Media Sustainability Index (MSI) - Europe and Eurasia

MSI Europe & Eurasia 2006/07

This publication was made possible through support provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Cooperative Agreement No. DGS-A-00-99-00015-00 US Agency for International Development (USAID)

The Development of Sustainable Media in Europe and Eurasia

ISSN 1546-0878

Introduction
I am pleased to introduce the Media Sustainability Index (MSI) 2006/07. For the sixth consecutive year, the MSI provides in-depth analysis of the conditions for independent media in 20 countries across Europe and Eurasia. Since it was first conceived in 2000 and launched in 2001, in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the MSI has evolved into an important benchmark study to assess how media structures change over time and across borders. More

Executive Summary
The 2006-2007 Media Sustainability Index (MSI) represents the sixth iteration of this analytical report, first conducted for 2001. Changes over the past year have been largely incremental, both for better and for worse for the region’s media sector and its ability to provide news and information independently and professionally. More dramatic are the changes recorded over the past six years of MSI rankings. An analysis shows that while a burst of “color revolutions” and “near” revolutions changed the media landscape in several countries in 2004 and early 2005, 2006 witnessed the slow but steady consolidation of longer-term processes. More

Methodology
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 and objective news.
Independent media are well-managed businesses, allowing editorial independence.
Supporting institutions function in the professional interests of independent media. More