IMS (International Media Support)

The third Local Media Summit kicks off on 2 October in Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia's biggest local media meetup brings together stakeholders from the Indonesian media ecosystem to talk about the crucial role of local media in serving communities and the need to adapt to technological advancements to remain relevant. This year's theme, "Technological Transformation in Local Media: Serving the Audience of Tomorrow", underscores the need for local media to understand and cater to the evolving needs and preferences of future audiences, particularly younger audiences. See the full programme here: https://lnkd.in/euTV6NrA IMS and Suara.com are co-initiators of the event, with funding from European Union and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

IMS' new Audience Research Methods resource pack is a step-by-step guide aimed at publishers on how to better understand, implement and benefit from audience research. This guide is designed for publishers and editorial teams, especially those of small media outlets. The resource pack introduces essential components of:   - Online surveys  - A/B testing  - 1-2-1 interviews  - Focus groups  - Personas  - Observations  - Design sprints  - Co-creation Learn more and download the resource pack: https://lnkd.in/edtREEiX The Audience Research Methods Resource Pack was developed by John Mills and distils the highlights and best practices of audience understanding webinars featured in the Local Media for Democracy (LM4D) programme. The LM4D programme provided grants and capacity building to 42 media projects from 17 EU member states. The 18-month programme was co-funded by the European Union and implemented by a consortium that included the European Federation of Journalists, Journalismfund Europe, the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) and IMS.  

IMS is proud to launch the Impact Framework for Media Projects, a toolkit designed to help editorial teams measure changes resulting from project activities based on more effective ways to define targets and track progress and results. Learn more about the toolkit and download it here: https://lnkd.in/efF5tNnw The Impact framework was designed as part of the Local Media for Democracy (#LM4D) programme, co-funded by the European Union and implemented by a consortium that included the European Federation of Journalists, Journalismfund Europe, Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) and IMS.

With support from IMS, Radio Ergo provides the Somali population with informative stories on issues like health, education, conflict prevention, and gender equality, and bring a variety of voices to the mic, as below story about Elmi Bile illustrates. IMS' work with Radio Ergo is funded by Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sida. IOM - UN Migration

As the situation in Lebanon continues to escalate, the need for independent, accurate information becomes only more important. IMS recommends following updates from our partners: Daraj Media is an independent digital media platform specialising in investigative pieces, op-eds and features. They focus on under-reported topics like women and minorities’ rights, environmental and climate changes, freedom of expression and gender identity. Megaphone is an online independent media platform producing multimedia content on current affairs as well as social and cultural commentary. Megaphone's aim is to bring Lebanese politics closer to audiences that feel alienated by traditional media. The Public Source | مصدر عام is a Beirut-based media organisation dedicated to independent journalism and commentary from the left. They write critically on vital issues from local perspectives in the service of the public interest and in solidarity with Global South populations. Raseef22 رصيفــ22 is an independent digital media outlet with a broad audience in the Arab speaking countries. Raseef22 is focused on a new awareness of citizenship and on promoting values in line with human rights to build a better future for people in the region.

As the situation in Lebanon continues to escalate, the need for independent, accurate information becomes only more important. IMS recommends following updates from our partners: Daraj Media is an independent digital media platform specialising in investigative pieces, op-eds and features. They focus on under-reported topics like women and minorities’ rights, environmental and climate changes, freedom of expression and gender identity. Megaphone is an online independent media platform producing multimedia content on current affairs as well as social and cultural commentary. Megaphone's aim is to bring Lebanese politics closer to audiences that feel alienated by traditional media. The Public Source | مصدر عام is a Beirut-based media organisation dedicated to independent journalism and commentary from the left. They write critically on vital issues from local perspectives in the service of the public interest and in solidarity with Global South populations. Raseef22 رصيفــ22 is an independent digital media outlet with a broad audience in the Arab speaking countries. Raseef22 is focused on a new awareness of citizenship and on promoting values in line with human rights to build a better future for people in the region.

