Mass Media Key Sheet

"The mass media (radio, television, newspapers and magazines) are fundamental to development. They enable people to learn about issues and make their voices heard...Media are vital to ensure the public is involved in defining development strategies, and to attain widespread support for those strategies". These sentences open a 2-page document that is designed to provide media decision-makers with an up-to-date point of reference on issues relating to the provision of support for poverty-focussed development activity. This key sheet is part of the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS)/Department for International Development (DFID) series "Key Sheets for Sustainable Livelihoods".

Designed for those who are managing change and making implementation decisions, the sheet includes:

• an overview of recent debate on the media, with a brief list of trends
• an analytic synthesis of key issues in decision-making, with question points for further dialogue
• a short list of key literature for further reference
• a list of institutions/individuals with particular expertise in the policy-related aspects of the media
• a list of relevant DFID project and research experience (designed to facilitate horizontal information flows and shared learning).

Organisers envision readers using this Key Sheet in various ways; for example, it might foster decision as to what type of specialist expertise is required in a media-related project and who should be brought into the planning and execution process.

This document, like others in the series, was produced through a pre-publication participatory process in which organisers invited comments from specialists in the field.

Click here to download the Key Sheet in HTML format.

Click here to download the Key Sheet in PDF format.