FPU - Ethical Journalism for Syrian media phase 2

Assessing any results in the media sector requires taking into account that the programme's starting point for dialogue and coordination was low. At the start of the Arab spring Syria had never had a functioning independent media. Many media producers were new to the sector and there had not been any functioning media institutions for decades. Since then, Syrian media has gone in exile and prospects of returning to Syria are improbable. Syrian media is in need for capacity building both in respect of institutional strengthening as well as supporting the development of media contents as well as security training. In this context, the Syrian media sector is still emerging and only starting to take on the role of holding media and professionals accountable for their actions. Free Press Unlimited has managed to carry out the support with a holistic programmatic approach and the strategic planning has managed to start a process of building the framework the Syrian media needs to become sustainable. This is shown in reports as well as the mid-term review carried out spring 2019.  Results of the support are demonstrated in all various reporting from the supported media organisations. Organisational capacity building including financial management and audit, has resulted in the partners becoming "audit proof", a term used in the reports. This is verified also in the unqualified audit reports of the FPU project. FPU has facilitated audience surveys in Syria, in both opposition controlled areas and government held territory. New audience research is planned to contribute to the strategic planning. Focus on media content in the capacity building has also contributed to development of the partners, never the least in discussing the role of independent media, despite the background of most exile media having grown from the revolution. It is a challenge in this regard to reach an independent and neutral media reporting not linked to any political action or movement. In this perspective the support to the Ethical Charter has played an important role. The Charter is a growing forum for Syrian Journalists where the the member media partners discuss and agree on ethical rules for media production. Objectivity and neutrality has along with accountability, including media's own accountability, has become playing a more and more important role. The Charter has also included a complaints mechanism. In this particular component of the support, FPU has taken the project one step further beyond basic coordination. More than to contribute to enhanced effectiveness of the media sector, FPU has facilitated a dialogue between different Syrian media with different background in order to raise the quality of the media production and inject ethics as well as gender or media's own accountability in to the discussions. The mid-term review of the project presented spring 2019 also points out the Ethical Charter as a success with impact. In line with this the review recommends FPU to create several Spaces for debate on independent Syrian media. Other recommendations are to continue tailored supports in strategic audience development and funding. The review also recommends FPU to look more into the audience research benefits. One conclusion from the first year of the programme is still valid; media institutions are the most vulnerable. Yet, it is exactly this type of partner that should be leading in starting dialogue and coordination for the work with human rights and towards democracy. FPU came to realise that beside strengthening the partners’ capacity, to be able to obtain results, is fostering dialogue and consequently cooperation. In all, it is Sida's assessment that the results of the FPU project Ethical Journalism for Syrian Media 2016 - 2020 correspond well to the set up objectives and remains relevant in the context of the Syrian conflict and it's consequences.