An Examination of the Interaction of Democratic Ideals with Journalism Training Programmes in the Global South: The Case of Cambodia
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Cambodia and Journalism Training
3. Cultural Variations of Journalism Ideals
4. Democracy and Journalism
5. Journalism Training in the Developing World
6. Methodological Approach and Overview of Data
7. Finding and Emergent Themes
7.1. Programme Facilitators’ Perceptions of Journalism Functions
7.2. Normative Conceptualisations of Working Journalists
7.3. Theme A. ‘Developing Democracy’ Seen as a Key Journalism Function
“They all felt free and fair and open media would help to bring about the democratic process. In some countries it’s been more apparent than others.”—DR
“The job [of the press] is to bring society to a point where the democracy level will change.”—TI
“I think it is very important [for journalism] to bring democracy. If [Cambodians] don’t know about [democracy] it is easier to boss them.”—JL
7.4. Theme B. ‘Affect Change’ Function Features More Strongly among Journalists Than Facilitators
“You don’t just wait and see what happens and write about the public reaction. Sometimes you have to play a role to find something that will help the society.”—JL
“I can change my country by becoming a journalist in a way that I cannot by being a teacher.”—JL
“In the future journalists have to know, not only how to write articles, they have to be themselves like a doctor … cure the problem.”—JL
7.5. Theme C. Journalism Seen as Having an Explicitly Political Function
“Before you jump into politics, you (do) journalism first.”—TL
“[Journalists] give information to people so people can make their value judgement.”—TL
“We must educate the audience, explain to them and make them understand.”—JL
7.6. Theme D. Divergence over the Importance of Neutrality, Objectivity and Independence
“[we teach them] not to take sides politically. The newsroom is a non-political area, even though some people have strong views.”—TI
“I think [journalists] can take on board and understand the need for … objectivity and all of that. It is common sense.”—TI
“I don’t want to write a story to support the government because such a story would be the opposite of my opinion.”—JL
7.7. Theme E. Basic Skills/Vocational Approach to Training Emphasised over a More Educational Approach
“I thought—what kind of training did they get? What can you learn in three days, frankly, that can be any good?”—DR
“[In college] you only learned the theory. We did not know the practice. The job teaches”—JL
8. Analysis and Discussion of Data
9. Conclusions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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1 | The newspaper was shuttered by the Cambodian government in 2017. |
2 | Our usage of the term Global South’ here is primarily the conventional nation state definition (used by the World Bank and others) to describe low to middle income countries), but can also be broadly applied to what Mahler (2018) describes a more de-territorialised political economy definition of the term encompassing groupings of people and countries whose social agency is negatively impacted by globalisation. |
3 | It should be noted here that the vocational approach to journalism training in the west has evolved significantly in recent years towards a more education-oriented (longer-term, theoretical and institution-based) approach (Gardeström 2017). However, the historical dominance, as well as poor educational infrastructure and other practical obstacles, has meant that journalism programs in developing countries supported by Western aid have retained a vocational, practice-oriented and short-term, primarily aimed at building a broad level of basic capacity in the sector (Foley 2006). In Cambodia, as in other countries, this approach did evolve (further discussion on the more educationally oriented approach taken by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation from 2005 onwards is discussed later in this paper). However, the primary focus here is on the effect of that ‘early-stage’ approach to training (similar approaches to which are still being replicated elsewhere) and how this interacted with the understanding of the democratic norm. It must also be noted here that academically oriented approaches to journalism education are not without their problems, for example Vasilendiuc and Sutu’s (2020) highlighting of weaker adherence to professional values shown by student journalists who reiterated an academically induced picture of the profession. |
4 | The position of UNESCO in the historical debate on approaches to journalism training and media support in non-western environments is multi-faceted and more complex than this paper has the space to fully explore. To briefly summarise, UNESCO became a centre of activity for the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) debate during the 1970s and 80s, which critiqued what it identified as ‘Imperialistic’ tendencies inherent in approaches to encouraging media development in the non-western world. This critique and its proponents were sidelined to a degree by geopolitical manoeuvrings in the Cold War, but remains influential today in UNESCO and elsewhere. However, critics have claimed that any changes to the UNESCO approach at a local level have remained somewhat cosmetic, a critique which UNESCO itself acknowledges in its 2013 report on the adaptation of their model curricula. |
