Strengthening Media Systems Activity (SMS) Social Network Analysis

The project aimed to enable Serbian media system actors to improve the legislative, regulatory, and market environment for media. This would allow Serbian media outlets to provide citizens with information to engage in informed citizenship and hold their governments accountable. The project's goal was to understand current relations among media system actors, the potential for mutual collaboration, and gaps and challenges in the networking area. To achieve this, IREX implemented a Social Network Analysis (SNA) in the media system ecosystem in Serbia in 2018. The analysis included in-depth group interviews and a survey examining nine variables comprising three categories: Network Relationships, Practical Support, and Advocacy Perceptions. Key findings from the SNA include the identification of the most connected actors in network relationships, practical support, and advocacy perceptions. Transparency Serbia, Press Council, Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), and Association of Online Media (AOM) were the most connected actors in network relationships. NUNS and NDNV were the most connected actors for providing practical support, while Transparency Serbia, NUNS, Media Association, AOM, Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS), Press Council, and Civic Initiatives were seen as the most connected actors for advocacy perceptions. The analysis also identified areas in which to strengthen media stakeholders' capacity, including influence with government and gathering public support. Key areas for media reform were identified as state financing of local media, journalist security, and media literacy. The sustainability of local media and the new media strategy were also identified as key areas that could build common ground among potential network members. The SMS project will plan additional activities and incorporate the SNA results and organizations' recommendations gathered through the interviews into its overall implementation approach. Significant recommendations for future programming arising from this SNA include developing capacities of media stakeholders for better targeting and outreach, establishing long-term connections with decision makers, and leveraging existing partnerships and support from the international community to advance overall negotiation position with decision makers. IREX will update the SNA on an annual basis and use the results to monitor overall progress related to Objective 1 of the project, as well as Result 2 (Increase in density and vibrancy of media system relationships) within the same component. The project's goal is to enable Serbian media system actors to improve the legislative, regulatory, and market environment for media, allowing Serbian media outlets to provide citizens with information to engage in informed citizenship and hold their governments accountable. The analysis was based on the SNA implemented by IREX in 2012 under its previous USAID-funded Serbia Media Assistance Program (SMAP). Since SMS builds on the results achieved in SMAP, members of the Media Coalition were the first cohort targeted by this SNA. Apart from that, additional Media Support Organizations (MSOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) were included to reflect the actual situation in the media sector. The SNA was conducted in January-March 2018 and included in-depth group interviews along with a survey that examined nine variables comprising three categories: Network Relationships, Practical Support, and Advocacy Perceptions. The analysis aimed to understand better the relationships among the most relevant Media Support Organizations (MSOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in the media reform space in Serbia, as well as to identify potential opportunities and challenges in future collaboration.