Communications in a Changing World

An Albany Perspective

A butterfly fluttering on one side of the world can cause a hurricane on the other. Some say this is the essence of chaos theory. But theory aside, the global boom in communications means that a photograph snapped on a simple digital camera in one country can have a dramatic impact on public attitudes and political stability in another. Even the least democratic of governments can no longer control information and images in the way they once could. The marriage of the media with modern telecommunications has opened Pandora’s Box. What’s more, the technology is affordable and available to all, individuals as well as governments, and the speed at which information on crises or events reaches the public challenges administrations more than it has ever done before. So how do governments, institutions and corporations make sense of this new seemingly chaotic environment?

In transitional and post-conflict societies, where a free and independent media, the crucial “fourth estate” of democracy, is still aspiration rather than reality, the dilemma is even more acute. Governments in such countries often have to overcome an instinct for central control and censorship. Transparency can be a concept that is difficult to understand and the temptation to restrict media and information systems rather than develop the mechanisms of open government may be strong. Just as the free exchange of ideas is the mark of a democratic society, robust, innovative and competitive telecommunication systems are vital drivers of a modern market economy. Technology now dictates that you cannot have one without the other – grasping the connection between the two is crucial.

Albany Associates is a company that brings together a wide range of unique expertise on how to understand and adapt to these dynamics in a changing society. With practical experience gained at the coalface in the Balkans (Bosnia and Kosovo) , Russia, Eastern Europe (Romania and Bulgaria), the Middle East (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and UAE), Albany can help in developing communications strategies, assist in drafting media and telecommunications laws and designing regulatory frameworks, advise on media infrastructure development, plan and deliver professional training and practical hands-on assistance in building credible and independent public service broadcasting. Most important of all, the directors of Albany and their network of associates can help you understand the critical inter-linkage among these factors.

Governments and corporations today cannot ignore the power of the media, the complexity of modern telecommunications and the need to keep the public informed. Albany Associates understand the relationship between the message and the conduit, the demands of the local situation and the challenge of new technologies in old traditions.