Oklahoma State University
Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural resources
Programs In Mali
Nurturing the “Fourth Estate”: Professional Development
for Media Specialists
in the Republic of Mali, West Africa
Project Director
Dr. Dwayne Cartmell
Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership
Executive Summary of This Project
Many argue that “freedom of the press” is an essential pillar on which a democracy rests. Fledgling democracies, in particular, are sensitive to the need for a professional press corps, including media professionals who monitor its institutions and interrogate the critical issues confronting its people. The West African nation of Mali is no exception. Oklahoma State University has been awarded a contract to assist Malian media specialists—reporters, broadcasters, editors, media managers, and journalism teachers—in understanding, acquiring, and practicing professional standards in their work, especially as it relates to the reporting of economic and business development. It will rely on the expertise of U.S. media professionals and business development specialists (i.e., practitioners, educators, and scholars) to deliver programming in the U.S. and Mali. These individuals also will serve as consultants to Malian media outlets. In all, the project includes six phases with each supporting the exchange program’s broad aims and specific objectives.
The exchange program will follow a Mali— United States— Mali regimen. Internships in U.S. media outlets will provide real-world learning experiences for Malian media professionals. These experiences will be facilitated, monitored, and evaluated by project team members who have significant experience in managing productive internships. They will include all sectors of the media industry: print, radio and television broadcasting, emerging information technologies, management, and the teaching of journalism. Equally important, participants will experience unique and significant aspects of both cultures and societies. It is hoped that linkages and networks will be established between the participants, including professional relationships leading to future collaborations.
Oklahoma State University ’s (OSU) commitment to international outreach and service has roots extending as far back as President Harry S. Truman’s Point Four Program, the forerunner of today’s USAID. The university’s expenditure of institutional resources to support international extension and outreach education continues to grow. In 2005 alone, Sponsored Instruction expenditures, including university-sponsored exchange programs with international participants, exceeded $45 million. Inherent to this commitment is the element of accountability. Accordingly, the proposal’s evaluation plan is guided by measurable objectives and supported by programming activities, monitoring mechanisms, and evaluation strategies directly related to the exchange program’s purpose and objectives.
In Mali, native cultures meet modern technology in a rapidly changing society.
The National Flag of Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked nation in Western Africa. It is the second largest country among West African nations, after Nigeria. It borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its straight borders on the north stretch into the centre of the Sahara desert, while the country's south, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Senegal rivers. Formerly French Sudan, the country is named after the Empire of Mali. The name of the country comes from the Bambara word for hippopotamus and the animal appears on the Mali 5 franc coin.
In Mali, Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are guaranteed by the constitution and generally observed by the government. The Superior Council of Communication regulates the media. During election campaigns, the constitutionally mandated Committee of Equal Access to State Media is charged with guaranteeing that all political parties have equal access to government-controlled media. Radio is the primary means of mass communication. In practice, widespread poverty and the low literacy rate, as well as poor distribution outside of Bamako, limit access to television and print media. Mali has more than 125 radio stations as well as one television station. The former government-controlled radio and television broadcasting company is officially autonomous, but it has been accused by the political opposition of having a progovernment bias. There has been an explosion of print media since 1992 in conjunction with the initiation of multiparty democracy. In 2003 print media included 42 private newspapers and journals (39 in Bamako and one each in Tombouctou, Mopti, and Sikasso) published in French, Arabic, and various local languages. Newspapers must register with the Ministry of Communications, but registration is routine. The expression of a broad range of views, including those critical of the government, is permitted. Foreign radio programs are widely available through local media, and foreign satellite and cable television programs also are accessible, especially in Bamako. The government does not restrict access to or use of the Internet, but in practice Internet use is very limited because of the cost of computers and licenses to operate servers.(Source: Wikipedia.com)
Granaries (above) near Djenne, Mali
Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of its land area desert or semidesert. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River. About 10% of the population is nomadic and some 80% of the labour force is engaged in farming and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. Pottery is also practised by women whose wares are bought by dealers and are transported to markets where they are sold by traders. The traditional methods used by the potters are an attraction to foreign tourists. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export. In 1997, the government continued its implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program. Several multinational corporations increased gold mining operations in 1996-1998, and the government anticipates that Mali will become a major Sub-Saharan gold exporter in the next few years. (Source: Wikipedia.com)
The above photo shows the Grand Mosque near Djenne, Mali.
Djenné, Mali, is renowned for its UNESCO World Heritage mud-brick mosque. The archaeological site of Djenné-Jeno — a city of 10,000 dating to 250 B.C. that was mysteriously abandoned in the 14th century — is internationally known.
The Islamic University near Timbuktu, Mali
