Media Support Partnership (MSP) is a small UK-based not-for-profit organisation with a track record of designing and managing media-led interventions and conducting research on media and communications for development. In recent years it has supported small initiatives with seed-funding and technical assistance. Currently, it is co-funding independent research, with the Center for International Media Assistance, on factors affecting media sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa, led by Dr Mary Myers and Nicola Harford.
MSP supported Syrian refugees in Germany and Scotland to participate in therapeutic creative writing workshops through its partner, the Trojan Women Project, resulting in Arabic radio drama Aberdeeni – My Aberdeen, and a version of Euripides’ Trojan Women (originally performed as Queens of Syria). A key purpose of MSP’s contribution was to underwrite short term costs and enable fundraising for larger sums to provide continuity and security of funding.
In Nigeria, MSP funded the launch of a website and petition called ‘Don’t Walk Away’, an online campaign against Mob Justice, prompted by the discovery of a harrowing video of a twelve-year-old boy called Samuel being lynched by an angry crowd when falsely accused of abducting a child.
Previously MSP held contracts to manage large-scale entertainment-education programmes in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa which tackled HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health issues. In Botswana and Zambia, these took the form of long-running local language radio soap operas linked to community activities, including peer education and testing services. In both countries, MSP established and mentored local production organisations to take over ownership of the programmes.
Another strand of work focused on media in fragile and conflict-affected areas such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia, including research on the Pakistani media’s response to the Taliban-fuelled conflict, and training for radio journalists in Mogadishu.
MSP has worked in Madagascar with the Andrew Lees Trust over several years, most recently to design and evaluate the Village Voices for Development project, which used radio and mobile telephony to facilitate dialogue between non-literate villagers and decision-makers about local development issues and strategies.
In Mozambique, MSP designed and implemented a weekly radio magazine programme, Mundo Sem Segredos, which was produced by children for other children to address a range of social issues. Radio Mozambique adopted the approach as a model for all children’s programming nationally.
In Afghanistan, MSP mounted an interactive radio programme, Straight Talk, for young people which tackled topics ranging from the value of elections to arranged marriages, and showcase local pop culture.
Media Support Partnership is the sister arm of iMedia Associates, and is a Scottish registered charity (Number SC031594), founded in 2001.
Please contact nicola@imediaassociates.org for further information.