U.S. Government Funding for Media Assistance: Trends and Strategies

The realm of U.S. government assistance for media development is in flux. Based on funding statistics, U.S. government support for international media development is in decline. But does this mesh with realities on the ground? The process and variety of projects undertaken through U.S. government funding for media have reached remarkable complexity-a dramatic shift into digital technology, an uptick in media for behavior change, and regionally, two "bubbles" of media spending-one in the Middle East, and one in South and Central Asia. These issues are highlighted in the CIMA report U.S. Government Funding for Media: Trends and Strategies, by veteran journalist Peter Cary. The report focuses its research on two elements: an in-depth examination of proposals for media development projects put forward by USAID and the U.S. Department of State, and on annual regional and global funding totals for media freedom and freedom of information provided by the State Department. The discussion will feature representatives from top U.S. media development organizations, who will share insight into the trends and the process of media development as discussed in CIMA's report.