@techreport{a64afea2-b94a-4305-a87d-e77bf222913a,
  abstract     = {{This Development Dissertation Brief summarises a study of Sweden’s long-<br/>term media aid engagement in Vietnam from 1993 to 2007, examining how<br/>journalistic skills, norms and practices were introduced, translated and reshaped<br/>within an authoritarian media system. Drawing on project documentation and<br/>interviews with Swedish journalism trainers and radio technicians, the disserta-<br/>tion analyses how technological innovations, pedagogical encounters and lin-<br/>guistic and cultural differences influenced the development of Vietnamese<br/>journalism during a period of rapid economic and digital change.<br/>The research shows that media aid functioned as an arena for negotiations ra-<br/>ther than a transfer of journalistic ideals from Sweden. Technological capacity<br/>building, such as live broadcasting and principles for presenting news, gener-<br/>ated the most durable impact, while normative components related to ethics or<br/>autonomy encountered structural resistance tied to political oversight, incentive<br/>systems and social norms. The study also identifies trainers and interpreters as<br/>key mediators who shaped how journalistic ideas were understood and adapted<br/>in local settings.<br/>The Brief argues that foreign aid for media development is most effective when<br/>interventions align with local conditions, prioritise context-specific learning<br/>and recognise the central role of relational and cultural brokerage. These in-<br/>sights contribute to ongoing debates on the future of media development and<br/>media assistance efforts. It offers guidance for designing sustainable support to<br/>journalism in transitional and restrictive environments.}},
  author       = {{Mattsson, Andreas}},
  institution  = {{Expertgruppen för Biståndsanalys (EBA)}},
  keywords     = {{journalism; media development; media assistance; foreign aid; development aid; vietnam; interpreters}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{2026}},
  series       = {{Development Dissertation Briefs}},
  title        = {{Media development in practice : What Swedish aid achieved in Vietnam}},
  url          = {{https://eba.se/app/uploads/2026/05/DDB-2026-07-Vietnam-DIGITAL.pdf}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}