Media Matter: Citizens Care (the who, what, when, where, why, how and buts of citizens’ engagement with the media)

The who, what, when, where, why, how, and buts of citizens’ engagement with the media.

The brochure “Media Matter Citizens CareÀ written by Ammu Joseph, journalist and media watcher from India, is a dedicated advocacy of interactivity between citizens’ and free public and community broadcasting. It is addressed to all those who wish to contribute to fostering social inclusion and strengthening civil society and to building a people-centred information and knowledge society in which citizens’ media associations facilitate citizens’ participation and interaction with, and through quality electronic media, particularly editorially independent public service broadcasting and community media.

The workshop “Citizens media: Promoting Citizens’ Participation in BroadcastingÀ organized by UNESCO in cooperation with Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) and World Radio and Television Council (WRTVC) in Kuala Lumpur, in April 2004, examined the role of civil society and citizens in fostering quality media in general and broadcasting in particular and encouraged follow up action.

“The participation and role of a vital stakeholder group À“ the citizens of each country, who formed the audienceÀ was perceived by the participants as “a weak link in the relationship between the major stakeholders i.e. broadcasters, governments, regulators, and citizens… A strong relationship, based on mutual trust, between citizens and broadcasters was emphasized as vital to the existence of free and robust media organizations and indeed, for the functioning of a healthy democracyÀ.

The citizens’ media concept is still a relatively new concept. The citizens’ media movement is obviously a response to the ever-increasing presence of the communication media in all parts of human life.

Publisher: UNESCO
Year of Publication: 2005