World Press Freedom Day provides an opportunity to reflect – not only on the escalating threats to media freedom around the world – but also on the state of efforts to address such threats, and how they can be improved.[1]

 

If the core goal of media freedom is to hold power to account – then initiatives designed to support media freedom must be subject to the same scrutiny.[2]

 

One important initiative is the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC).[3] This partnership of over 50 governments advocates collaboratively and proactively for media freedom through a combination of advocacy, diplomatic interventions, encouraging legal reforms, international events, and funding.

 

Last year, the Foreign Policy Centre supported the publication of a 70 page evaluation of the MFC’s impact during its first two years, titled Reset Required? Evaluating the Media Freedom Coalition after its first two years.[4] The evaluation was conducted by six researchers – including myself – from three different universities, the University of East Anglia, City, University of London and University of the Philippines-Diliman.[5] Our findings were based on over 100 interviews with relevant stakeholders and led us to conclude that the MFC did require a ‘re-set’.[6]

 

Overall, we concluded that there had been ‘unsatisfactory achievement in most areas with some positive elements’. The report’s lead author, Dr Mary Myers argued that, ‘partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actions of the MFC have not been as rapid, bold or visible as was initially promised’.[7]

 

We put forward six concrete recommendations in the report with the aim of making the MFC’s work more impactful. These ranged from strengthening the minimum requirement for retaining membership, to improving its financial support, communications strategy, and theory of change.[8]

 

One year later – on World Press Freedom Day 2023 – we ask whether the MFC has achieved the required re-set?

 

A year of progress? 

In July 2022, the MFC established its own Secretariat.[9] This dedicated team of staff, hosted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, supports the Coalition through coordination, administration, and communications.[10]

 

Last month, this new MFC Secretariat published a 2022 Activity Report – highlighting its key actions undertaken in the year – though it also noted that many activities cannot be shared publicly, due to the sensitive nature of the work.[11]

 

Perhaps the MFC’s most notable achievement in the past 12 months is the granting of over 1,400 emergency visas to journalists and human rights defenders across eight member countries. This was a direct response to one of the main recommendations of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom.[12]

 

Embassies involved in the MFC’s new Diplomatic Network Initiative also carried out 40 different ‘actions’ in 2022 – ranging from rapid response public statements and seminars to high-level dialogue and social media campaigns.[13]

 

In response to our recommendations, the MFC has also improved its own governance. It has implemented a new internal and external communications strategy, updated its overall objectives, and set up a basic system of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL).[14] This MEL system has already led to positive changes, such as a more flexible approach to speaking out on cases of concern as seen in Cameroon and the Philippines.[15]

 

My co-evaluators and I especially welcome the MFC’s response to our recommendation to, ‘ensure that its actions are informed by an understanding of the complex, dynamic and diverse priorities of the journalists and media workers around the world’. The MFC now integrates regular input from civil society organisations, UNESCO, MFC member embassies and local journalists into its work.

 

In response to this recommendation, the MFC Secretariat has also been having ‘illuminating’ conversations with all member countries, to better understand their perspectives and priorities – and especially to establish how all members can meaningfully engage with the MFC, even if they have limited resources.[16]

 

Such conversations are crucial for developing a more inclusive agenda for supporting media freedom, which – we argued recently – is vital for tackling the growing threats to journalists around the world.[17]

 

Re-set achieved? 

Does this amount to the ‘re-injection of energy’ into the MFC that our original evaluation argued was required?[18]

 

Well, the MFC is certainly now moving in the right direction – though the level of activity could still be greater.

 

However, it is worth noting that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has undoubtedly reduced the capacity of member countries to support initiatives like the MFC over the past 12 months.

 

Another positive sign is the MFC’s openness to critical, independent scrutiny and willingness to respond directly and explicitly to our evaluation.[19] This demonstrates a commitment to the principles of transparency and accountability that it seeks to promote.

 

If the growing constellation of international initiatives seeking to reverse the global decline in media freedom are to succeed – they will need to practice what they preach – by remaining open to constructive critique.[20]

 

Dr Martin Scott is an Associate Professor in Media and Global Development at the University of East Anglia, and one of the co-authors of the original evaluation of the MFC. The evaluation, entitled, “Reset Required: Evaluating the Media Freedom Coalition after its first two years” – by Mary Myers, Martin Scott, Mel Bunce, Lina Yassin, Maria Carmen Fernandez and Rachel Khan can be read here. 

 

Photo credit: MFC

 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not reflect the views of The Foreign Policy Centre.

