Development Journalism
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What is Development
 Directly related to human development
 When different aspects of human develop
 Conducive conditions where general development is possible
 If a person is able to lead a respectable life
Different aspects of Human
development
 Education
 Health
 Employment
 Agriculture
 Environment
 Poverty
 Right to Speak
 Right to decision making
Development Journalism
 To report the different aspects of human development
 The goal of development journalism is to reach the
people and make a change in their lives-by making them
informed
 Development journalism empowers the people
 Expose wrong doings and reports about success stories
improve lives of people
Example readers courts, Palamu case of starvation deaths
Development Reporting
 Different concepts- Different things to different people-
Writing about the development schemes of government,
writing about the work of NGOs and social activists,
Government propaganda.
 Earlier models- mass media as mobilizing agent for nation
building, another approach looked as government’s partner
in nation building
Development Reporting
Development reporting deals with human development;
with people and their conditions, with the real impact of
development schemes on people. It is reporting about
human conditions.
According to one definition development journalism digs
below the surface to throw light on conditions
determining human development: “The purpose of
development journalism is to draw attention to
situations requiring social change and to factors
promoting social change. This is an essential part of the
media in democratic society.
Development Reporting
 Development reporting is different from general reporting
 Development is a process and not an event; development writing
has to reflect this process-more focus on why and how
 Since development is process, follow up is an integral part of
development writing. The journalist may have to visit a subject
repeatedly.
 Development issues are often camouflaged in figures and statisticsneeds to see beyond them and connect it to ground realities.
 Field reporting is an integral part of development writing.
Development stories are not based on official briefings.
Development Reporting
Points to keep in mind while reporting

Background work and guidelines

Major Sources

Quotes from all stakeholders

Case studies

In-depth knowledge about the subject
latest surveys, statistics, laws or any petition
eg: sex selection, Right to food, Right to information, water

Reference material
Points to keep in mind while writing

Interesting opening

What is behind or beyond the event

Enough information about the beneficiaries or affected by the issues or project

Should not have dry information regarding plans, implementation, strategies,
targets, budgets and so on
Development reporting
 Connect statistics with ground reality
 Strong quotation-qualitative and graphic
 Direct quotes
 Stay away from jargons
 Source acknowledgement
Development Communication and
Social Change
 Development programs can not produce
change without an ongoing, culturally and socially relevant
communication dialogue among development providers
and clientele, and within the recipient group itself.
 Development Communications is the sharing of
knowledge aimed at reaching a consensus for action that
taken into account the interests, needs and capacities of
all concerned.