Cambridge, MA, United States

This meeting is available by invitation only.

Meeting schedule: 9.00am Thursday May 29th until noon on Saturday May 31st 2008.
Organisation and sponsorship: the CommGAP Program at the World Bank and the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at KSG.

Workshop Structure:

1. Framing the Debate

1.1 The ideal role of the news media in the public sphere
What are the most appropriate normative standards and the ideal roles of the news media? What is the watch-dog, agenda-setting and public forum roles of journalism? In particular, how do these roles contribute to strengthening democratic governance and human development?

1.2 Diagnostic tools and performance indicators
What evidence and what diagnostic tools are available to compare how effectively journalists are performing in these roles in different societies and the restrictions on independent reporting? How are the core components of media freedom monitored and operationalised by alternative quantitative indices, based on 'expert' judgments, and are these measures valid, robust, accurate, and reliable? Do new measures and methodologies need to be developed and additional sources of data gathered? What do the available indices suggest about the state of media freedom, including cross-national comparisons worldwide and also evidence of trends over time? Can the  indices be transformed into typologies and classifications for comparing media systems?

The goal of this session will be to bring together representatives from some of the main organisations monitoring media freedom and communications systems worldwide to compare practices and evidence.

2. The role of the news media in agenda-setting and framing development challenges

2.1 State responsiveness to natural crisis
One of the classic roles of the news media is to raise awareness of social needs and development challenges. This process involves agenda-setting: emphasising the importance of certain problems in news headlines and thereby prioritising issues of concern. The process also involves framing: triggering interpretive frameworks shaping how to think about social problems and their potential solutions. Does this function thereby strengthen government responsiveness to social problems arising from natural crisis and disasters, such as famines, floods and pandemics? This is the well-known claim of the eminent economist Amartya Sen. Under what conditions does the news media succeed, and fail, in their agenda-setting role?

2.2 Donor responsiveness to humanitarian crisis and development aid
This topic focuses upon how far the international news media highlights coverage of natural and manmade disasters in developing countries overseas, and how far this process thereby heightens domestic public concern and the responsiveness of donor governments in sponsoring humanitarian aid and technical assistance.

3. The role of the news media as a watchdog

3.1 Corruption and the watchdog role of the mass media
'Watchdog' journalism reflects the role of investigative journalism which holds powerful public officials and institutions responsible for their decision and actions and the impact of these on social, economic and political life. Watch-dog journalism should be particularly important when highlighting problems of corruption, malfeasance, cronyism, and scandal in government, thereby raising standards in public life and limiting the abuse of public office. But how active are journalists in reporting these sorts of stories in many developing countries, and does reporting which focuses too aggressively on exposing the personal and private life of public figures thereby contribute towards public cynicism and deter future leaders from dedicating themselves to a career in public service?

3.2 Government performance, collective accountability, and the news media
Does news coverage of government performance contribute towards an informed public? One of the critical roles of journalists is to report how well the government performs in delivering basic public services, such as health care and schooling, as well as providing broader indicators of government effectiveness, such as on economic growth and foreign policy. Through processes of framing and priming, and by providing a wide range of expert evaluations, the news media provide a prism which the public can use to assess public officials and understand public policy debates, promoting government transparency and accountability. But such reporting can fall short of the ideal standards for many reasons, even in democracies with high levels of press freedom, for example where reporting fails to engage in substantive policy debates, or where it gives excessively unbalanced and partisan coverage of the government and public policy processes.

4. The role of the news media as a public forum

4.1 Post-conflict reconstruction/fragile states and the mass media
What is the role of the mass media in post-conflict reconstruction? In the early stages of any negotiated settlement, peace-building and conflict reduction, it is particularly important to have a pluralistic news media which fosters tolerance and open communication through balanced coverage of all sides involved in the conflict. But often this process fails where the news media is highly partisan, especially in societies deeply divided by language in separate communities.

4.2 Election campaigns, balance, and the mass media
Does campaign coverage in election campaigns provide a level playing field for parties and candidates from all political persuasions, interests, and social sectors? This issue is particularly important in transitional autocracies and in consolidating democracies where one major party is predominant, and where the opposition parties and reform movements have difficulty in getting their message out to rally popular support.

4.3 Limits on press freedom and regime support
How far can autocracies strengthen popular support by silencing dissent and manipulating the news? The many ways that autocracies seek to control the media are well documented. What is less clearly established, however, is how far states with restrictive media environments thereby succeed in manipulating public opinion and strengthening their support at home. The cumulative result of years, or even decades, of tight media control in restrictive and isolated states such as Burma and North Korea is usually assumed to have a powerful impact upon citizens. This paper will look at new survey evidence for the effects of limits on press freedom for patterns of regime support.

5. Plenary: Conclusions, Policy Options, and Recommendations for Future Action

5.1 Policy options strengthening freedom of expression
This paper would summarise the key policy options and make recommendations for future action. In particular, there are multiple restrictions on press freedom, and one of the most important reforms concerns the constitutional guarantees and the legal regulations of press freedom. This is particularly important following the reconstruction of post-conflict states and in the initial transition to democracy. What provisions reflect best practice in this area? What institutions and agencies have been most engaged? What can be learnt from these interventions about the best way to promote free freedom? Note: Papers will be encouraged which are based on comparative empirical evidence and specific case studies drawn from a range of developing countries. In each panel and breakout, the moderator should be someone who can approach the topic from a truly multi-disciplinary perspective, as well as someone who can skillfully draw panelists and discussants away from their usual silos to explore the connective tissue between different fields, both conceptually and in practice.