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Development Communications aimed at Policy Advocacy
Workshop B: Development Communications aimed at Policy Advocacy
Development communication includes, reporting on quality of governance and marketability of development news besides reporters' constraints such as time availability, travel opportunity, access to information, according to Hoot Media Foundation editor Sevanti Ninan.
She was speaking at the One World South Asia seminar held recently at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
She said that policy advocacy requires factual reporting of the ground situation. Efforts should be made to keep journalists updated using technologies such as e-mail discussion lists. Taking child mortality as an example she pointed out how many media combinations had to be used to combat the problem more effectively. However, she also said the national media had little interest in development issues.
She said sending development related news clips regularly to politicians could help sensitise them to the issue.
TV Padma of Panos South Asia told the participants that her institute offers media fellowship to women journalists working on human rights.
Editor of Humanscape Rukmini Dutta said: "Alternative media work also cost more energy besides human resources." She said her magazine had built a network of people with similar interest.
It was suggested by the participants that the OneWorld South Asia was the appropriate platform to carry on the advocacy work. At the same time more partners were to be roped in. This would not only broaden the reach but also provide strength to the voices from the ground.
