Research platform Public Support for Development Cooperation. Subproject ICT and New Media (VLIR228)

Media play an important role in the perception of our world. This is also the case for our vision on development issues and international relations. Many studies show that traditional media like newspapers and television systematically misrepresent developing countries, often in a negative way. Moreover, because of the commercialization of media and the 'entertainmentalisation' of news, less and less attention is given to international news, and news about development issues, both in the written and audiovisual press. This could lead to 1) a public opinion that is less and less informed about development issues, 2) from the perspective of donors and NGOs traditional media may become less and less a channel to disseminate their messages. On the other hand, new digital channels have emerged like the Internet, digital interactive television and mobile communications. These new media allow more interactive ways of communication, make a stronger 'narrowcasting' possible, and allow reaching target groups that have become inaccessible through traditional media. The question is whether these new channels also provide opportunities to broaden the public support for development issues by involving new groups and groups that were lost. Within this O*platform, the aim is to examine to what extent these new channels can be part of a renewed media mix in function of awareness and communication regarding development. We do this on the basis of 1) a comprehensive analysis of the use of new media in general, 2) a thorough analysis of the use of new media by a selection of foreign donors and NGOs. The benefits and practical applications of these new communication channels will be discussed and analyzed in consultation with the different stakeholders according to the previously defined target groups. Moreover, (inter)national "best practices" will be presented and evaluated

Keywords:Information Technologies, Communication Policy, Science Communication, New Media, Cultural theory and policy, Research On Media Effects, Ethnicity, Privacy

Disciplines:Media and communications