Media Sustainability Index (MSI)

MSI Overview

IREX’s Media Sustainability Index (MSI) provides in-depth analyses of the conditions for independent media in 76 countries across Africa, Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East. Since the Eurasian MSI was first conceived in 2000, in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the MSI has evolved into an important benchmark study to assess how media systems change over time and across borders. Since 2005, IREX has also produced an MSI for the Middle East and North Africa, with support from USAID, the US Department of State’s Middle East Policy Initiative, and UNESCO. In 2007 IREX launched the Africa MSI with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency, the World Bank Institute, and USAID.

MSI Europe and Eurasia 2009:
The Development of Sustainable Media in Europe and Eurasia

The MSI 2009 provides an analysis of the media environment in 21 countries of Europe and Eurasia during 2007 and together with previous versions shows trends in the media sector since 2001. Since the MSI was first conceived in 2000 and launched in 2001, in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), it has evolved into a key benchmark study to assess how media structures change over time and across borders.

MSI Africa 2008
The Development of Sustainable Media in Africa

The second edition of the Africa MSI covers 40 countries, with Liberia, Gabon, and a separate study for Somaliland newly added this year. With two years of study complete for the other 37 countries, trends in media development can begin to be mapped.

The Africa MSI has shown the durability and applicability of the objectives and indicators designed for the original MSI. Minor changes in the panelist and moderator instructions ensured our results embrace uniquely African features, including the prevalence of radio—notably community radio—found in many countries.

MSI Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

IREX expanded its in-depth analysis of the conditions for independent media to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 2005. The second edition of the MENA MSI provides critical benchmark data and probing analysis of evolving media systems in 18 countries of the region based on developments in late 2006 and 2007.

MSI Asia: Timor leste

As part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Independent Media Program in Timor Leste, IREX studied the media in that country for the first time in 2008. This study highlights the key challenges and developments in the media sector of this newly independent country.

Methodology

IREX prepared the Media Sustainability Index (MSI) in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a tool to assess the development of media systems over time and across countries. IREX staff, USAID, and other media-development professionals contributed to the development of this assessment tool.

The MSI assesses five “objectives” in shaping a successful media system:

Legal and social norms protect and promote free speech and access to public information.
Journalism meets professional standards of quality.
Multiple news sources provide citizens with reliable, objective news.
Independent media are well-managed businesses, allowing editorial independence.
Supporting institutions function in the professional interests of independent media.

These objectives were judged to be the most important aspects of a sustainable and professional independent media system, and served as the criteria against which countries were rated. A score was attained for each objective by rating between seven and nine indicators, which determine how well a country meets that objective. More about MSI Methodology