BW_MCST_Media

Ministry:

MCST (MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)

Department Name:

DBS (DEPARTMENT OF BROADCASTING SERVICES)
For DTPS and DIT click against the texts

Discussion
Points:`

		The constitution of Botswana ensures free press and free speech; the
		government is said to highly respect these rights.
		There is one daily newspaper in Botswana, the government published
		the Dikgang Tsa Gompieno (or Daily News, circulation 50,000 in 2002) in both English and Setswana. The government also publishes, in a bilingual edition, the monthly magazine Kutlwaro (circulation 24,000). In 2002, 4 independent newspapers were publishing on a weekly basis, with a total circulation of over 50,000. MMegi Wa Dikgang, or The Reporter, is published in both Setswana and English with a weekly circulation of 24,000. The major political parties publish monthly journals.
		The government controls the content of nearly all radio and television
		broadcasts through the Botswana Press Agency (BOPA), which produces the free Daily News newspaper, Radio Botswana, which broadcasts nationally to most of the country, and Botswana Television (BTV). There were 8 AM and 13 FM radio stations and 1 television station in 2001. Radio Botswana broadcasts, in English and Setswana, a variety of news, educational, cultural, and entertainment programs. An earth satellite station was erected in 1980. In 2000, there were about 155 radios and 25 television sets for every 1,000 people. The same year, there were about 37 personal computers in use for every 1,000 people, with 11 Internet service providers serving 33,000 people in 2001.

Findings:

		The key success loop work focused on defining success of the media in
		the country and its eventual implications on information access and usage of information technology.
		What stood out at the onset was a tendency to emphasize technical
		excellence above artistic or content quality of media presentations. This finding is consistent with any country that emphasizes objective or externalized education over subjective or discovering the internal or self- discovery process. However, working their way around the loop enabled participants see that we could have both technical (physical appeal) as well as content quality (mental and emotional appeal) provided we respected the order in which the two aspects grow.
		Participants began to notice that as artistic or content excellence grew,
		the Ministry was more likely to command resources (citizens become willing to contribute tax and therefore win Government interests in investing further in the Ministry). The more this happened, the more it was likely the Ministry could garner resources to invest in technical quality (which are costly).
		Quality of collaborative effort within the Ministry and its impact in
		generating quality productions which in turn attracts greater levels of talents (TV, radio, press) willing to work with the Ministry. This causes quality of media productions to grow over time that could lead to greater levels of investments in communication infrastructure that allows the media to reach out to even more parts of the country.
		There is the potential of the media being a primary source of being able
		to showcase ‘whole’ stories. It is in a unique position to hear and present multiple sides of issues that allows the country to understand the complexities that it is working with at all levels. This could lead to the country learning to work more coherently across all sectors (public, private, citizens, NGOs, etc.) leading to greater levels of work productivity and revenue. Media’s role in growing the country becomes more evident leading to greater levels of investment and growth happening for the Ministry.

Insights from
KSLs:

Frames:

We argue for the sake of arguing and to prove our points of view (is
more right and have fun!).
We are not the providers of the solution.
The frame excludes the idea it is not MCST’s job to understand and
present the whole story (complexity – the circles of causality).
“My job is to make the “poor man’s” voices be heard – he speaks
through me. Because his voice has not been heard so far, his cause
has been a lost cause. We cannot let them continue to be rejected this
way. This is important
My job is not to see the whole story or to help the world see it.
Otherwise I may lose.
I have been made to look bad. I cannot lose face.

FEAR OF REJECTION

Blindspots:

That a wholesome media is one who presents the whole picture (not
just make the picture bigger)

LEVERAGE INTERVENTION:
Shifting our frames from seeing snapshots to seeing the “movies of change
over space and time”.