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The Role of Government in Institutionalizing Democratic Governance
a significant ability to play a fundamental role in promoting and
advocating for greater democratic governance, as noted by Luis Nájera
in “The Role of Media in Improving Democratic Governance.”
While any and all actors in a society can potentially use the
media to generate greater public interest in issues and actions and
communicate more effectively, government can especially use media
to generate greater institutional transparency and accountability.
Media can play an instrumental role in transmitting updated and
frequent information on the work of government to citizens. This
can be accomplished in a variety of ways and can serve a variety of
purposes. Government can, for example, invite media to attend
and give coverage to events and activities, frequently organize press
conferences, or conduct regular media programs where officials
speak on the work of government. While ensuring that citizens are
well informed of the work of government, which is an important
aspect of transparency, these opportunities can also ensure that
citizens are equipped with sufficient information to hold their official
representatives accountable for official actions.
It has been the experience of IRI that these types of initiatives
generate positive feedback from the community while also fostering
greater citizen buy-in for public policies and actions. In Guatemala,
for example, IRI worked with the municipal government of San
Cristobal Totonicapán to create a weekly television program during
which the mayor and members of the municipal council report to
citizens on the work that their local government is performing. Over
the course of one hour, officials discuss topics that range from budget
expenditures to public safety measures to public school renovations.
Importantly, the program has embedded a time slot for citizens to call
in so they can both provide feedback on what is being reported on
and ask questions. This measure helps to ensure that government is
held accountable by its constituents, as officials often have to respond
to tough questions on pressing issues in the community.
