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Guests: Molly Anders, Devex U.K. Correspondent
Host: Jessica Abrahams, Devex Associate Editor
What we covered:
00:00 - Description of the U.K. media landscape
03:35 - Why a U.K. media series?
08:05 - Adversarial media as a “particularly British” issue
12:33 - Distinguishing from legitimate critiques, such as recent sexual misconduct allegations
13:38 - To what extent is media affecting public perceptions?
17:46 - Media framing as a domestic v. international issue
20:06 - Policy shifts and other implications of tabloid coverage
25:28 - What is DFID doing to combat negative coverage?
28:14 - What can the aid community do to respond?
31:00 - Can charities disengage politically?
Headlines in U.K. tabloid media often paint a stark picture of aid — and it's having a real effect on programs and operations. "British Foreign Aid to the Most Corrupt Nations Rises by 10 Percent." "Britain's Foreign Aid Makes the Poor Dependent." "Millions of Pounds of Foreign Aid Spent on Silly Projects." Devex Associate Editor Jessica Abrahams chats with U.K. Correspondent Molly Anders about her experience reporting on the influence of U.K. tabloid media on foreign aid.
Additional reading:
• UK media and the great aid debate
• Bad news: How does media coverage affect public attitudes toward aid?
• More bad news: Does the media really impact how the aid sector works?
• Q&A: How to tackle fake news