From Concept to Design: Permissive Environments
skill that requires extra time, effort, and money. Before embarking on an investigative training program, ensure that news organizations have the human and financial resources to commit to investigative reporting, and that all concerned are fully aware of the risks. + Train specialized beat reporters. Journalists, bloggers, and other media sector professionals who specialize in a single topic can become experts on the subject, allowing them to report in depth and explain complicated concepts to the public. Media outlets in developing countries do not often have the resources to carry specialized beat reporters, but targeted training and mentoring can help carve out time and space for dedicated coverage of key topics, such as municipal budgets, public health, and education. +
Case Study: Building Supporting Institutions in Ukraine A vibrant network of media associations supports many other media development goals. In Ukraine, the media development organization Internews works to strengthen the capacity, viability, and professionalism of associations and local Ukrainian media support organizations. Internews has supported the 10-year-old Independent Association of Broadcasters (IAB), which has developed into a strong and viable organization—the largest electronic media association in Ukraine— whose major goal is to protect the interests and rights of member broadcasters and help guarantee a level playing field. IAB has successfully lobbied for many changes in media regulations, including expansion of advertising opportunities for local firms on foreign cable television channels. Although IAB originally received operational support from Internews, it has reduced this dependence over the past several years—increasing membership and dues help sustain daily operations as well as legal and training centers. Internews still provides support for IAB’s targeted projects, including information hotlines and specialized trainings in election coverage and new media. IAB is currently focusing its expertise on lobbying for a transparent conversion strategy to digital broadcasting in Ukraine, which is critically important for the independent television market, especially regional broadcasters. Media development organizations such as Internews and IREX have also supported the Ukrainian Association of Press Publishers (UAPP),
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