USAID

SMAP works through three primary activities:
• Strengthening the legal and regulatory framework for media by developing advocacy and monitoring skills of media-support institutions and enhancing capacities for coalition building and joint initiatives among media stakeholders.  SMAP also strengthens the capacities of media-support institutions to represent their constituencies and advance public interest.
• Increasing the sustainability of independent media by improving management and financial capacities of local broadcasters and Internet-based news portals through training, consultations and grants.
• Enhancing the quality and availability of information for citizens by encouraging high-quality media coverage by local and regional media of issues of interest and concern to citizens in their communities.

SMAP also supports its partners in adapting to the new digital environment and using new media, such as mobile phones, the Internet, and social networking sites, to enhance their operations and sustainability, as well as the public’s access to information.

• Media-support organizations improved their capacity to build coalitions with stakeholders, advocate for the media sector, and advance the public interest, which resulted in the formation of the Media Coalition and its work on media reform strategy.
• Media outlets have been strengthened through the building of a network of supporting organizations that improve their economic and financial sustainability.
• SMAP provided assistance to its partners to adapt to the new digital environment by developing social network communication strategies, upgrading websites with interactive features and new applications, and by spreading to mobile phone platforms, which helped them reach a wider audience and gain sources of new revenue.
• Nearly 1,500 journalists and other media professionals were trained through various educational programs, and over 250 outlets and organizations received some form of assistance through SMAP.