Communication and National Development

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Communication and National Development

• Robert L. Stevenson
• University of North Carolina

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Definition

• Communication and development assumes that mass
  media can act as a great multiplier of efforts
  to promote national economic, political, and
  social development

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Curious roots

• Lenin described mass media (newspapers) as the
  scaffold with which to build a new socialist
  society
• U.S. Agricultural Extension Government programs
  from the 1930s promoting rural development

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The record

• Substantial growth in broadcasting and
  telecommunication in old Third World
• Decline of newspapers near-explosion of Internet
  from zero-base
• Power of media as great multipliers promoting
  either political or economic growth in question

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Current attention

• UNs Human Development Index (HDI)
• World Banks measures of good governance
• Media sustainability in nations in transition

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The focus

• Economic reform (perestroika) or openness
  (glasnost) as cause and effect?
• Political democracy (free press, multi-party
  elections) or constitutional liberalism (good
  governance) as goal of development assistance?

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Influence of freedom on HDI
Freedom2000
Freedom 1990
.164
.099
.629
HDI 1990
HDI 1997
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Influence of HDI on freedom
HDI 1997
HDI 1990
.189
.109
.750
Freedom 1990
Freedom 1997
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All nations
Good Governance 1996
.67
HDI 2001
Democracy 1996
.04
R2.48
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Low-development nations
Good Governance 1996
.33
HDI 2001
Democracy 1996
.08
R2.13
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High-development nations
Good Governance 1996
.83
HDI 2001
Democracy 1996
04
R2.74
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Revised model
Good Governance 1996
.67
HDI 2001
.74
.04
Democracy 1996
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Revised thinking about nation building

• Human development and political freedom/civil
  liberties are closely related
• But causal links are tenuous
• Human development and good governance are also
  closely related
• Development seems to be a product of good
  governance, not political/civil freedom
• Freedom seems to promote good governance.

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Read all about it

• Zakaria, Illiberal Democracy The Future of
  Freedom
• www.undp.org (annual HDI)
• www.worldbank.org (good governance)
• www.freedomhouse.org (press freedom)
• www.irex.org (media sustainability)

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For more information
www.unc.edu/rlstev
Email me robert_stevenson_at_unc.edu