APPENDIX A
Framework for Profiling the Media Landscape
To use the media as a tool for social change, the assessment team must understand how the media operate in the target society. The following questions provide a framework for assessing the media landscape. During Stage 1 (Defining the Assessment) and early Stage 2 (Interviewing Respondents) of the assessment process, these questions allow the assessment team to identify the specific capabilities of the media in the target society.
In short, this profile determines how effective the media are as a tool for social change. If the media contribute to the fragility of the target society, the larger IONA assessment process will identify such issues and parts of the media will become targets for social change.
1. Types of media
1.1 Print
1.2 Radio
1.3 Television
1.4 Internet and other technologies
1.5 Which of these media are:
1.5.1 Community based (ethnicity, geography, language, etc.)?
1.5.2 Government run (overtly or covertly government run)?
1.5.3 Publicly owned?
1.5.4. Privately owned?
1.5.5 Religious?
1.5.6 Political?
2. Media consumers
2.1 Who reads which print media?
2.1.1 Readership in terms of literacy rates
2.1.2 Readership in terms of standard of living (cost of buying paper, magazines)
2.1.3 Readership in terms of socioeconomic stratification (social class)
2.1.4 Readership in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion, and other identity markers
2.1.5 What is the reach of each print medium?
2.1.6 Do readers trust the press?
2.2 Who listens to which radio networks?
2.2.1 Overall penetration of radio
2.2.2 Footprint of each broadcaster
2.2.3 Audiences in terms of socioeconomic stratification (social class)
2.2.4 Audiences in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion, and other identity markers
2.2.5 Audiences in terms of language
2.2.6 Do audiences trust radio broadcasts?
2.3 Who watches which TV networks?
2.3.1 Overall penetration of TV
2.3.2 Footprint of each broadcaster
2.3.3 Viewers in terms of socioeconomic stratification (social class)
2.3.4 Audiences in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion, and other identity markers
2.3.5 Viewers in terms of language
2.3.6 Do viewers trust TV broadcasts?
2.4 Who has Internet access?
2.4.1 Overall penetration of Internet
2.4.2 Availability
2.4.3 Cost
2.4.4 Internet use in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion, age, social class, and other identity markers
2.5 Who has a mobile phone?
2.5.1 Overall penetration of cell phones
2.5.2 Availability
2.5.3 Cost
2.5.4 Cell phone use in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion, social class, and other identity markers
2.5.5 Do users believe/trust information coming via cell phones?
3. Audiences served
3.1 Which social groups consume which media?
3.2 Which political groups consume which media?
3.3 Which identity groups consume which media?
3.4 How broadly is society reflected in which media?
3.5 Which of these media are
3.5.1 Community based?
3.5.2 User generated?
3.5.3 Government run?
3.5.4 Privately owned?
3.5.5 Publicly owned?
3.5.6 Religious?
3.5.7 Political?
4. Relationship between the media and minorities
4.1 Are minorities represented adequately in mainstream media?
Do mainstream media misrepresent, under-represent, or fail to represent minorities?
4.2 Do minorities consume mainstream media?
4.3 Do minorities rely on or prefer
4.3.1 Community-based or user-generated media?
4.3.2 International media (native language broadcasts or foreign language)?
4.3.3 Native-language media from a diaspora?
4.3.4 Sources of information other than media?
4.4 Do minorities feel legitimized or demonized by mainstream media?
4.5 Does the majority feel legitimized or demonized by minority media?
5. Content
5.1 What kinds of programs are disseminated by which media, and by which formats?
5.2 Which programs are
5.2.1 Local?
5.2.2 National?
5.2.3 Regional?
5.2.4 Foreign/International?
5.3 Do media have content targeting particular audiences?
5.3.1 Children
5.3.2 Minorities (ethnic, religious, linguistic, etc.)
5.3.3 Women
5.3.4 Other specific target audiences
5.4 Do particular media promote specific
5.4.1 Knowledge: which?
5.4.2 Attitudes: which?
5.4.3 Behaviors: which?
6. Access to media and information
6.1 How is information distributed or disseminated?
6.2 What technology systems exist?
6.3 What are the literacy levels?
6.4 What degree and kinds of censorship exist?
6.5 What language barriers exist?
6.6 What economic barriers (e.g., price of print media; need to pay radio/TV tax) exist?
7. Ownership
7.1 Who owns media?
7.2 Which media are owned by whom?
7.3 What is the ratio of government to private media?
7.4 How is media ownership regulated?
8. Financing
8.1 What media claim financial independence?
8.2 What is the relationship between a media outlet's finances and its editorial positions?
8.3 Are certain media financially advantaged (e.g., do they receive preferred advertising rates)?
8.4 How are media finances regulated?
9. Level of professionalism
9.1 Does a professional organization exist that monitors standards of behavior for the following media activities?
9.1.1 News media
9.1.2 Entertainment
9.1.3 Edutainment
9.2 How independent of political authority is this professional body?
9.3 How well defined are the standards defining the behavior of its members (e.g., editorial policies regarding impartiality, accuracy and objectivity, production values in media creation)?
9.4 How well does the professional organization monitor these standards and how does it enforce sanctions for misbehavior?
9.5 Who provides education and training for media practitioners?
9.5.1 Domestic/international organizations
9.5.2 Private/nongovernmental/governmental organizations
10. Media regulation
10.1 Which media regulations exist?
10.2 Do media practitioners know which regulations affect them?
10.3 Who creates and enforces media regulations?
10.4 Are media regulations created and enforced impartially and equitably?
10.5 Do professional associations or civil society groups monitor the media?
11. Relationship between the media and government
11.1 How do political entities (government, parties, or politicians) limit access by media to governmental information?
11.2 Are particular media channels owned by political entities?
11.2.1 How effectively do political entities use such media outlets to influence their target audiences?
11.2.2 Do such politicized media outlets generate conflict?
11.3 Do political entities restrict freedom of expression through legislation or other coercive means?
11.4 How do political entities punish media institutions or individuals who disobey?
11.5 To protect their political interests, do political entities co-opt managers, editors, and reporters in the media system?
11.5.1 How are media professionals selected for pressure?
11.5.2 How do political entities coerce media professionals?