At the Friends of Europe Development Policy Forum (DPF), held in Strasbourg in conjunction with the European Commission’s third edition of European Development Days, journalists, media representatives and development aid officials, along with numerous participants, debated whether the media helps or hinders development. The event was preceded by the release of a Friends of Europe DPF background report, 'How Reporters See the Aid World', which argued that aid agencies frequently misunderstand both the role of and constraints on media when covering development aid stories.

Click here to download the background report

Speakers and participants generally agreed that the answer to the question depends upon the contexts in which it raised. Media can help development by raising awareness of development aid needs, but coverage of development issues is constrained by media budgets, perceived audience boredom and difficulties of access, particularly in many needy, strife-torn and autocratic areas of Africa. Media can hinder development when it indulges in stereotypes and fails to perceive or report that Africa is not one country, but a vast, multi-nation, multifaceted continent in which there are several development successes in addition to notable tragic failures.

“What we need is balanced coverage across the continent – the good, the bad and the ugly,” asserted Tumi Makgabo, independent producer and former host of CNN’s Inside Africa.

The Development Policy Forum also explored the different roles of developed countries' and African media in covering development aid issues and what the developed world might do to enhance the capacity of African journalists and media to cover development and governance issues professionally, but from the African prospective.

Omar Belhouchet, Editor in Chief of the Algerian El Watan, conceded that there is both a lack of resources and professionalism among many African journalists, but that “many African journalists are longing to improve.” Jonathan Clayton, Africa Correspondent of The Times, argued that training journalists, “will not help much if African journalists lack the resources to publish and broadcast.”