Refugees from Darfur Get Their Own Radio StationsFOCUS: HUMANITARIAN MEDIA

Short Takes: Clinton, Katrina, and Carlos ........ 2

Q and A with Mark Frohardt ........................... 3

Editorʼs Note: Humanitarian Media ................. 3

Photo Essay: Local Media in Disasters ............. 4

Rebuilding Media After the Tsunami ............... 7

Yogyakarta Station Fills Information Void ....... 7

Internews Turns 25! ....................................... 8

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WProviding News for Quake Survivors

A year after a powerful earthquake devastated northern Pakistan, some 100,000 still live in tent camps as another winter approaches. Families like Nadia’s (above) continue to rely heavily on radio news to stay informed about relief and reconstruction efforts as they rebuild their shattered lives.

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Pakistan, looking back a year after the earthquake

On a visit to Chad, US Senator Barack Obama was interviewed by reporter Issaka Allafouza (left) for La Voix du Ouaddaï, one of three radio stations Internews is building for Darfuri refugees.

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hen fighting broke out in a re-gion of northeastern Chad and medical staff were evacuated from a local hospital, Radio Absoun, a community radio

station that serves refugees from Darfur as well as the local Chadian popula-tion, let people know not to take their wounded there. When relief agencies urged refugees to use solar cookers instead of hunt-ing for scarce firewood, Radio Absoun covered the story. The station’s report-ing helped refugees to voice their con-cerns—including objections that the cooking did not taste as good without the smoke flavor—but also made them more aware that firewood collection was causing environmental damage and increasing tensions with local Chadians.

hen Pakistan’s worst natural disaster struck on October 8, 2005, over 80,000 died—in-cluding 30,000 children in classrooms. More than 100,000 were injured, and 3.5 million

lost their homes. With transmitters down and radios lost in the rubble, survivors had little access to credible information. Rumors were rampant. Many in cut-off moun-tain villages realized too late that their best hope for survival would have been to trek out, their wounded on their backs, as bad weather meant no heli-copters were coming to rescue them.

Within days of the quake Internews organ-ized a team of radio re-porters from the North West Frontier Province to produce comprehensive coverage of the humanitar-ian situation and the relief effort, helping people to make critical decisions about their future. The journalists had received extensive training from Internews over more than two years in field reporting

From firewood collection to Barack Obama

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S H O R T T A K E S F R O M I N T E R N E W S

M A R K I N G K A T R I N A

I N N E W O R L E A N S

H E A L T H T E A M J O I N S

A I D S C O N F E R E N C E

The pivotal role of the news media in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS was the focus of an Internews delega-tion to the 2006 International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Ontario in August. Attended by some 20,0000

researchers, health experts, NGOs and activists, the conference is the world’s most important annual gathering deal-ing with this critical health issue. In partnership with the World Bank, Internews held a special roundtable discussion on “African News Media and HIV/AIDS.” Recognizing that stigma and lack of information in sub-Saharan Africa deter many people from finding out their HIV status or seeking treatment, the session explored the treatment of HIV/AIDS in African news media and offered suggestions for African journalists’ engagement with HIV/AIDS issues. At the conference, Internews also provided daily online news updates from developing country journalists who attended the conference.

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I N T E R N E W S B O A R D

Carlos Pascual has joined Internews Network’s Board of Directors. Pascual is Vice President and Director of the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution. Pascual joined Brookings after a

23-year career in the US Department of State, the National Security Council, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). At the Department of State, Pascual served as Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, leading US government planning to help reconstruct societies in transition from con-flict or civil strife. His work focused on Sudan and Haiti, and creating a capacity for civilian agencies to prevent and respond to conflict. He previously served as Ambassador to Ukraine.

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Members of the Internews health journalism team working in India, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Thailand and the US participated in the 2006 International AIDS Conference in Toronto in August. Internews held a roundtable discussion on “African News Media and HIV/AIDS” with the World Bank.

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On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Maxim Voronin from the TV station TV-2 in Tomsk, Russia filmed in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. Voronin was part of a group of five promising young Russian television journalists who toured several US cities in a 40-foot long mobile production studio. The journalists also made an appearance on CBS’ The Early Show. The tour was organized by Downtown Community Television Center in New York, Internews Network, and Internews Russia.

