Document Type

Article

Publication Date

January 2019

Publication Title

International Journal of Communication

First Page

2437

Last Page

2456

Abstract

This article aims to fill a gap in the academic literature on how employees at a mediadevelopment intermediary construct meaning of their work. Based on in-depth interviewswith 18 employees of Internews, this research shows that employees believe theorganization has “evolved” from the past to include the entire “information ecosystem”today. Themes that emerged include a focus on information as a solution, an emphasis onlocal communities, the desire to give voice to marginalized communities, and a practiceof listening. Interviewees strictly adhered to official narratives of their work and tocontemporary development orthodoxy, perhaps because of group think and participantbias. Despite these narratives, we have to consider the ulterior motives of mediadevelopment as a neocolonial project. Although some of the results may seem obvious,there is merit in documenting these findings to demystify media development work today.

Notes

This article was originally published in the International Journal of Communication, 2019, Volume 13.

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