risks becoming a pervasive, yet hidden, threat to press freedoms, democracy, and human rights |
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However, there remains strong enthusiasm among media actors in Southern Africa to reignite a regional network to promote solidarity, address the myriad challenges independent media in the region face, and articulate an African vision and agenda for media development | However, radio stations across continent are facing unprecedented threats to their sustainability due to weak media markets, limited advertising revenue and intense competition |
SteveCollNY in this week's newyorker Comment: "At issue in the unchecked proliferation of spyware is the future of disse…• Through its ability to attract audiences and provide news commentary in an entertaining way, it can be used as an important tool to promote freedom of expression, foster accountability and transparency, counter disinformation, strengthen media literacy, and support more sustainable business models for media outlets.
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