I N T E R N E W S A T

C L I N T O N M E E T I N G

Former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger highlighted Internews’ Humanitarian Media Assistance Project at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York in September. Berger presented a certificate to Internews Network Chief Operating Officer Jeanne Bourgault. CGI is an invitation-only, non-par-tisan endeavor that joins leaders from a range of disciplines to devise innovative solutions to global challenges. Internews made a commitment to CGI to implement a humanitarian media assistance program that builds on its experience helping local media to provide critical information to popula-tions affected by disaster. Internews is seeking funding partners to achieve this commitment.

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W I L L B E R E B U I L T

At 2:30 a.m. on August 11, some-one threw a firebomb through the window of Radio Istiqlal, a community radio station in Logar, Afghanistan. Though no one was seriously hurt, nearly all the equipment was destroyed. Radio Istiqlal is one of 32 indepen-dent, Afghan-operated stations built by Internews throughout Afghanistan under grants from USAID and Pact. Internews is helping the station to re-place its lost broadcasting equipment and to rebuild in a safer location.

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What are some of the roles media play in a humanitar-ian crisis?

In the im-mediate aftermath of a natural disaster, people only know what they can see of their immediate surroundings. Broadcast media, particularly radio, can provide a critical assessment of the extent and severity of the crisis for the entire community. This helps families to decide whether to pack up and move or hunker down.

Local media can play a key role in in-forming the response and the process of reconstruction. Reporters who have been covering the community for years are well-placed to create a forum for discussion, giving voice to the commu-nity in the reconstruction process.

To what extent do relief agencies rec-ognize the role of media in disasters?

Humanitarian organizations often find it easier to communicate through con-trolled information campaigns rather than local media, whom they perceive as overly focused on the problems in assistance delivery.

Support for local media can help reporters better understand the com-plexities of delivering aid in an emer-gency and form more constructive relationships with humanitarian agen-cies. This helps local reporters provide the information that communities need to maximize the use of assistance and report on the problems of aid through a constructive public dialogue, rather than simply critical reporting.

The best way to ensure effective com-munication between the humanitarian community and the local population is not through information campaigns, but through local media who speak in a voice that the community trusts.

Q and A with Mark Frohardt

According to the Red Cross, "Information

bestows power. Lack of information can

make people victims of disaster . . . People

need information as much as water, food,

medicine or shelter. Information can save lives,

livelihoods and resources."

This issue

of Internews

Report focuses

on Internewsʼ

work enabling

local media to provide essential information

during humanitarian crises, including the

Asian tsunami in December 2004 (page 7), the

massive earthquake in Pakistan one year ago

(page 1), the ongoing refugee crisis in Darfur

(page 1), and the May earthquake in Western

Java, Indonesia (page 7).

In a crisis, relief and recovery is most effective

when those affected by the disaster and

the relief agencies that serve them receive

accurate, relevant information. Local media

can play a vital role as a two-way channel

of communication between these parties,

ensuring that people know how to get aid and

that humanitarian agencies know how best to

deliver that aid. Having lost so much already,

disaster survivors deserve no less.

ANNETTE MAKINOEDITOR (press@internews.org)

HUMANITARIAN MEDIA

Mark Frohardtʼs sixteen-year career in humanitarian relief has led him to coor-dinate health services for refugees on the Thai-Cambodian border; work for Doctors Without Borders in Chad and the United

Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Sudan and Somalia; assist with the repatriation of Kurds into northern Iraq after the first Gulf War; consult in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war; and manage UN human rights field operations in Rwanda following the genocide. Frohardt, who joined Internews in 1999, serves as Africa Regional Director and Humani-tarian Media Director.

What drives your interest in using media in crisis situations?

My initial interest arose from seeing how the lack of information in a com-plex emergency could have enormous negative consequences for people af-fected by the crisis.

In a crisis situation, the sooner an ef-fective two-way flow of information can be established between the local population and those providing assis-tance, the sooner those affected by the crisis can become active participants in their own recovery.

In a crisis, isn’t media support a luxu-ry compared to food and shelter?

It is not a zero-sum game. Support for local media doesn’t detract from hu-manitarian response; accurate informa-tion dramatically improves the delivery of assistance.

Information abhors a vacuum. So the absence of reliable broadcasts or other forms of information coming from trusted sources creates exceptionally fertile ground for rumors.

In Chad we found that when the gov-ernment imposed travel restrictions, rumors spread that the government was trying to make life difficult for the ref-ugees to make them go home. Actually there were serious security problems. Once local radio shared this, people’s attitudes changed.

