IRIN Evaluation Report - March 2003
by Graham Mytton & Sharon Rusu

Value Added

63. The focus on humanitarian issues not only strengthens IRIN's credibility and its independence from normal news agenda, it was also was for many the main added value of IRIN. In this respect, the mandate of IRIN was precisely what media users expected and appreciated about it:

    'Different values, emphasis on development, human rights and Aids. Good coverage of Africa. Fairer coverage of Africa.' Editor online news agency Africa.

64. Some journalists when speaking about IRIN seemed to get quite close to the ethos and purpose of the agency and others with a similar mandate. Speaking about Reliefweb through which he mainly accessed IRIN material, a senior BBC correspondent who specialises in relief and emergency stories said:

    'Shedding light on darkness is at the heart of what the media should be doing and these agencies are a vital part of that.'

65. A similar theme expressed in a different way by a South African journalist providing news for a network of Southern African NGOs and community groups: 'Without IRIN we would be reduced to the dark dungeons of the local press!'
66. The avoidance of information overload was also an added value for many. IRIN was a 'one-stop' shop where news of a certain kind would always be brought together in a useable form. It meant not having to trawl through several different sources. Moreover, it provided something that was consistently good journalism.

    'IRIN always manages to cut to the chase. It is excellent.' Channel Africa reporter.

67. Its strength was seen in its coverage, the gaps it filled, and as one user put it, 'having its eyes on humanitarian stories that otherwise might not get any coverage'.
68. One editor at one of the many news agencies that regularly uses IRIN-originated stories, said that it often had 'very good stuff', and chiefly because of its contacts and reach. He gave as an example a unique story in early December from South Sudan about ethnic fighting at a refugee camp. His agency used this immediately, quoting IRIN. Another distinctive IRIN product is the regular interviews with prominent figures. These are unique and very welcome.

    'More please! IRIN has excellent contacts. It is credible.'

69. Some also saw IRIN as having an important role in the developed industrialised world. A US journalist working for several years in Africa described IRIN as a 'positive force for good' in the world, but thought that it would be good if it could get through to more US media and help raise awareness and interest in humanitarian issues. When it was pointed out that IRIN was widely used in North American academic communities her response was that if this were true it was very welcome. 'This alone would make it worthwhile!'

    Humanitarian Community Interview Results: UN, NGO, IO, Donor / Government and Academic

70. Sixty-six interviews were conducted with United Nations staff members, international organization and NGO officials, representatives of donors and governments, and academics. Twelve members of OCHA and IRIN management and staff were also interviewed. Only selected parts of each interview are represented in the analysis below.

    IRIN Mandate

71. The majority (75%) of respondents ranked IRIN's performance high in fulfilling its mandate. They were all committed IRIN users with the majority taking the Africa service daily. When asked whether IRIN was continuing to meet its mandate, one Senior UNICEF official noted: 'IRIN's role is to bring news of looming and forgotten emergencies to the international humanitarian community. This it does well and consistently'. Another respondent in this group linked IRIN's effective fulfilment of its mandate with the UN's commitment to donors:

    'The UN is unmanageable. Effective humanitarian action is hamstrung by mandate wars between agencies. The weakness of the UN is coordination for which reliable information is the key element. IRIN has a role to play in this regard, and should be funded in order to carry it out. The UN has a role to use IRIN to fulfil its commitment to donors.'

72. One among the NGO respondents who ranked IRIN as HIGH in the performance of its mandate observed that 'IRIN provides major background for agencies like ours that require not one source, but a variety. IRIN stories consistently give the origins and context-regional, political and humanitarian in a timely and reliable way'.
73. Finally, as a Senior ICRC official observed:

    'Information is a major part of the UN role...The fact is that IRIN is unique in its focus and outputs on humanitarian issues and maintains this role well. The humanitarian community will continue to need IRIN reporting on issues of human security, environment, health, water, economy, and social factors.'

    The UN should not wait until after an emergency to have an IRIN in place. Senior Official, CARE International, UK .

74. A South African government commentator noted that 'IRIN serves the needs of different bilateral desks and humanitarian departments with its consistently balanced mix of political and humanitarian stories. The same respondent also added that 'IRIN provides a humanitarian information service to donors and others, especially those interested in the Great Lakes and West Africa'.

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