Mozambique Media Strengthening Program 3rd Quarter Report FY 2016

The program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and has a total budget of $10,278,124. The program's overall objective is to establish a free, open, diverse, and self-sustaining Mozambican media sector that promotes debate, accountability, and development. To achieve this goal, MSP focuses on several key areas, including professional capacity building, business operations and sustainability, journalism education, community radio, advocacy, and gender and media. One of the program's key components is the Media Lab, a ten-month vocational training program that aims to develop strong journalism skills, attitudes, and values in participants. The program has graduated 26 participants in its fifth iteration, and recruitment for the next cohort has started. The Media Lab program is designed to attract increasingly more qualified applicants and turn it into an elite program for the best qualified and motivated university graduates. MSP also focuses on business operations and sustainability, with a goal of strengthening the financial viability of media organizations. The program has provided seed funding to three digital innovation projects under the New Media Initiative (NMI) and has supported Correio de Manha in redesigning its core products and improving its business operations. In addition, MSP has implemented several community radio initiatives, including training programs for journalists and staff, mentorship visits to target community radio stations, and seminars on commercial opportunities. The program has also worked with two long-term media association partners, AMCS and RECAC, to train them in the use of the MCAT tool and to monitor the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). MSP has also made significant progress in the area of gender and media, with a focus on addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and promoting girls' rights. The program has prepared and participated in a prime-time TV program on TVM focused on gender and GBV issues and has worked with the 99 FM radio station to train a team of six staff members on issues related to GBV and premature marriages. Furthermore, MSP has established a production schedule of three online TV news reports per week for TV Surdo, a Deaf TV initiative, and has continued to expand the audience through targeted promotional activities. The program's results have shown positive synergies between the Media Lab and mentorship programs, with experienced journalists mentoring less experienced journalists. Overall, the Mozambique Media Strengthening Program has made significant progress in its first quarter of the third year, with a focus on building the capacity of Mozambican media outlets to provide high-quality information to citizens. The program's initiatives have shown positive results, and it is expected to continue making a significant impact in the Mozambican media sector.