MMark Frohardt, Humanitarian Media Director for Internews Network

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Glimpses of the Role of Local Media in DisastersTsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, epidemics,

refugee crises—these are just a few of the natural and human-created disasters that have struck

recently. In several countries, Internews has turned its expertise in fostering independent media

toward enabling local media to play a vital role in alleviating human suffering.

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WHITE PAPER ON BEST PRACTICES FOR HUMANITARIAN MEDIAInternews is producing a paper on best practices for local media in humanitarian crises. To receive a copy when the paper is complete, please email communications@internews.org. For more information on Internewsʼ work in humanitarian media, see www.internews.org/global/er.

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PHOTOS THIS PAGE, FROM TOP:

• CALIFORNIA. Strong Angel III, a disaster response demonstration held in San Diego in August, joined disaster responders, technologists, relief workers, and military and civil officials to test out technologies and tools for responding to a humanitarian crisis. Internews representatives Mark Frohardt (far left) and Kathleen Reen (not pictured) worked with citizen media guru Dan Gillmor (standing) and others, contributing their real-life expertise in media and disasters.

• PAKISTAN. In the aftermath of the October 2005 earthquake, Internews produced a daily radio program on relief and reconstruction and distributed 10,000 wind-up/solar radios to affected families to help them stay informed on issues such as government compensation policies and health warnings, and methods for reconstruction and rehabilitation.

• SRI LANKA. Internews responded to the December 2004 Asian tsunami by setting up mobile radio production units. Journalists were trained to produce a daily radio program of information for those affected by the crisis.

• ACEH, INDONESIA. After the tsunami, Internews helped community radio station Suara Aceh (Voice of Aceh) to provide the first emergency programming for Banda Aceh and surrounding areas.

OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP LEFT:

• WEST JAVA, INDONESIA. An Indonesian journalist interviews a chicken seller about avian flu at a bird market in Bandung. Internews has trained journalists in the technical skills and safety precautions needed to cover the story of avian flu.

• ACEH, INDONESIA. The 9.3 Asian earthquake and tsunami caused major damage and flooding in the city of Banda Aceh.

• CHAD. On the main square in Iriba, reporter Al Haram Oumar conducts an interview for one of Internews’ community radio stations for refugees from Darfur as well as local Chadians.

MORE PHOTOS ONLINEMark Edwards, one of the world’s most widely published editorial photographers, spent a week following Internews’ post-quake reporting team. He captured this family, left, listening to a wind-up/solar radio. For more images, see www.internews.org/slideshow/MarkEdwards.

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In Pakistan, Providing Vital News for Earthquake Survivors

In Eastern Chad, Refugees from Darfur Get Their Own Community Radio Stations Through Radio Absoun, which broadcasts from the dusty frontier town of Iriba, the refugees have gained a forum to express their concerns to the relief agencies, and the agencies are able to explain their roles and programs more effectively. Radio Absoun is one of three com-munity radio stations Internews is establishing along Chad’s border with Sudan to improve the lives of tens of thousands of refugees who have fled the conflict in Darfur, and the lives of Chadians affected by their arrival. The station broadcasts a mixture of news, information and music for six hours every day. The result is that for the first time, refugees hear news that directly affects their survival, including information on security, food rations

and water distribution; where to get health and immunization services; and what is happening in their home ar-eas. Radio Absoun also airs social and educational programs, especially those dealing with violence against women and domestic abuse. The staff includes Chadians and Sudanese refugees who produce their programs in Arabic, French and Zaghawa. In a news coup, another station Internews started, La Voix du Ouaddaï, interviewed US Senator Barack Obama about security issues after he visited a refugee camp on the border in August. Internews works in partnership with a Chadian organization, l’Asso-ciation de Développement des Médias Communautaires (ADMC). Internews’ project is funded by the US Agency for International Development’s Office

continued from front page

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Internews’ Resident Advisor in Chad, Fiacre Munezeero, right, poses with Badour, a Darfuri refugee turned reporter.

of Transition Initiatives, the US State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

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Journalist Sumeera Awan interviews an earthquake survivor in northern Pakistan for Internews’ radio program of post-earthquake humanitarian information.

and radio production. Internews’ daily one-hour pro-gram, Jazba-e-Tameer (The Desire to Rebuild), was broadcast on seven emer-gency FM radio stations licensed by the government following intensive advo-cacy and policy advice by Internews.

