To what extent are the areas media and development combined?

The program focuses on the extent to which the media influence democratic development within the context of development cooperation. As the link between governments and their citizens, and between various social groups, the media play an important, integrating role. Media can support a country's public discourse and development, but can also be exploited by powerful interest groups wanting to limit freedom of opinion and expression.

The Master's program thus analyzes and discusses the features of "open" and "closed" media systems, comparing Asian, African, Latin American, western and eastern Europe media systems.

Those who designed the program believe that there is a link between democracy and development, freedom of opinion and democracy, and free media and development. The prerequisites for free media systems in developing and transition countries are journalists who can best carry out their responsibility as critical observers and reporters if they are professionally trained and feel bound to journalistic ethics.

Highly qualified media experts can then become key players in bringing about changes in media systems, and in supporting democratic thinking and the development of civil societies.