Capacity building as a tool for media development in Rwanda: case of the New Times and flash Fm

Abstract

Declining performance in institutional framework is mostly a consequence of poor management style on one side and absence of proficient skills on the other side. This leads to decreasing institutional performance and poor staff motivation. The level of professional qualification of media practitioners in Rwanda presents a gap that ends up by affecting their results and making professional mistakes. On the issue of getting experience in media sector, there is a high level of staff turnover. As this should affect the development of the sector, this study seeks to examine the effect of capacity building on media development in Rwanda. The study takes on a cross-sectional research design using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, key informant interviews, document review and a mini-survey in order to validate the research hypothesis. From the study, it is evident that there is still great need and room for improvement on the level of professionalism in the media in Rwanda. This is necessary if the media are to effectively play their role of holding authorities accountable, stir debate among citizens on issues affecting them, generally inform citizens in a manner that helps them make informed decisions in their daily lives, and specifically to hold the fourth estate status.