This study addresses the question to what extent independent media contributes to government accountability, in particular the social accountability of governments in service delivery. It does so by analysing the effect of the production and use of independent media on service delivery in health care and education, and on democracy, in developing countries.

The study finds that press freedom has an effect on democracy but not on service delivery, whereas civic activism, a measure for the use of independent media, has an effect on service delivery, but not on democracy. This study is a follow-up to the study by ISS on government accountability for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IOB department, on the effects of development aid on civil society and government accountability in terms of poverty reduction, human rights and democracy.

Authors: Anderson Macedo de Jesus and Irene van Staveren