Loretta Hieber A guide to developing media projects in conflict situations Lifeline Media: Lifeline Reaching populations in crisis LIFELINE MEDIA: REACHING POPULATIONS IN CRISIS Lifeline Media: Reaching populations in crisis A guide to developing media projects in conflict situations Loretta Hieber Media Action International LIFELINE MEDIA: REACHING POPULATIONS IN CRISIS Sponsored by: Post-Conflict Unit, The World Bank Department for International Development, Great Britain Swiss Development Corporation Senior Researcher: Malcolm Green Research Assistants: Bronwyn Walker, Michelle Morgan, Vladimir Bratic Printed September 2001 © 2001 Media Action International ii A GUIDE TO DEVELOPING MEDIA PROJECTS IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS Table of contents List of contributed texts .................................................................................. v About the author ............................................................................................. vii Preface ....................................................................................................xi Media as a Weapon of War or a Tool of Peace: Introduction .......................................................................1 Section One: Designing Programmes for Populations in Crisis ...............................................................7 Chapter I. Understanding conflict and post-conflict scenarios ............. 9 Chapter II. Needs assessments and project planning ...................... 15 1. Criteria for action ....................................................................... 18 2. Initial research: understanding the crisis .................................. 20 3. Quantitative and qualitative field research................................. 22 Chapter III. Setting up proactive programmes in crisis situations ........ 33 1. Developing effective local relations ........................................... 36 2. Working with international relief agencies ................................ 44 Chapter IV. Choosing the right medium ........................................ 49 1. The case for radio ..................................................................... 50 2. Television and video .................................................................. 58 3. Information technology ............................................................. 61 Section Two: Humanitarian Information Programmes ...... 71 Chapter V. Developing effective humanitarian programme content ..... 73 1. Editorial policy ........................................................................... 73 2. Programme formats .................................................................. 80 iii LIFELINE MEDIA: REACHING POPULATIONS IN CRISIS Chapter VI. Targeted programming ............................................. 85 1. Tackling public health issues in crises ...................................... 85 2. Special programmes for children .............................................. 90 3. Female-focused programming .................................................. 99 4. Family reunification ................................................................. 102 5. Promoting humanitarian values .............................................. 106 Section Three: Media Projects for Peace-Building .......... 109 Chapter VII. Crossing community divides ..................................... 113 1. Tackling perceptions ................................................................ 115 2. From competition to co-operation .......................................... 120 3. Developing “connectors” ......................................................... 125 Chapter VIII. Reporting conflict ................................................. 129 1. War versus peace reporting .................................................... 129 2. Journalists and objectivity....................................................... 135 Chapter IX. Examples of media projects building peace ................... 139 1. Radio facilitating peace-building ............................................. 139 2. Innovative uses of video ......................................................... 149 3. Drama...................................................................................... 155 Section Four: Measuring Impact ....................................... 165 Chapter X. Participatory monitoring and evaluation ....................... 167 Chapter XI. Developing indicators ............................................. 173 1. Media profile............................................................................ 174 2. Understanding the conflict ...................................................... 176 3. Media approach ....................................................................... 176 Chapter XII. The rapid survey method .........................................181 Conclusion .................................................................. 187 Endnotes ........................................................................189 Glossary ........................................................................199 Contact list ........................................................................ 201 Bibliography ........................................................................205 iv A GUIDE TO DEVELOPING MEDIA PROJECTS IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS List of contributed texts Section One: Designing Programmes for Populations in Crisis Researching hostile environments .............................................. 21 by John Owen Davies Assessing information needs in Kosovo ........................................ 27 by Jonathan Walter Designing a radio distribution campaign in Albania ......................... 31 by Mary Myers The Communication Project for the reconstruction of Armenia, Colombia ............................................................. 40 by Lina Holquin Star Radio: promoting the humanitarians ...................................... 46 by George Bennett The Project SPEAR experience ................................................... 53 by Loretta Hieber United Nations information efforts in conflicts................................ 56 by Jeffrey Heyman The Great Lakes: a review of the mass information activities of the UNHCR ....................................................................... 60 by Malcolm Green Information technology and Internet innovations for peace-building operations ........................................................ 69 by Heather O’Brien v LIFELINE MEDIA: REACHING POPULATIONS IN CRISIS Section Two: Humanitarian Information Programmes Making emergency programmes entertaining ................................. 83 by Brian Anderson Voice of America: Psychosocial programming for Rwanda ................. 89 by Loretta Hieber REACH: Radio education for Afghan children .................................. 98 by Keith Ricketts The ICRC: Conveying humanitarian messages in Bosnia ................... 107 by Paul-Henri Arni Section Three: Media Projects for Peace-Building The Reporting Diversity Network ............................................... 119 by Robert Leavitt, Robert Manoff and Milica Pesic Cross-cultural journalism in Macedonia ...................................... 127 by Eran Fraenkel Journalists mediating conflict .................................................. 137 by Melissa Baumann and Hannes Siebert Qeshu, Rini, Qeshu: Youth programming in Kosovo ........................ 144 by Rod Curtis Talking Drum Studio .............................................................. 146 by John Langlois “Our neighbours, ourselves”: Drama in Burundi ............................158 by Francis Rolt Nashe Maalo – Youth Television in Macedonia .............................. 163 by Eran Fraenkel Section Four: Measuring Impact Ondas Imaginativas ...............................................................170 by Lina Holquin Evaluating Operation Lifeline Media – Mozambique ........................ 178 by Nicola Harford vi A GUIDE TO DEVELOPING MEDIA PROJECTS IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS About the author Loretta Hieber is co-founder of Media Action International. She started her professional career as both a journalist and radio producer, working for international broadcast organizations in Paris, Munich, and Bern. A specialist in the coverage of humanitarian issues, Loretta has produced documentaries and news reports focusing on conflict and development themes in Somalia, South Africa, the Middle East, Yemen, and other crisis areas. In 1995, she was awarded a mid-career Journalism Fellowship from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor where she pursued research on the world wide refugee crisis. Following this, Ms. Hieber undertook a Fellowship at Harvard University’s Program in Refugee Trauma at the School of Public Health. Her focus was reaching and supporting war-traumatised affected populations through the media. A working collaboration with Gordon Adam resulted in the Radio Partnership in 1997 which subsequently developed several initiatives on media and conflict, notably the Lifeline Media Project. In addition, Ms. Hieber has worked as a consultant for media projects on behalf of international organizations, including UNICEF and UNESCO. Ms. Hieber is married, with two children and lives outside Geneva, Switzerland. vii LIFELINE MEDIA: REACHING POPULATIONS IN CRISIS About Media Action International Media Action International aims to promote more effective use of the media to help local populations in crises and to strengthen the role of information in