about mma
Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) in Johannesburg, South Africa, was established in 1993. Our goal is to promote ethical and fair journalism that supports human rights and to encourage a culture where media and the powerful respect human rights while promoting democracy, and the ideals of a just and fair society. MMA employs technology, social media, and data tools to conduct successful media strategies for change, making our work more efficient and impactful.
MMA’s vision is to develop a free, fair, ethical, and critical media culture in South Africa, and across the African continent.
To achieve this, we focus on three key areas through a human rights-based approach:
- • Media ethics
- • Media quality
- • Media freedom
Our Values
Our Values
Our theory of change
Goal: A responsible, quality media sector that works in the defence of human rights and contributed to a strengthened democracy and a just and fair society.
Change one: Greater awareness amongst policymakers, the media, and the public about information rights, and building a public agenda and a community that supports to the advancement of information rights.
Change two: Improved skills amongst media professionals, children, and the general public to be empowered in the modern information ecosystem.
Change three: More diverse, representative, ethical, responsible, and accountable information eco-system, including a media that reports on rights issues, and greater public trust in the media.
Change four: Media policy environment and legal framework that is more conducive to media freedom, progressive digital and information rights, and an informed and empowered citizenry.
Activities:
1) Research monitoring and analysis, 2) Advocate, litigate and lobby, 3)
Community and audience engagement, 4) Build skills for media and the public
The problem we seek to address
We seek to address complex problems broadly in the media sector which require nuanced and strategic approaches to addressing them. The four problems we seek to address are:
- • Lack of accountability of media outlets to their audiences
- • Insufficient media quality and diversity
- • Threats to media freedom
- • Lack of effective audience engagement processes
The solution we offer
Our approach is to build on what works and find pragmatic solutions for what doesn’t. As such we offer the following tailored services to our partners.
- • Online tools for journalists and editors to do their work better
- • Research that helps media measure performance and also understand their audiences
- • Training and expert views to meet skills gaps and ethical practices in media
- • Policy submissions that help policymakers formulate policies that promote media freedom
- • Digital literacy as well as platforms for informed citizen engagement with media and the powerful
The Goals we seek to achieve
- • 50% increase in the use of our tools by journalists and audiences
- • 50% increase in media mentions
- • 30% increase in social media engagement with MMA materials
- • Continued qualitative credibility of our work based on feedback with key stakeholders
Each of these indicators can be measured using data drawn from our tools, well as what our partners say about us.
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