Policy and practice
How people use, access and communicate information around the world has profound implications for development, and for diplomatic and foreign policy. Our analysis informs policy and practice on the role of media as it relates to our main areas of focus - governance and rights, health, resilience and humanitarian response.
Policy briefings
'...and Action!' How media can address climate change in countries most affected
November 2021
This policy note argues that donors, policymakers and climate experts can enhance the impact of their climate change plans and strategies by leveraging the power of media and communication.
Working paper 1: Pathways to media sustainability in a broken market
April 2021
This working paper assesses whether fresh approaches to public subsidy might provide part of a solution to supporting independent media, especially in low-and middle-income settings.
Feasibility Study: An International Fund for Public Interest Media
April 2020
This feasibility study outlines the case for, and the practical feasibility of establishing, a new International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM).
Coming of age - communication’s role in powering global health
October 2016
Through a careful review of the evidence, this briefing offers a spirited case for why donors, practitioners and developing country governments need to pay more attention to the role of communication in tackling global health.
Accountability, nation and society - the role of media in remaking Nepal
September 2016
This policy briefing provides an overview of the issues facing Nepal’s media in the context of the country’s current political and development challenges.
Curbing corruption – The role of independent media in fragile settings
This report examines the evidence of what works and doesn’t in curbing corruption - and how a free and independent media can help.
Public service media in divided societies - relic or renaissance?
This briefing focuses on the media of countries that are divided, undergoing crisis or conflict, or where governance is weak.
After the Arab uprisings - prospects for a media that serves the public
This briefing explores the evolving relationship between media and politics in the period following the Arab uprisings of 2011.
Making waves - media’s potential for girls in the Global South
This policy briefing draws on expert interviews and insights from media and development literature to explore how the media can help positively shape girls’ prospects in the Global South.
The power of talk - media and accountability in three African countries
The briefing argues the media’s complex role as a force for accountability, identifying the most effective strategies as those grounded in the cultural and political contexts of the countries concerned.
Debates in Change symposium - report and conclusions
This report shares areas of consensus and debate from a symposium on social and behaviour change, an increasing priority in international development.
Health on the move – can mobile phones save lives?
A policy briefing focusing on how the mobile phone offers important opportunities for saving lives, drawing on BBC Media Action's direct experience in using phones to improve health education in one of the poorest states of India.
From the ground up - changing the conversation about climate change
This policy briefing examines the role for communication in climate change adaption in seven Asian countries.
Fragile states - the role of media and communication
This policy briefing examines the implications of current media trends for fragile states and argues that the role of a free media should be embraced and better prioritised in strategies designed to support such states.
The media of Iraq ten years on – the problems, the progress, the prospects
A decade after the US-led coalition troops entered Iraq in March 2003, this policy briefing focuses on the problems, the progress and the prospects for Iraq’s media.
Still left in the dark? – how people in emergencies use communication to survive
How people in emergencies use communication to survive - and how humanitarian agencies can help. This policy briefing looks at the role of media and technology in the aftermath of a crisis.
The media of Afghanistan - the challenges of transition
An analysis of the challenges facing Afghanistan's media as international military forces prepare to withdraw in 2014.
The media of Somalia - a force for moderation?
An examination of the media's role in shaping Somalia, including how people in Somalia access, trust and use information.
Least responsible, most affected, least informed – public understanding of climate change in Africa
Based on research across six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, this 2009 policy briefing exposes the information gap in Africa about climate change.
The 2007 Kenyan elections and their aftermath – the role of media and communication
This in-depth briefing argues that media is fundamentally changing how people access information, and that Kenya is an example of what can happen when those changes are ignored or poorly understood.
Practice briefings
Using media and communication to respond to public health emergencies
This practice briefing sets out what BBC Media Action learned in delivering and supporting health communication during the West Africa Ebola crisis in 2014–15.
Turn up the volume: empowering women through media
Women are under-represented in the decision-making processes that affect their lives. How can media help address the balance?
Inspiring political participation: Lessons from the media
This publication sets out what BBC Media Action learned in delivering programmes designed to increase political participation in developing countries.
A bigger splash - Partnering for impact
This publication discusses how we can best use media and governance programming to hold power to account.
Doing debate differently: Media and accountability
This publication discusses how we can best use media and governance programming to hold power to account.
Rethinking communication for maternal and child health
This publication discusses what BBC Media Action has learnt about child and maternal health practices from their work on the shaping demand and practices project in Bihar.
