Media Constrained by Context : International Assistance and Democratic Media Transition in the Western Balkans

This books draws a comparative balance of twenty years' international media assistance in the five countries of the Western Balkans. The central question was what happens to imported models when they are transposed onto the newly evolving media systems of transitional societies. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia undertook a range of media reforms to conform with accession requirements of the European Union and the standards of the Council of Europe, among others. The essays explore the nexus between the democratic transformation of the media and international media assistance. The cross-national analysis concludes that the effects of international assistance are highly constrained by the local context. From today's vantage point it becomes obvious, that scaling media assistance does not necessarily improve outcomes. The experiences in the region suggest that imported solutions have not been very cognitive in all aspects of local conditions but international strategies tent to be rather schematic and lacked strategic approaches to promote media policy stability, credible media reform and implementation. The book offers valuable insights into the nature and effects of media assistance and the strategies deployed by international aid agencies, local political forces, media professionals, civil society organizations and other actors. title page copyright page Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures List of Abbreviations Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1: International Assistance and Media Democratization in the Western Balkans: A Theoretical Framework Chapter 2: Limited Assistance for Limited Impact—International Media Assistance in Albania Chapter 3: Media Reform through Intervention: International Media Assistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina Chapter 4: Starting from Scratch: The Role of Media Assistance in the Establishment of Independent Media Institutions in Kosovo Chapter 5: Assisting Media Democratization after Low-Intensity Conflict: The Case of Macedonia Chapter 6: Media Reforms in Turbulent Times: The Role of Media Assistance in the Establishment of Independent Media Institutions in Serbia Chapter 7: Looking for Shortcuts? Assistance to—and Development of—Public Service Broadcasting in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Albania Chapter 8: The Uncertain Future: Centers for Investigative Journalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia Chapter 9: Building Media Systems in the Western Balkans: Lost between Models and Realities Chapter 10: Conclusions: A Cross-National Comparison of International Assistance and Media Democratization in the Western Balkans Bibliography About the Authors Index This book compares the results of twenty years of international media assistance in the five countries of the western Balkans. It asks what happens to imported models when they are applied to newly evolving media systems in societies in transition. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Serbia undertook a range of media reforms to conform with accession requirements of the European Union and the standards of the Council of Europe, among others. The essays explore the nexus between the democratic transformation of the media and international media assistance in these countries. The cross-national analysis concludes that the effects of international assistance are highly constrained by local contexts. In hindsight it becomes clear that escalating media assistance does not necessarily improve outcomes. In the western Balkans imported solutions have not been sensitive to local conditions, and international strategies have tended to be schematic, without strategic approaches to promote media policy stability, credible media reform or implementation. The book offers valuable insights into the nature and effects of media assistance and the strategies of international aid agencies, local political forces, media professionals, civil society organizations and other actors