Development of a two-year comprehensive programme for SIDA, Cairo
Client: Media Diversity Institute
The goal of the project is to increase the number of regional and diverse voices in the output of selected media partners by 10% over a two-year period.
Amount awarded to NGO : €998,132.22 ($1,295,575)
Activities Sector by Sector
A. Working with the Media Industry
- Diversity Observatory. A media monitoring system analysed the diversity of voices in the Egyptian media, and developed Diversity Observatory, a Diversity in the Egyptian Media Report on the current challenges as well as solutions that Egypt’s media need to tackle.
- Inclusive Media for Inclusive Society conference. The launch of the Diversity in the Egyptian Media Report formed the basis of a wider debate at a senior level among media professionals..
- Inclusive Journalism Production Workshops. Journalists attended Inclusive Journalism Workshops to sensitise journalists to their selection of interviewees, choice of topics and their general professional attitudes to various groups in society.
- ‘Nationwide’ TV programme. The reports commissioned by the workshops from TV journalists were broadcast on a 30-minute TV programme format, called ‘Nationwide’. This mixed format programme looked at all aspects of Egyptian life.
- ‘Egypt Speaks: Radio Show. Radio producers formed a separate network to produce “Audio Diaries”.
B. Working with the Journalism Education Industry
- Inclusion of Reporting Diversity Curricula in Higher Education:
Step I: Reporting Diversity Curricula Development (RDCD) Workshops. Two workshops were held in Cairo, Asyut and Alexandria with four UK/Egyptian academics and up to 12 Egyptian academics. The workshop concluded with a joint statement on the desire to further develop RDC as well as mapping the next steps towards inclusion of RDC in leading universities in Egypt.
Step II: RDCD Mentoring. Academics participating in RDC workshops were encouraged to submit their own concepts of RD courses.
Step III: MA Media & Diversity Bursaries. Selected Journalism Graduates and/ or Young Journalists- maximum 3 –received support to enroll for the MDI Media & Diversity 1-year Diploma Courses at University of Westminster.
C. Working with Civil Society
- Advocacy Challenge for CSOs representing gender groups:
Step I: Media Relations Advocacy Workshops. The project organised two x 3-day Media Relations Advocacy Workshops in and outside Cairo aiming to help CSOs specialized in diversity issues, better understand journalists’ work and media culture, as well as ways to promote their own activities and therefore influence decision-makers.
Step II: On-site consultancy in Advocacy and Lobbying techniques for the three selected NGOs. This led to these NGO’s taking up an Advocacy Challenge to agree to a measurable increase of their voice in the local, regional and national media over the life of the project.