Evaluating media and communication in development: Does evidence matter?

Abstract

The Center for Global Communication Studies (CGCS) evaluated BBC Media Action’s (formerly the BBC World Service Trust) impact on the world of global development research and practice. Through an online survey and in-depth interviews with key players in the field, CGCS analyzed the extent to which the organization’s research, workshops, and conferences have influenced and impacted the work of global donors, practitioners, think tanks, and scholars on the subject of the role of media and communication platforms in improving governance outcomes, health outcomes, and humanitarian response outcomes. At the same time, this project provided a broader understanding of how those working in the field are thinking about the role of communication in development, where they see the most potential, and what they see as the major gaps in the research.