Indigenous Peoples and the Media
The media can facilitate the inclusion and meaningful engagement of Indigenous Peoples in society, contributing to greater respect for diversity of opinion, freedom of expression, and peaceful coexistence. This, in turn, leads to more inclusive and democratic societies, which are indicators of democracy and good governance. Building on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) recognizes the right of Indigenous Peoples to establish and operate their own media and to have access, without discrimination, to all forms of nonindigenous media. Article 16 also calls on states to take measures to ensure that both state-owned and commercial media reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of Indigenous Peoples.
Over the years, media established by Indigenous Peoples have evolved from small community-based media to a rapidly growing sector, taking advantage of technological developments and operating as public interest broadcasters or private media. Today, with increased professional standards, media established and run by Indigenous Peoples have greater potential not only to serve the needs and interests of Indigenous Peoples, but also to contribute to the overall democratic debate of society issues at large.
There is also a growing interest among mainstream media to improve their editorial policies and programming on Indigenous issues and to consider Indigenous Peoples as one of their target audiences, even producing content in Indigenous languages. In addition, the media are becoming more aware of the added quality value that the richness of Indigenous worldviews, knowledge and cultures bring to content. The Media can advance on the development of Indigenous strategies by ensuring the application of professional and ethical standards and strengthening partnerships among media organizations, particularly those founded and run by Indigenous Peoples.
To this end, States are invited to develop relevant policies or practices and to establish funding programmes or adopt favourable measures for the development of media that are relevant to Indigenous Peoples.
UNESCO is the only UN organization with a mandate to foster free, independent, and pluralistic media.
OLD - UNESCO Global Survey on Indigenous Peoples and the Media
UNESCO is calling on Indigenous-led media organizations and mainstream media to take part in a global survey designed to gather data on the state of media at the service of Indigenous Peoples. This initiative aims to assess how Indigenous and non-Indigenous media uphold Indigenous Peoples' rights to freedom of expression and access to public information, while promoting diversity of opinion, peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding in society.
- (English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Portuguese)
- (English, French, and Spanish)
Participate in the survey and submit your inputs by鈥31 October 2024.
Expert Meeting and Media Partnership Forum
On 26 and 27 November 2024, UNESCO is organizing a two-day event at its Headquarters in Paris with Indigenous-led media and mainstream media, including public broadcasters and community media, to develop proposals for advancing the implementation of Article 16 on media of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The recommendations will inform the UNESCO Global Study on Indigenous Peoples and the Media.
International normative instruments and resolutions
The existence of several important international normative instruments, resolutions and recommendations marks an important step towards greater recognition of media created by Indigenous Peoples and the promotion of cooperation between Indigenous, commercial, and public media. These documents also urge States to review national policies, practices and funding related to media development in favour of Indigenous Peoples and entrust UNESCO with a leading role for it.
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
鈥淭he Permanent Forum underlines the need for the examination of national policies, practices and funding programmes on Indigenous media, including capacity building and content production in Indigenous languages by Indigenous media professionals, including Indigenous women, and for the promotion of international cooperation, knowledge-sharing and cooperation among Indigenous media and other partners, including mainstream media and Governments. The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, in partnership with relevant United Nations entities and Indigenous Peoples, conduct a study on Indigenous media and present their findings at the annual session of the Permanent Forum in 2025.鈥
Global Study on Indigenous Peoples and the Media
UNPFII recommendations -> Establishment of Working Group -> Literature review -> Methodologies and survey instruments -> Call for inputs and data collection -> Multistakeholder consultations -> Strategic recommendations
In 2023, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) underlined the need for the examination of national policies, practices, and funding programmes on Indigenous media in its report to the Economic and Social Council (Ref.: , paragraph 10). The Permanent Forum mandated UNESCO in partnership with relevant UN entities and Indigenous Peoples, to conduct a study on Indigenous Peoples and the media and present their findings at its annual session in 2025.
To respond to the important call for action and to prepare a study by April 2025, UNESCO organized a series of consultations with Indigenous Peoples, UN system entities, the media sector, and civil society:
Projects and initiatives
UNESCO supports a wide range of projects and initiatives that contribute to the promotion of pluralism and diversity in the media for the benefit of indigenous peoples. These actions may include global, subregional, and national activities linked to a broader UNESCO programme, international cooperation mechanism or commitment, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (5, 10, 13, 16), and the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Article 16).
In 2022, UNESCO Office in Kathmandu, Nepal, developed a set of guidelines on sensitive reporting on Indigenous Peoples for mainstream and community media, and conducted capacity-building workshops for the media, including media outlets established and run by Indigenous Peoples' organizations. This work helped to foster cooperation and knowledge-sharing among media organizations in Nepal. UNESCO also conducted a survey of 100 community radio stations in Nepal to gather information on gender inclusion, indigenous peoples' participation, and broadcast languages. The survey found that 70 per cent of them broadcast in a language other than Nepali, and all of them integrate indigenous languages in their staffing, production, and administration. See more in the .
Since 2018, the UNESCO Office in Mexico, in collaboration with partners and through a series of actions, has been strengthening Indigenous Peoples鈥 capacity to establish and manage their own community media in compliance with legal requirements, radio frequency allocation regulations, reporting on gender-based violence and other technical aspects. Efforts were also taken to facilitate the design of public policies to support Indigenous and Community Media in Mexico and incorporate Indigenous content into public and commercial media, as well as to provide with collaborative methodologies. See more , and here.
The UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, has organized and provided training on implementing community media projects and Indigenous language radio programmes since 2007. UNESCO also donated essential radio equipment, and young Indigenous producers were trained to design radio programmes, which are being broadcast on a daily basis for one hour per day in the Kreung, Tompon, Jarai and Brao languages. See more in the UNESCO publication (2016).
In 2023, UNESCO Yangon Office has published the which provides practical tips (lessons) on how to be a positive force in fostering peace and unity as requirements in nation-building. The toolkit is structured into four parts: (1) Situational of Ethno-Cultural Landscape and Ethnic Media; (2) Why Cultural and Ethnic Reporting is Important; (3) Do鈥檚 and Don鈥檛s in Cultural and Ethnic Reporting including Gender Sensitivity and Safety and Protection of Journalists; and (4) Story Ideas in Cultural and Ethnic Reporting including sample model articles in various formats/platforms.
In 2024, UNESCO Office in New Delhi, India, in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the state-owned broadcasting association Prasar Bhrati, organized a capacity building workshop in Shillong for 15 community radio stations and 16 state-owned radios focusing on the fundamental role that community media plays in the preservation and promotion of Indigenous languages. Their skills were strengthened on inclusive editorial content production and equitable media programming on issues concerning health, nutrition, education and agriculture in Indigenous languages through radio programming. See more .
"Through the freedom it offers, radio is thus a unique means of promoting cultural diversity. This is particularly the case for indigenous peoples, for whom radio can be an accessible medium or sharing their experiences, promoting their cultures and expressing their ideas in their own languages. That is why UNESCO actively supports these radio stations and ensures, with all the means that its mandate confers on it, that they can develop."
Message on the occasion of World Radio Day 2020.
"Indigenous community radio stations play a crucial role in defending the right to freedom of expression of indigenous peoples. Providing the most effective way of disseminating information on issues affecting the communities, they also reveal news of the violence that hits them. They are the first to broadcast information about the incidents, and to interview and air the views of community leaders on these acts of violence."
Article for UNESCO Courier (2019), Radio: a lifeline for Indigenous Peoples, p. 16-17.
News
Documents
