Posted on May 27, 2012
Empowering Independent Media
Empowering Independent Media
While total U.S. spending on international media development increased 56 percent between 2006 and 2010, thanks largely to USAID and State Department initiatives in Iraq and Afghanistan, it still accounts for only 0.4 percent of U.S. foreign assistance, a report from the Center for International Media Assistance at the National Endowment for Democracy finds. According to Empowering Independent Media: U.S. Efforts to Foster a Free Press and an Open Internet Around the World (PDF, 155 pages), private funding from U.S. foundations for training programs, support for news organizations, and other initiatives grew to an estimated $76 million in 2010, with two-thirds of of that coming from the Open Society Foundations. Among other things, the report examines trends and issues in support for citizen journalism, independent media organizations, investigative reporting, and media literacy, and recommends broader outreach to funders, donor collaboration and coordination, and integration of digital technology into all aspects of media development.
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