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Consolidating the new Media
Landiscape in Mozambique
Five More Community Radios
Training of Volunteers in
Progress
Creating Communication Centres
Getting Public Radio to
More People
 CONSOLIDATING
THE NEW MEDIA LANDISCAPE IN MOZAMBIQUE
Will the present 'Media Project' end, when the present project document
and its funding expires in June 2000? This is still uncertain, but a
large consultative meeting of government representatives, donors and
NGOs was held in Maputo on March 30 to discuss exactly this issue.
In preparation of the meeting UNESCO had been asked by its tripartite
structure (Government, UNDP and the donors) to prepare an initial draft
document, based on a thorough needs assessment with representatives of
big and small media alike. The needs assessment furthermore built on the
'Media Pluralism Landscape Study' published in July 1999 and a report
reviewing the project from December 1999.
The initial needs assessment showed that the core philosophy of the
project could well remain unchanged, stressing the need for further
decentralization, pluralism & diversity as well as independence of the
media. In addition the continued need to strive for increased impact and
quality of the media was found to be important, and the inclusion of new
target groups including women and youth was welcomed.
To meet the needs identified the following main objectives of the
project’s phase II were agreed on:
· Increased impact and sustainability of independent print media
· Strengthening capacity of the provincial delegations of the National
Public Broadcaster in light of the increasing editorial and financial
independence
· Increased impact and sustainability of community radios in Mozambique
· Strengthening journalistic skills and the content quality of the media
improved in Mozambique
· Involvement of women in journalism and the media strengthened
· Strengthened capacity of youth to critically receive and use the
media
UNESCO was asked to continue the consultative process to further detail
the ways in which the phase II of the project will work to achieve the
above mentioned general objectives effectively.
This process will include a number of consultative meeting and will
culminate in the finalization of a Project Document by September 1st
this year, which should put the UNDP in a position to get a funding
package in place with the present and future bilateral donors for the
project to continue smoothly from its present phase and into the new one
by July 1st 2001.
Five
More Community Radios
The Media Project is going to support the installation of five Community
Radios (CR’S) in Mozambique, in the implementation of phase II of this
component.
The decision has been taken by the members of the Selection Board, during
the meeting held to analyze the 18 proposals submitted to the project up
until February 15th .
The members of the Selection Board went through all the proposals,
verifying the eligibility criteria and other factors, such as the
sustainability potentials, the geographical distribution of the
proposals within the country, and others, reflected in our initial call
for proposals.
The selection Board is made up by: Bishop Dinis Sengulane, Prof.Dr.
Brazão Mazula (Rector-UEM) Dr. Eduardo Sitoe,(GABINFO), Mr. João Jorge
(National Institute of Communication), Mr. Augusto Pinto (Link), Ms.
Julieta Langa (The Higher Council for Social Communication), Mr. António
Carrasco and Mr. António de Jesus (Institute of Social Communication),
Mr. Paolo Derenzio (UNDP), Dr. Manuel Veterano (Radio Mozambique), Ms.
Marie Hélèn Bonin (Nordic-SADC Jornalism Centre) and Birgitte Jallov,
Tomas Vieira Mário and Abubacar Selemangy (Media Project).
Training of Volunteers in
Progress
The training of volunteers for the future radio stations at the three
sites chosen by the project to initiate Community Radios (CR’S) is full
in progress in Homoíne, Chimoio and Cuamba.
In each community 20 volunteers are being trained to be the core resource
persons for the CR’S.
The course are being organized by a local process Coach and trainer,
covering issues related to Concepts of a Community Radio, Programming,
program Production, News Reporting, Ethics and others
This first package, preceding the actual setting–up of the stations,
started March 17th and will culminate with a national course on
scheduled for May.
Creating
Communication Centres
The three groups of journalists and editors from the emerging independent
press in Beira, Chimoio and Tete are still working hard on preparation
concrete and detailed business plans for the centers to be established
by their local Media Operators Associations. As the Media Project has
only got a life span left of one year and three months, we have insisted
on firm sustainability plans, building a high level of self
sustainability into the plans from the start.
During a monitoring mission to Beira and Chimoio during the last week of
March it was seen that the two centers are instrumental in bringing out
a number of local newspapers and being the meeting point for the local
journalists.
Once the full equipment package is in place, the role centers as both
‘homes’ for correspondents from other parts of the country and
distribution points for independent newspapers in general will take
final form.
Getting
Public Radio to More People
The Media Project is in these days receiving the conclusions from a
three-week work period of an independent consultant who has assessed the
most urgent needs of Radio Mozambique in the technical area.
Getting the most important national medium effectively received by a
larger part of the population is the aim of the component. By mid March
the final recommendations are expected and it is hoped that the
installation of the equipment and related training of staff can be in
place by the last quarter of this year.
Media
Development Project
c/o UNESCO, P.O.Box 1397 Maputo, Mozambique
Tel. +
258.1. 498752/ 490840 Fax +258.1.498717
E-mail: unesco@mediamoz.com
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