Panos London

Time to involve the media in poverty reduction

October 2007

Good journalism can shape public opinion and act as a lever for policy change. It can raise awkward questions and champion the views of poor people.

At a time when the world is struggling to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, this report argues that many international donors are yet to appreciate that a vibrant, independent media sector is essential for development and needs support.

Based on findings from six countries in Africa and South Asia, Making poverty the story analyses the serious political, commercial and professional obstacles to stronger media coverage, highlights where the media have played a part in raising debate, and identifies what civil society and other policy actors could do to support more effective reporting.

Publisher: Panos London

Translation(s): Portuguese

Price: £10

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Free downloads

• Making poverty the story (1.1mb)
• Por a pobreza nas notícias (Making poverty the story) - Portuguese (307kb)

Related links

• Life stories | Living with poverty

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