Panos London

Discussion of poverty reduction strategies is often confined to a relatively narrow group of policy actors, and the opinions of the public - particularly poor people - are often insufficiently represented in decisions that will affect their daily lives.

We believe it is essential that there is greater awareness and understanding of these issues for the public to hold policymakers to account for their decisions - or a lack of them - and to play a part in poverty reduction debates.
   
We see the media as playing their own crucial role in this process of accountability. Newspapers and broadcasters can provide information on the issues at stake in policy discussions and poverty reduction strategies and, equally, cover stories showing how they affect real people and communities.
   
Since 2005 we have been working with the media in a number of countries in Africa and South Asia, conducting training workshops and providing briefing materials on the poverty reduction strategies adopted by their governments and backed by the World Bank.

Journalists and editors have attended roundtable discussions with government ministers, donors and local civil society organisations. Through grants and fellowships we have helped journalists to research stories and produce radio programmes. And we have launched an oral testimony initiative to give people in marginalised communities the opportunity to air their views, including through the media.

Building on the lessons, we are scaling up our activities, both in our level of support for individual journalists and range of media (local and national, mainstream and community) and in our advocacy for supportive media and communication environments geared towards the greater inclusion of poor people's voices. 

Poverty highlights

• Publication | Making poverty the story

Related links

• Life stories | Living with poverty