World Association of News Publishers


Media Freedom and Democracy Programme to continue until 2019

Media Freedom and Democracy Programme to continue until 2019

Article ID:

20332

WAN-IFRA’s successful Media Freedom and Democracy Programme got some good news this month – the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will support the program for three more years, with a NOK 9,000,000 (EUR 1,000,000) investment in Media Freedom activities in Central East Africa and South East Asia.

Currently there are two distinct projects running within this initiative: Women in News Central-East Africa, which has been active in Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania since 2015, and the Media Professionals Programme (MPP) active in Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam since 2012.

Sonny Swe, the founder of English magazine Frontier Myanmar, has been working with MPP in South East Asia for the past three years.

“I was quite happy to hear that there is a budget for the next three years, not only for me but also for others participants,” says Swe. “This programme means a lot to me and my organization because we have the opportunity to study the latest digital models as well as learn all the do’s & don’ts from our mentors, speakers at conferences and fellow participants.”

Both programmes use peer mentoring, one-on-one coaching and networking to teach financial stability, better editorial awareness and gender equality.

“Myanmar is going through a transitional period politically, economically and most importantly, when it comes to digital media,” says Swe. “(Through MPP), I get to learn about the latest digital technology, strategies and revenue models around the world.” Says Swe.

The Media Freedom and Democracy Programme aims to build strong independent media that support democratic development, hold powers to account, and promote human rights, with an emphasis on gender equality.

Author

Hedvig Lundstrom's picture

Hedvig Lundstrom

Date

2016-09-26 12:52

Contact information

In its media development work, the WAN-IFRA strategy focuses on bringing a new way of thinking to the sector. WAN-IFRA has become a key player in the field of financial independence and management capacity building, conducting groundbreaking research and developing subsequent media development policies. Read more ...

In countless countries, journalists, editors and publishers are physically attacked, imprisoned, censored, suspended or harassed for their work. WAN-IFRA is committed to defending freedom of expression by promoting a free and independent press around the world. Read more ...