Media support: aid funding does not match donor rhetoric
Laure-Hélène Piron (TPP Director) presented her analysis of official development assistance to media and the information environment to the Governance Network of the OECD Development Assistance Committee on 6 March 2024.
The draft report can be read here. It shows that the rhetoric of governments which support freedom of expression and condemn disinformation is not matched by sufficient resources. ODA for media and the information environment has increased since 2002, reaching USD 1.2 billion in 2021, but this only represented 0.5% of total ODA in that year. When infrastructure support is excluded, ODA for media fluctuated around USD 500 million a year since 2008 (representing 0.24% of total ODA in 2021). This is despite the growth of threats facing media, such as the rise of censorship and the dominance of technology platforms.
And not enough aid directly reaches local organisations. Only up to 8% of ODA for media and the information environment (so 8% of the 0.5% of total ODA) is directly channelled to media organisations in partner countries, such as journalists, media outlets or civil society organisations working with media or on access to information.
New Swiss Thinking and Working Politically Network
The Policy Practice is proud to be associated with the creation of a Swiss community of practice on thinking and working politically.
Our launch event will be on Thursday 27 March from 1pm to 2:30pm. It will explore “How does political economy differ and complement other approaches?”. In addition to case studies from Burkina Faso and Bosnia-Herzegovina, TPP Director Laure-Hélène Piron will share her insights on how PEA can be combined with other approaches.
If you would like to join the community and attend the event, please contact Andreas Weber, SDC PEA lead.
The implications of Trump for climate action - latest blog from TPP Director Neil McCulloch
Trump’s rapid reversal of Biden’s climate agenda has shocked many. In one week, he dismantled decades of environmental progress by lifting oil and gas restrictions, scrapping decarbonization targets, and abandoning international commitments including the Paris Agreement. This blog explores how these moves threaten U.S. climate progress and global climate action.
Latest News from The Policy Practice - February 2025
In this month’s newsletter we discuss:
🔹The launch of the next Political Economy Analysis for Climate Action training course starting in May
🔹 Issues-Based Programming (IBP): A fresh look at mobilising stakeholders for change, with insights from TPP Director Gareth Williams.
🔹 New Work in the Francophone Sahel: Addressing governance, conflict, and development challenges in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Senegal.
🔹 Political Economy of Disaster Management & Climate Adaptation: A new collaboration with UNDP to assess governance and institutional responses to climate disasters.