Overview Mass media, especially print and broadcast media, plays a vital role as change agent in Bangladesh. It can assist the poor through providing information service as well as advocacy service. Research has proven the semi literate or illiterate poor in Bangladesh actively collect information through broadcast media. Experience with the print media industry also shows media can raise the voice of the poor and advocate for their critical issues.

Therefore as a market development project with M4P approach, Katalyst chose to develop information and advocacy service through print and broadcast media for the benefit of the poor.

When it comes to assisting the poor through information and advocacy service - the media market faces few problems or constraints. They are: a) Lack of understanding among media gatekeepers regarding the consumer pofile and information demand regarding the poor b) Lack of skill among houses and reporters to develop business/agro programs targeting the poor c) Lack of incentives/sponsors d) Limited access to media by the poor d) Lack of linkage between farmers/SMEs and media house/journalists e) Lack of external content providers for SME and agro related issues.

Katalyst's Strategy

There are two strands of media market development arena that is to be addressed by Katalyst strategy: the services that the media provides to the MSMEs/Farmers and policy-makers, and those provided to the media industry itself. The later defines the quality of reporting provided by the former. Katalyst continues to work to stimulate both, as the final objective is to improve the overall functioning of the media market system. and to achieve this has chosen a number of interventions.

Intervention Areas

• Promote the concept of “business of media” to media gatekeepers
  
  Katalyst is planning to organize multiple seminars/workshops to promote to the media gatekeepers that poor are mass market consumers.Therefore, they can be a potential niche for business. First in the line of such a a seminar would bring together leading media professionals, gatekeepers, corporate houses and advertizing agencies in partnership with a leading research agency to place the rural poor as a mass audience of media as well as mass consumer market for business.
  
  
• Promote the development of appropriate media offers targeting businesses and farmers
  
  Following the participation of daily newspapers such as the Daily Star in Katalyst interventions, other media houses are changing and improving their business and SME coverage. Katalyst is aiming to work with broadcast media industry where public and private sector media houses can actively disseminate relevant news and program that meets the information demand generated by farmers and SMEs.
  
• Build capacity of media professionals
  
  Katalyst has introduced a business journalism course at Dhaka University and recently launched a business journalism major in University of Liberal Arts. Here, objective it to encourage other universities to crowd in and incorporate similar courses in their curricula. Again, improving the capacity of agro journalists and professionals are important at this stage. Therefore, through agro journalism guidebook as well as institutionalizing agro journalism skills for media houses it is planning to improve the agro information service for the farmers.
  
• Promoting interaction among journalists and MSMEs
  
  Katalyst is supporting training for sector associations (maize, vegetable, seed, fertilizer, fish, prawn, furniture) to enable them to build effective relation with media houses to raise issues and secure appropriate attention from policymakers and relevant agencies. Further work will be undertaken to build a sustainable relationship between business associations and the media.
  
• Assist and promote alternate media to farmers and SMEs
  
  Poor farmers have problems in accessing media. Hence alternative media, in the form of drama and roadshows with media houses, will be explored for information dissemination for farmers and SMEs. Cost sharing with other large organization, including media houses, such as Grameenphone/Banglalink would be pursued to organize road shows/films aimed at to the rural community.
  A policy paper was formulated and presented to Government on broadcast media liberalization. Katalyst will look at new ways in which this policy recommendation can be brought back to the forefront of discussions with Government, for the benefit of the growth and competitiveness of the industry.
  

  
  

Co-facilitators and Partners

Katalyst works with the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF), Bogra Press Club, Bogra Reporters Forum, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Dhaka University, Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), Bangladesh Sangbadpatra Parishad (BSP), television owners and managers, management training consultants and institutes, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Associations of Advertising Agencies of Bangladesh, Association of Marketing Executives, journalism training consultants and institutes, SME associations, representatives and support organizations, public relations companies, high profile journalists and editors, politicians, celebrities, existing and potential media investors, a media lobby group, and journalist associations.

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