Democracy, governance and randomised media assistance

Abstract

This working paper reviews research innovation in the form of pioneering field experiments in the media and political development sector - and asks how they can contribute to our understanding of democracy and governance interventions in the media assistance sector. More specifically, the paper summarises how experimental design has been used to assess the effectiveness of governance interventions and understand the effects of the media on political opinion and behaviour. The paper investigates the potential for research innovation in the form of field experiments to contribute to our understanding of the intersection between media, democracy and governance. It reviews the small body of pioneering field experiments on media and political development and it outlines some of the obstacles to conducting field experiments in the sector and learning from them. Finally, the paper suggests opportunities for building a body of experimental evidence that can inform democracy and governance interventions in the media assistance sector