Attending the Online News Association conference this Saturday 9/21? Join PEN America’s Viktorya Vilk and Jeje Mohamed at the Safety Workshop Series for a session on Peer Support and Community Building. Journalists face an increasingly wide range of occupational hazards, including online abuse and harassment, secondary trauma, and physical risks. PEN America’s recent report, The Power of Peer Support, found that small-group peer support networks are a promising, important way to foster connection, solidarity, and well-being across the journalism industry. In the Peer Support and Community Building workshop at ONA, Viktorya V. and Jeje M. will lead a peer-support workshop and create space for journalists to connect with one another, share their experiences, and learn from each other to build resilience and a supportive community. This session is the final part of a 4-part Safety Day at #ONA24. Check out the other safety series workshops by Freedom of the Press Foundation, International Women's Media Foundation and Center for News, Technology & Innovation - CNTI. 9/21 at 2:45-3:45pm EST. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eJai6p8V #electsafely with @thecaov #ona24

The Gaza Project is a global collaboration between 13 media outlets organised by Forbidden Stories. The project investigates the targeting of journalists in Gaza and aims to continue the work of journalists that have been killed or threatened in Gaza and the West Bank since October 7. In the making of the project, IMS partner ARIJ Network (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism) has been critical due to their close contact with journalists in Gaza and their knowledge of the situation on the ground. ARIJ normally discourages investigative journalism during war and conflicts due to extreme safety risks. But in the case of Gaza, they made an exception: “Conflicts and wars are not new to the Middle East and North Africa. In recent times, we have seen this also in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq. And we always had a policy that we do not allow the investigative journalists to work during wars because of the safety risks,” says Rawan Damen, Director General of ARIJ. “For the first months of the war, we were sticking to this policy. But we found out from our journalists and fact checkers in the field in Gaza that they were worried that Israel wanted to destroy all the evidence on the ground. And so we decided make an exception to our rule and to begin investigative projects even though the war was still going on,” says Rawan Damen. ARIJ is a long-term partner of IMS that seeks to strengthen the production and impact of investigative journalism in the Middle East and North Africa through trainings, cross-border and cross-regional collaboration. “Investigative journalism is always about exposing wrongdoings and pushing for accountability. In Gaza, it is extremely important as we see a lack of accountability and maybe the work of these journalists is our only hope for accountability in the future,” says Rawan Damen. See all investigations and read more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/drhTTCdk Media outlets involved in the Gaza project include The Guardian, DER SPIEGEL, Le Monde, ZDF, DER STANDARD, Radio France, paper trail media GmbH, Tamedia and more. Photo: Forbidden Stories and ARIJ

IMS and the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Mozambique chapter, will host an Election Disinformation Conference in Maputo, Mozambique, on 13 September 2024, at the Radisson Hotel. MISA-Mozambique notes the relevance of this conference as Mozambique prepares for the 9 October 2024 general election, stating that during the “election season, disinformation threatens not only the integrity and transparency of the process, but also democracy”, adding that the conference "is a platform to discuss global trends, lessons learned from the 2023 (local government) elections and strategies for strengthening collaboration between electoral authorities, civil society, academia and the media in the fight against disinformation.” This conference is a continuation of the collaboration between IMS and the Sida Democracy Hub, working with local partners that include MISA and MidiaLab. The conference will enable the Mozambique Election Management body, the National Electoral Commission, civil society working on elections, United Nations agents such as UNDP, media and journalists to discuss and come up with measures to raise awareness and mitigate the threat posed by electoral disinformation in Mozambique. Lessons from this conference will inform joint CSO and media actions on pushing back on disinformation and information disorder in the Mozambique elections and social spaces. The conference will be hybrid allowing online participation. Zoom link and details: https://lnkd.in/emvh4Dth Meeting ID: 825 1064 2688 Password: 463400

The From Ground Zero project was created to enhance the voices of the people of Gaza and to document their daily lives under war, bombardments and siege. 22 filmmakers have captured the diversity of perspectives and experiences in Gaza since October 7 through a 112-minute film in two parts. These stories explore a range of genres, from fiction to documentary to animation. Endless queuing for bread, saving family members from under the rubble, a donkey in mourning over his owner's killing, a visual artist that returns to her destroyed studio, a young displaced woman dancing with headphones on to block out the sounds of war planes. Fragments are weaved together to give a rare insight into the life as it unfolds right now for Gaza's civilian population. From Ground Zero premieres today at Toronto International Film Festival and has already been accepted to more than 70 festivals around the world. If it screens near you, we highly recommend that you go see it.