Towards a New Model: Media and Communication in Post-Conflict and Fragile States.

Abstract

The media and communication sector plays a complex role in post-conflict and fragile states. In states experiencing conflict, violent political upheaval or complete collapse, the media can provide important, reliable, and timely humanitarian and political information in the midst of chaos, helping people to navigate their tumultuous surroundings. Moving toward the longer term, media and communication processes can enable citizens to engage in dialogue, serve as platforms for debate and oversight, anchor governance reforms, and facilitate peacebuilding and poverty reduction. Yet, despite its importance, the media and communication sector is frequently an afterthought in post-conflict reconstruction. Taking as its primary case study the Office of Transition Initiatives at the US Agency for International Development, the paper calls for a new model in post-conflict and fragile states, one that prioritizes communication's role in governance and peacebuilding.

Citation

World Bank, Washington, D.C.; 112 pp.

Towards a New Model: Media and Communication in Post-Conflict and Fragile States.

Published 1 January 2008