 

[1] UNESCO, World Press Freedom Day 30th Anniversary, 2023, https://www.unesco.org/en/days/press-freedom; UNESCO, Threats to freedom of press: Violence, disinformation & censorship, May 2022, https://www.unesco.org/en/threats-freedom-press-violence-disinformation-censorship

[2] Martin Scott, Mel Bunce, Mary Myers, and Maria Carmen Fernandez, Whose media freedom is being defended? Norm contestation in international media freedom campaigns, Journal of Communication, Volume 73, Issue 2, April 2023, Pages 87–100, https://academic.oup.com/joc/article/73/2/87/6964696

[3] Media Freedom Coalition, What is the MFC?, https://mediafreedomcoalition.org/about/what-is-the-mfc/coalition-objectives

[4] Dr Mary Myers, Dr Martin Scott, Dr Mel Bunce, Lina Yassin, Maria Carmen (Ica) Fernandez and Dr Rachel Khan, Reset Required? Evaluating the Media Freedom Coalition after its first two years, The Foreign Policy Centre, February 2022, https://fpc.org.uk/publications/reset-required-evaluating-the-media-freedom-coalition-after-its-first-two-years/

[5] UEA, Researching Media Freedom in a Time of Crisi, Academic study of the Global Campaign for Media Freedom, http://pressfreedom.co.uk/

[6] Dr Mary Myers, Dr Martin Scott, Dr Mel Bunce, Lina Yassin, Maria Carmen (Ica) Fernandez and Dr Rachel Khan, Reset Required? Evaluating the Media Freedom Coalition after its first two years, The Foreign Policy Centre, February 2022, https://fpc.org.uk/publications/reset-required-evaluating-the-media-freedom-coalition-after-its-first-two-years/

[7] Martin Scott and Mel Bruce, Global effort to defend journalism needs a reset – here’s how to do better, The Conversation, February 2022, https://theconversation.com/global-effort-to-defend-journalism-needs-a-reset-heres-how-to-do-better-176644

[8] Dr Mary Myers, Dr Martin Scott, Dr Mel Bunce, Lina Yassin, Maria Carmen (Ica) Fernandez and Dr Rachel Khan, Reset Required? Evaluating the Media Freedom Coalition after its first two years, The Foreign Policy Centre, February 2022, https://fpc.org.uk/publications/reset-required-evaluating-the-media-freedom-coalition-after-its-first-two-years/

[9] FCDO and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, New UK funding to support media freedom around the world, GOV.UK, February 2022, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-funding-to-support-media-freedom-around-the-world-9-february-2022

[10] Thomas Reuters Foundation, Media Freedom, https://www.trust.org/media-freedom/

[11] Media Freedom Coalition Secretariat, Media Freedom Coalition 2022 Annual Report, March 2023, https://media.voog.com/0000/0048/7840/files/MFC%202022%20Activity%20Report.pdf

[12] International Bar Association, High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom – Who we are, https://www.ibanet.org/HRI-Secretariat/Who-we-are

[13] Temitope.Kalejaiye, What did MFC diplomatic missions do in 2022 to support media freedom?, Media Freedom Coalition, January, 2023, https://mediafreedomcoalition.org/media/news/2022/what-did-mfc-diplomatic-missions-do-in-2022-to-support-media-freedom

[14] Dr Mary Myers, Dr Martin Scott, Dr Mel Bunce, Lina Yassin, Maria Carmen (Ica) Fernandez and Dr Rachel Khan, Reset Required? Evaluating the Media Freedom Coalition after its first two years, The Foreign Policy Centre, February 2022, https://fpc.org.uk/publications/reset-required-evaluating-the-media-freedom-coalition-after-its-first-two-years/

[15] Media Freedom Coalition, Statements, https://mediafreedomcoalition.org/media/statements/all

[16] Dr Mary Myers, Dr Martin Scott, Dr Mel Bunce, Lina Yassin, Maria Carmen (Ica) Fernandez and Dr Rachel Khan, Reset Required? Evaluating the Media Freedom Coalition after its first two years, The Foreign Policy Centre, February 2022, https://fpc.org.uk/publications/reset-required-evaluating-the-media-freedom-coalition-after-its-first-two-years/

[17] Martin Scott, Mel Bunce, and Mary Myer, Towards an Inclusive Approach to Media Freedom, Centre for International Media Assistance, January 2023, https://www.cima.ned.org/blog/toward-an-inclusive-approach-to-supporting-media-freedom/

[18] Dr Mary Myers, Dr Martin Scott, Dr Mel Bunce, Lina Yassin, Maria Carmen (Ica) Fernandez and Dr Rachel Khan, Reset Required? Evaluating the Media Freedom Coalition after its first two years, The Foreign Policy Centre, February 2022, https://fpc.org.uk/publications/reset-required-evaluating-the-media-freedom-coalition-after-its-first-two-years/

[19] Martin Scott, Mel Bunce, Mary Myers, and Maria Carmen Fernandez, Whose media freedom is being defended? Norm contestation in international media freedom campaigns, Journal of Communication, Volume 73, Issue 2, April 2023, Pages 87–100, https://academic.oup.com/joc/article/73/2/87/6964696

[20] Martin Scott, Mel Bunce, and Mary Myer, Towards an Inclusive Approach to Media Freedom, Centre for International Media Assistance, January 2023, https://www.cima.ned.org/blog/toward-an-inclusive-approach-to-supporting-media-freedom/