Jazba-e-Tameer, which ran through July 2006 and was broadcast in Urdu, Hindko and Pahari, played a vital role in providing survivors and relief orga-nizations alike with ongoing coverage about the reconstruction process. Gul Pervez, a listener in Thakot Village, Battagram, said, “Jazba helped

end confusion about seismic reports in the red zone areas and stopped rumors about mass evacuation. Now people have enough information and have started rebuilding their homes.” Another listener, Bilal from Bathkool Village, Battagram, said, “Jazba gives voice to the voice-less. It has become the local BBC of Pakistan.” Jazba has had signifi-cant impact in improv-ing effectiveness and accountability in the

relief effort. After the program reported that the 10,000 refugees in the tent vil-lage of Tariqabad, Muzaffarabad, had been without electricity for nearly two months, authorities restored power within the week. Jazba also reported on the illegal sale of relief goods such as tents, blan-kets, and medicines by shopkeepers in Mansehra. In response, a district police chief promised on the air to establish distribution checkpoints, ending the illicit sales. Together with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Internews also distributed 10,000 multi-power radio sets to quake survivors to keep them informed of issues affecting them. The radios can run on hand-crank, so-lar, battery, or electrical power. Internews’ post-earthquake work in Pakistan was funded by the UK’s Department for International Development, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

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Yogyakarta Radio Station Fills Information Void After Earthquake

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The groundbreaking Peuneugah Aceh (News from Aceh) radio program was produced by a team of Indonesian journalists in a production studio Internews built in Banda Aceh.

After Tsunami, Internews Rebuilds Media in Aceh and Sri Lanka JO

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In Sri Lanka, building on its post-tsunami work, Internews launched the Media House in Matara to ensure that Sri Lankan media include the voices of communities isolated from Colombo.

or many earthquake victims in Yogyakarta on the populous Indonesian island of Java, the voice of radio presenter Ayank Lubis over the airwaves marks the start of a new day.

“Good morning Yogya. This is Radio Punokawan, your friend when you’re sad and happy,” says Ayank each morning at seven sharp when she in-troduces her two-hour program, Suara Warga (Voice of the People). “I feel I have something to contrib-ute to help alleviate the suffering of the earthquake victims,” she says. “That keeps me going every day despite the long working hours.”

A magnitude 6.2 quake struck Yogyakarta, about 400 kilometers east of Jakarta, in the early hours of May 27, killing over 5,000 people and leav-ing 1.6 million homeless. Soon after the earthquake, Inter-news launched a project to disseminate news of relief and reconstruction, with grants from USAID and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Besides helping community radio stations rebuild, Internews worked with the Indonesian Press and Broadcast Society to establish an emergency AM radio station called Radio Punokawan. “The dissemination of humanitarian information to the earthquake victims

is fastest through radio and community participation. We give our listeners news and information that they would not otherwise have,” says Ayank.

Ayank Lubis hosts a daily radio show for Javanese earthquake victims, many of whom still live in plastic tents.

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he Asian earthquake and tsuna-mi that struck on December 26, 2004 was one of the deadliest catastrophes in modern history. It killed some 230,000 people and left countless homeless.

The disaster also devastated the me-dia sector in affected countries just at a time when survivors urgently needed information about the extent of the damage and the relief effort. Radio antennas and transmitters were washed away, printing presses smashed. Many journalists were killed or injured. The Indonesian province of Aceh was one of the hardest-hit areas. Internews, which had been working with Acehnese journalists for six years, immediately flew in a radio team and

a “suitcase radio station” to the remote province. Within two weeks of the tsunami, the only radio station back on the air, Suara Aceh (Voice of Aceh), was set up with a suitcase radio station to allow them to extend their reach beyond the capital. Using a team of Acehnese and Javanese journalists, Internews then began producing a daily radio program, Peuneugah Aceh (News from Aceh), which broadcast news of reconstruction to an esti-mated one million people through September 2006. Internews’ reconstruction work in Aceh was funded by USAID, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the UK’s Department for International Development, and HIVOS. Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, with a grant from USAID, Internews trained journalists in field-based reporting, a ground-breaking format for Sri Lankan radio, and set up mobile production units in tsunami-affected areas. These units produced the only comprehensive

radio program that told the story of the reconstruction through the voices of those affected. This daily 40-minute program, produced in both Tamil and Sinhalese, was a dramatic new step for Sri Lankan media, which have usually ignored voices from the regions out-side Colombo. A survey conducted by USAID showed that the project signifi-cantly improved listeners’ understand-ing of the issues affecting them.

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A B O U T I N T E R N E W SInternews Turns 25!Internews® Network is an international non-

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