"In total, 23 people were interviewed for this report, a mix of those from different parts of the development and media communities, from differently located organisations, and from those based in different geographic locations. The bulk of the interviews were with development agencies - multilatera ... ls, bilaterals and foundations; six were with academics or policy institutes or think tanks and three were with southern organisations or agencies … The importance of supporting free and pluralistic media in relation to governance - and development - outcomes is thought to be increasingly recognised by a wide range of policy makers, academics and practitioners. There is also some evidence to support the perception that policy makers recognise the central role that media plays in development more than they did formerly. … It is widely acknowledged that media is not yet receiving sufficient attention from the development community, despite a growing perception of its growing importance as an issue. There is an 'engagement gap' between the value assigned to its role by policymakers and the practical provision made for it in development planning, thinking and spending. … The status of research is thought to have improved over the last few years, but is still receiving insufficient attention. It is also thought that the research which does exist is insufficiently compelling; the research is too often focused on aspects of media which are not pertinent to governance, too case-specific or not holistic." (Introduction & summary of findings, page 4-7) more

"Sharing the Front Line and the Back Hills" points to a crisis facing international institutions and the media who seek to alleviate and report human suffering throughout the world. The goals of the editor are to tell the story of thousands of individuals dedicated to helping others; and to integrat ... e issues of protection and care into all levels of planning, implementing and evaluating international intervention and action. The book identifies approaches that have proven useful and explores and suggests future directions." (Publisher description) more