IMS Annual Report 2015 – 2016
IMS is pleased to share our Annual Report 2015-2016 which presents the results of our support to independent media and access to information in countries across the world affected by armed conflict, authoritarian regimes and political transition.
In a year where the greatest influx of refugees seen by Europe since World War II dominated headlines and pressured government aid budgets, the need to ensure that people living in and fleeing conflict have access to reliable, relevant information to rebuild their broken societies or to influence future development efforts, grew substantially.
Particularly in the Middle East, the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq and the massive displacement of people had a major impact on the media, shifting audiences and journalists to surrounding countries. In Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, working as a journalist became increasingly dangerous. Nurturing, building and sustaining locally anchored safety mechanisms for journalists – modelled in part by the IMS-founded, countrywide safety mechanism run by the Afghan Journalists’ Safety Committee – will therefore continue to be our way forward.
The promise of democratically elected governments in Sri Lanka and Myanmar represent two of the most hopeful examples from a media freedom perspective. In two of Africa’s poorest countries, Somalia and Niger, we are working with local partners to enable the media to become drivers of peace, reconciliation, accountability and citizen participation in the nascent democratic processes taking place. In Azerbaijan, the release of a number of high-profile freedom of expression activists following sustained advocacy efforts, was a highlight in a region where the immediate prospects for improved press freedom remain grim.
This year’s report also includes a special chapter on women in media, as well as the impressive results of IMS-supported investigative journalist networks in some of the world’s most difficult environments for journalists.
