Development of Functional Media Institutions in Western Balkans – A Comparative Study

The Center for Social Research Analitika, in cooperation with Center for Research and Policy Making from Macedonia, Albanian Media Institute and Democracy for Development from Kosovo is implementing the project „Development of Functional Media Institutions in Western Balkans - A Comparative Study“. The project is funded by the Regional Research Promotion Programme (RRPP) in the Western Balkans.

Short Description: The research project studies the development of independent and functional media institutions in the Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Serbia. In particular, the research is concerned with media institutions that have emerged through significant involvement of international actors. The questions we ask: Can external intervention result in the creation sustainable independent institutions? How the context influences the development of independent institutions that have been established by external influences? How the interaction between domestic and international actors shapes the outcome of institutional building? Can new institutions influence the context, thus creating the preconditions for their sustainability from within?

Main Objective: The project aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of conditions and factors that influence the creation of sustainable, functional media institutions in democratizing countries, especially in contexts where there is strong presence of international assistance programs and conditionality mechanisms.

Expected Outputs:
• A book will be produced, consisting of 8 chapters.
• At least 2 papers will be published in peer-reviewed journals
• Policy brief will be prepared and published.
• Organizing a seminar for 20 graduate students and junior faculty.
• Project website
• 3 project workshops

Duration: 12 months (July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013)

Project Budget: 148,500 CHF

Budget amount for the activities of Analitika: 54.500,00 CHF

Donor: RRPP Program

About the RRPP Program: The project is funded by the Regional Research Promotion Programme (RRPP), which is aimed at fostering and promoting social science research in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia). The RRPP is coordinated and operated by the Interfaculty Institute for Central and Eastern Europe (IICEE) at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). The programme is fully funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. More information about the RRPP program are available here: http://www.rrpp-westernbalkans.net/en/about.html