5 | While the more academically oriented approach taken by the Department of Media and Communication in the RUPP may impact on the Cambodian press sector in the future, too few graduates had emerged at the time of this study to significantly impact on the overall press culture. |
6 | Expert Commentators’ are defined as interviewees with a special degree of knowledge on the subject, but who did not fit into any of the other categories. |
7 | Where there is overlap between two concepts in responses by informants, both codes were counted separately. |
8 | Overall number of interviewees in this category. |
9 | Percentage of Category 2 interviewees overall. |
10 | |
11 | ‘Asian values’ journalism is a type of development journalism, in which an engagement with ideas like democracy or freedom of speech is subjugated to the interests of economic expansion and development (Edeani 1993; Wimmer and Wolf 2005). The likes of Okigbo (1985) and Blake (1997) have shown how a press with these characteristics can be manipulated into becoming a government mouthpiece. |
Local Cambodian Trainer (TL) | 8 |
International trainer (TI) | 8 |
Donor (DR) | 6 |
Expert Commentator (EC)6 | 3 |
TOTAL | 25 |
Journalists working in local Khmer language media (JL) | 18 |
Journalists working in International English language media (JI) | 11 |
TOTAL | 29 |
Subtheme | Meaning |
---|---|
Inform | Giving the public key information they need to make better choices |
Affect change (general) | This means a core function of journalism is to affect change in a broad, non specific sense |
Watchdog | This refers to a monitorial role, where the press promotes government transparency and accountability via public scrutiny of decision-makers |
Improve democracy | Emphasis here is that function of press is to improve the level of democracy in Cambodia |
Improve society | Sees journalism as something which improves society |
Improve the government | See journalism as providing information that helps to improve general levels of governance |
Exert political influence | This categorisation sees journalism as something which is explicitly political |
Encourage free market | The emphasis here is on journalism as something that helps encourage business or trade |
Encourage development | This sees journalism as having a role in infrastructural and general development of the country as a means of making the country stronger for all |
Improve popular participation | A broader conceptualisation of ‘improving democracy’, this description placed journalism explicitly as something which encouraged popular participation in society |
Advocate | In this instance meaning function of representing and promoting particular causes |
Educate | Journalism described as having key educational function |
Bridge | Meaning the press facilitates dialogue between the Government and the public |
Improve human rights | This sees journalism as something that encourages better adherence to human rights. |
Attack government | Informants here describe journalism as having a specific function to be critical, or attack the government |
TI 88 | TL 8 | DR 6 | EC 3 | Overall 25 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Inform | 5 (62%) | 5 (62%) | 4 (67%) | 2 (67%) | 16 (60%)9 |
Improve democracy | 4 (50%) | 3 (38%) | 5 (83%) | 2 (67%) | 14 (56%) |
Watchdog | 3 (38%) | 3 (38%) | 3 (50%) | 0 (0%) | 9 (36%) |
Affect change (general) | 1 (13%) | 5 (62%) | 2 (33%) | 0 (0%) | 8 (32%) |
Improve Society | 2 (25%) | 4 (50%) | 2 (33%) | 0 (0%) | 8 (32%) |
Improve human rights | 2 (25%) | 2 (25%) | 4 (67%) | 0 (0%) | 8 (32%) |
Improve the government | 1 (13%) | 3 (38%) | 3 (50%) | 0 (0%) | 7 (28%) |
Exert political influence | 1 (13%) | 4 (50%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 5 (20%) |
Encourage free market | 1 (13%) | 2 (25%) | 1 (16%) | 1 (33%) | 5 (20%) |
Encourage development | 0 (0%) | 2 (25%) | 3 (50%) | 0 (0%) | 5 (20%) |
Bridge | 0 (0%) | 3 (38%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (33%) | 4 (16%) |
Improve popular participation | 0 (0%) | 2 (25%) | 1 (16%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (12%) |
Advocate | 0 (0%) | 1 (13%) | 1 (16%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (8%) |
JI (11) | JL (18) | Overall (29) | |
---|---|---|---|
Inform | 8 (73%) | 16 (89%) | 24 (82%) |
Affect change | 8 (73%) | 13 (72%) | 21 (72%) |
Improve democracy | 9 (82%) | 9 (50%) | 18 (62%) |
Bridge | 4 (36%) | 7 (39%) | 11 (37%) |
Watchdog | 3 (27%) | 7 (39%) | 10 (34%) |
Educate | 2 (18%) | 7 (39%) | 9 (31%) |
Improve human rights | 3 (27%) | 4 (22%) | 7 (24%) |
Attack government | 2 (18%) | 5 (28%) | 7 (24%) |
Improve society | 2 (18%) | 3 (17%) | 5 (17%) |
Help development/promote Asian values | 0 (0%) | 4 (22%) | 4 (13%) |
Exert political influence | 1 (9%) | 3 (17%) | 4 (13%) |
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Quinn, F. An Examination of the Interaction of Democratic Ideals with Journalism Training Programmes in the Global South: The Case of Cambodia. Journal. Media 2020, 1, 159-176. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia1010011
Quinn F. An Examination of the Interaction of Democratic Ideals with Journalism Training Programmes in the Global South: The Case of Cambodia. Journalism and Media. 2020; 1(1):159-176. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia1010011
Chicago/Turabian StyleQuinn, Fergal. 2020. "An Examination of the Interaction of Democratic Ideals with Journalism Training Programmes in the Global South: The Case of Cambodia" Journalism and Media 1, no. 1: 159-176. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia1010011