After several years of international cooperation, the Sida-funded training programme Media Regulation in a Democratic Framework (ITP Media) has come to an end. The programme has been a pioneering initiative to strengthen media self-regulation and promote free, inclusive, and professional journalism in an era of major political, technological, and economic shifts.
Since its launch in 2017, the programme has involved more than 600 participants – including journalists, editors, academics, legal experts, parliamentarians, government officials, and civil society actors – from 25 countries across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the MENA region.
Fojo was one of four implementing partners in this Sida-funded initiative, alongside IMS (International Media Support), NIRAS, and Global Reporting. Together, we have worked to strengthen media freedom, develop ethical frameworks, and support sustainable systems for responsible journalism.
The programme contributed to:
- Increasing knowledge of self-regulation, press ethics, and the role of media in democratic societies,
- Creating national, regional, and international networks for collaboration and knowledge exchange,
- Highlighting issues of human rights, gender equality, and journalist safety,
- Strengthening the capacity of participating organisations to drive long-term change.
Driving change through capacity building
Fojo was responsible for the sub-programme Media Development in a Democratic Framework, which ran for more than a decade and served as a powerful driver of transformation in independent media.
Using a change-oriented approach, participants implemented tangible change projects within their home organisations. The results speak for themselves:
- More than 600 editors, media managers, and journalists were trained across over 25 countries,
- Participating organisations introduced new gender policies, ethical guidelines, and audience engagement strategies,
- Internal training systems and mentorship programmes helped build local journalistic capacity.
- Enduring peer networks emerged, fostering collaboration on investigative journalism and gender-sensitive reporting,
- Over 80% of participant organisations continue to apply tools and methods from the programme,
- Several countries developed national forums for media development and self-regulation as a result of ITP initiatives.
Self-regulation was consistently promoted as a crucial mechanism to protect freedom of expression, reduce state overreach, and foster trust between media and audiences.