Development Journalism

Origins

The roots of development journalism extend deep into the 1950s, and to the theories of modernization espoused by W. W. Rostow, Daniel Lerner, and Samuel Huntington. In the years after World War II, these theorists described a one-directional means of propelling traditional societies along the road to modernization and economic development, while simultaneously helping them avoid the pitfalls of Communism. Communication was seen as a powerful tool for modernization, and mass media were understood to assist not only in the development of modern personality traits such as “empathy,” but also in the expansion of democracy and economic and political participation. Communication theorists such as Wilbur Schramm posited a model of press development that likewise utilized stages and suggested a trajectory in which journalism passed through “authoritarian,” “libertarian,” and “social responsibility” phases.

One of the first organizations to promote development journalism was the Press Foundation of Asia (PFA). Established in Manila in 1967, the PFA took a practical approach to implementing the modernizers' notion that informing readers about the development processes that were affecting their lives was one way of bringing about social and economic change. The PFA was founded by a group of prominent Asian journalists, and included many champions of press freedom who had previously been jailed by authoritarian regimes. Committed to focusing on development news while steering clear of government interference, the Press Foundation of Asia received little government funding and instead relied on regional newspapers and agencies, international foundations, and the UN to support its programs. These programs included training for journalists, a center for press freedom, and a development news service called Depthnews that served clients throughout the region.

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