Center on International Media Assistance

The Center for International Media Assistance "a project of the National Endowment for Democracy, has been established and plans to bring together a broad range of media experts with the objective of strengthening the support of free and independent media throughout the world." 


 * Marguerite H. Sullivan, Director
 * Shannon Maguire - Media Center Coordinator (Angela Stephens - former Senior Media Center Coordinator)
 * Don Podesta-Consulting Manager & Editor
 * Christine Kahler -Research Associate
 * Spencer Hayne - Media Center Administrator

Inaugural Report
On July 16, 2008, the Center released a report, entitled "Empowering Independent Media: U.S. Efforts to Foster Free and Independent News Around the World".

The reports executive editor was Marguerite H. Sullivan, and the managing editor and principal writer was David E. Kaplan. The principal research and reporting team consisted of Angela Stephens, Spencer Hayne, and Eleeza V. Agopian; while additional assistance was provided by Anahit Khachatryan, Ann McFeatters, Shannon Maguire, and Alicia Dolan.

"We are also grateful to our report reviewers: Enrique Armijo, associate with Covington & Burling LLP; Luis Botello, senior program director for the International Center for Journalists; Meg Gaydosik, senior media development advisor with the U.S. Agency for International Development; Shanthi Kalathil, World Bank consultant; Persephone Miel, senior advisor for Internews and fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School; and Mark Whitehouse, director of media development for the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX)."

Environmental Reporting
On March 4, 2009, CIMA organized a workshop titled "Green Journalism: Environmental Reporting in Developing Countries" with featured speakers including Sanjeev Chatterjee (Professor, School of Communication, University of Miami), Jon Sawyer (Executive Director, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting), and Rob Taylor (Director, Science & Environment Programs, International Center for Journalists).

Other Reports
Ann C. Olson, media consultant and author of the CIMA report "The Role of Media-support Organizations and Public Literacy in Strengthening Independent Media Worldwide" published on February 5, 2008.

On January 13, 2009 the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) released a new report, "Soft Censorship: How Governments Around the Globe Use Money to Manipulate the Media," The author of the report was Don Podesta: his research associate was Eva Constantaras.

Advisory Council
Accessed November 2007:
 * David Anable - Former President, International Center for Journalists
 * Patrick Butler - Vice President, The Washington Post Company
 * Esther Dyson - Chairman, EDventure, NED Board Member
 * William A. Galston - Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution, NED Board Member
 * Suzanne Garment - Associate, Clifford Chance US LLP
 * Karen Elliott House - Former Publisher, The Wall Street Journal
 * Ellen Hume - Director, Center on Media and Society, University of Massachusetts, Boston
 * Jerry Hyman - Senior Adviser, President, Hills Program on Governance, Center for Strategic and International Studies
 * Alex S. Jones - Director, Shorenstein Center, Kennedy School of Government
 * Susan King - Vice President, External Affairs, Director, Journalism Initiative, Special Initiatives and Strategy, Carnegie Corporation of New York
 * Richard Lugar - U.S. Senate
 * Eric Newton - Vice President/Journalism Program, Knight Foundation
 * Adam Clayton Powell III - Director, Integrated Media Systems Center, University of Southern California
 * Monroe E. Price - Director, Project for Global Communication Studies, Annenberg School for Communication
 * Adam Schiff - U.S. House of Representatives
 * Kurt Wimmer - Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Gannett Co., Inc.
 * Richard Winfield - Of Counsel, Clifford Chance US LLP

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Emily Gee, Former Coordinator
 * Andy Mosher - Media Consultant

External Resources

 * Jeremy Bigwood, "No Strings Attached? How U.S. funding of the world press corps may be buying influence", In These Times, June 4, 2008.
 * Michael Barker, "Imperial Media Manipulators: The Center for International Media Assistance", Swans, October 6, 2008.