19 July 2006
Free Media May Weaken Crisis Countries: Study
18 July 2006
An independent and free media could do more harm than good in states rebuilding after crises or wars, according to a new study by two researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). In their report, "Why Templates for Media Development Do Not Work in Crisis States," James Putzel and Joost van der Zwan argue that, rather than support democratisation, media liberalisation could potentially undermine state building.
The authors call for recognition that the development of an open and free media environment requires the presence of a strong state. "Traditional theory states that the creation of an independent media needs to be at the heart of efforts to consolidate security, effective government and development in the wake of crises and war," says Putzel. "But our findings indicate that where the state is fragile, and where the political process is unstable and de-legitimated, the primary objective of donor assistance should be supporting the formation of a functioning state."
The report also recommends, where appropriate, allowing and encouraging "judicious state regulation of the media during the initial phases of state building in order to minimise the potential for divisive violent conflict and maximise the potential for building national cohesion."
To download the report, visit: http://www.crisisstates.com/download/publicity/FINAL.MEDIA.REPORT.PDF
RSS