Media Development and Countering Violent Extremism

When US President Barack Obama convened a summit on Countering Violent Extremism at the White House in February 2015, it was clear that a major new international agenda had emerged. The rise of the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) agenda, however, was met quickly with controversy, including for its reliance on media houses to communicate counter-narratives.

To contribute to this conversation, CIMA is pleased to publish Media Development and Countering Violent Extremism: An Uneasy Relationship, a Need for Dialogue, by Courtney C. Radsch.

This report looks at how media development practitioners are reacting to the rise of the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) agenda and its growing influence on their field and partners. While practitioners of CVE and media development often have fundamentally different worldviews, the influence of the CVE agenda is also seen to pose serious risks for southern media houses and the organizations that support them. Still, these risks are unlikely to be addressed without coordinated efforts from both sides. However uneasy the relationship, a dialogue between CVE and media development is needed.

For more information on the Center for International Media Assistance, please explore our website at www.cima.ned.org, or contact us at CIMA@ned.org