The role of the media in education and poverty reduction

In order to address issues of policy coherence research must first question how the mass media might contribute to education and poverty reduction. The media can be educational in its own right, but in a broader sense it can also inform perceptions of and attitudes towards education, educators and socio-economic inequity. Rather than suggesting that policy should be used directly to govern media content, this research indicates that policy might more productively establish guidelines for best practice, informing the development of and access to media technologies, media literacy and media content in the education sector and in the wider community. This chapter argues that the specific area that requires coherence in terms of the media’s role in and impact on education and development involves fostering a culture in which the different stakeholders – educators and academic researchers, media practitioners, policy-makers, corporate citizens and members of the public – work together towards mutual goals. It is the role of policy to guide and co-ordinate this process, and to clarify the goals we strive to attain...