This is a series of 17 separate country reports released by the African Media Development Initiative (AMDI). Launched by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in January 2006, AMDI is a project involving African practitioners and leading media organisations in enhancing efforts to strengthen the capacity of the media in Africa - making those efforts more long-term, strategic, collaborative, and tailored to local needs. AMDI is based on the belief that fostering a stronger media in Africa is an indispensable part of enabling Africa to attain its development goals, such as tackling poverty.

One year after its launch, AMDI released the findings of its independent survey of the state of the media in sub-Saharan Africa - and shifts within the media landscape of those 17 countries, which include: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The study aimed to examine the following:

• Key changes and developments in the media sector in Africa since 2000;
• How training and capacity building activities have contributed to the development of the media; and
• Future actions with the greatest potential impact on the development of the media sector in Africa.

Data presented in the reports is based on both secondary research gathered by local researchers and on extensive interviews conducted locally among key media practitioners and leaders. Each of the 17 separate reports consists of 3 sections:

1. Media sector developments
2. Challenges for future media development activities
3. Case Study: illustrating good practice in media development

For example, the summary introducing the Ghana report begins: "Since the military dictatorship came to an end in Ghana in 1992, and the Criminal Libel Law was repealed in 2001, there has been an explosion of growth in Ghana's media landscape. However, quantity has not necessarily been matched with quality..."

Looked at as a whole, the report includes information on the increasing diversity of media in Africa, the challenges facing media and journalists in developing media landscapes, and the lack of professional standards, equipment, and financial resources necessary to satisfy the growing populations of sub-Saharan Africa. Recommendations on the future designs and priorities of media development in Africa are also included.

Click here to access summaries of each report, as well as each full report in PDF format.

Click here for a summary of AMDI within our Programme Experiences section.

Email from Thane Ryland to The Communication Initiative on January 9 2006 and AMDI page on the BBC WST website on January 10 2007.