Soul Beat Africa
African development action with informed and engaged societies
Soul Beat Africa
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Mozambique Media Strengthening Program (MSP)

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The Mozambique Media Strengthening Program (MSP) seeks to support the professionalisation of journalists and empowerment of independent media in Mozambique, working both with individual journalists and media organisations in the capital, Maputo, as well as with local media outlets and community radio stations located throughout the country. The goal of the MSP is to improve the quality of information provided to citizens by state and non-state media and to enhance the capacities and financial viability of non-state, or independent, media organisations in Mozambique. Activities focus on skills improvement for journalists, including investigative and topical specialisation skills (such as HIV prevention, gender-based violence (GBV), and health promotion), fostering debates and forums, developing local institutions, and facilitating linkages within the media sector and other development programmes and civil society organisations. Furthermore, the programme seeks to build the capacity of media organisations to become more financially viable and stable, to analyse and advocate for policy reforms to protect and broaden media freedoms, and to provide oversight of government actions. Ultimately, the project seeks to develop a more professional and effective media that can work at the local, regional, and national levels to inform citizens, encourage citizens to hold their government more accountable, and contribute to better governance in Mozambique. Launched in 2012, this five-year is being implemented by IREX and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Communication Strategies

Activities include the following:

  • Strengthen the capacity of emerging and experienced journalists to produce quality content, with a special emphasis on investigative journalism - Emerging journalists are trained through the Media Lab, which offers a 10 month, full-time programme. Students work together to conduct interviews, write articles, produce a newspaper and television broadcasts, and use digital media platforms. The collaborative classroom environment asks students to think critically and freely discuss issues with each other.
  • Increase female participation in media and train journalists in reporting on GBV and related subject areas - MSP is working with community radio stations to produce programmes with gender themes, conducting training sessions that show the relationship between GBV and trafficking, and holds briefings on how journalists can incorporate gender awareness into media agendas. The programme has also developed a GBV reporting handbook.
  • Work with persons with disability to establish an online TV channel for the deaf - MSP worked with TV Surdo to create a newscast produced by and for the deaf. Presented by two deaf anchors, the pilot newscast covered topics such as employment opportunities for deaf people and improving access to information for hearing impaired people. TV Surdo intends to produce the newscast weekly to help the deaf community stay up to date on both the latest community issues and country-wide current events.
  • Working with development programmes and civil society organisations - MSP has trained and established a health and gender communication network, which consists of groups of journalists who operate in 32 partner community radio stations located in the central and northern regions of the country. Through the network, journalists will dedicate themselves to the continuous production of radio content on health and gender issues that are relevant to women and their communities. In particular, MSP and the journalists are working closely with health and gender organisations, ensuring a multiplying, widespread, and a sustainable effect to improve the quality of life for communities, especially women and girls.

The project is also:

  • Working with media businesses to build sound management practices for long-term financial viability and sustainability.
  • Providing technical assistance to 32 community radio stations in the northern part of the country in order to expand the reach and quality of information.
  • Supporting the development of a safe operating environment for media entities and professionals through advocacy, safety training, and legislative efforts.

For more information, see the Mozambique Media Strengthening Program website (in Portuguese).

Development Issues

Health, Gender-Based Violence, Governance

Key Points

Outcomes

To date, 68% of the journalists trained and mentored by MSP have improved the quality of the media content they produce in terms of the sources used, impartiality, structure, and relevance. (See also Related Summaries, below, for the full final report.)

Partners

IREX and USAID

Sources

IREX website and USAID website on July 12 2017.