Is a Free Media Essential for Development?

Abstract

"Is a free media essential for development? This was one of the key questions discussed at the first World Congress on Communication for Development, which was held in Rome, Italy, in October this year. Organised by the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the Communication Initiative, the Congress aimed at illuminating the role of media in securing a country’s socio-economic development. As such, the Congress was the first of its kind and aimed in general to examine how communications work can support broader development activities."