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Right to Know Day: Access to Information Rights

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When I began working with journalists, editors and civil society leaders- and the public they serve- in countries where media freedom is not a given, one of the first things I noticed was the low expectations that government should be accountable to its citizens. As a taxpayer and voter in the United States, I have a very vivid perception that I own a share of what government does and that I have a right to know in almost all cases how it goes about it. This is more often not the case in many of the countries in which we work where free elections, strong independent media, and basic individual rights are lacking.

When I began working with journalists, editors and civil society leaders- and the public they serve- in countries where media freedom is not a given, one of the first things I noticed was the low expectations that government should be accountable to its citizens. As a taxpayer and voter in the United States, I have a very vivid perception that I own a share of what government does and that I have a right to know in almost all cases how it goes about it.

Engaging Local Communities in Chad through Radio

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Jocelyn Grange, a media consultant working for IREX in Chad, writes about two community radio stations and the dedicated journalists who keep them running in spite of limited resources. 

Jocelyn Grange, a media consultant working for IREX in Chad, writes about two community radio stations and the dedicated journalists who keep them running in spite of limited resources.  

From the comfort of a multi-platform, 24/7 information world, it is worth considering what people are doing to get any news out at all in places such as Moundou and Sarh, Chad. Radio Kar Ruba in

Tunisian Media Experience a Chance to Change

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While Tunisia’s revolution continues to have different meanings for different constituencies, perhaps in nowhere is the transformation more profoundly felt than in the media sector. After decades of extreme censorship, and in some cases outright brutality directed against journalists and editors, and more recently bloggers, who circumvented the government line, media representatives now feel the fear and intimidation lifting.

I recently conducted an assessment for IREX in the Middle East and North Africa to explore how we might best respond to the rapid changes and diverse needs across the region. Here are some of my thoughts on media and Tunisia after spending some time there. Special thanks to my colleague and mentor, Drusilla Menaker, for her substantial contributions to this piece.

Freedom's Just Another Word

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How free is regulated speech? Do blasphemy laws protect groups or do they curtail freedoms?

A key principle for most media development practitioners is a fundamental belief in freedom of speech. When governments or groups or cultures curtail those freedoms, the very essence of an independent media is called to question.

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