The Catholic Media Council (CAMECO), a media development consultancy specialising in media and communications in the Global South, has launched the Commbox Media Development Library, an online, globally curated, open-access repository with over 30,000 online and print publications aimed at facilitating knowledge on media and communication in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific.
The commbox library was officially launched on June 18, 2026, at an online event with a discussion on “Managing Knowledge in Media Development”, which had, as speakers, Dr Meli Ncube, a postdoctoral fellow at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Journalism in South Africa, where he specializes in the study of disinformation and its impact on journalism, and media trust, as well as Mrs. Ivana Bjelic Vucinic, Director of the International Media Policy and Advisory Centre (IMPACT) at the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) in Brussels, Belgium, where she leads programmes on evidence-based media policy, research, and strategic initiatives.
Noting that “generating knowledge is only part of the process”, Dr Ncube stressed that the challenge is how to reach larger audiences and urged that “We need to think strategically how research findings travel beyond academia,” as different knowledges require different types of communication.
Mrs. Vucinic, on the other hand, described the inclusion of over 30 000 publications in the commbox as an “admirable effort”, adding that the initiative complements what GFMD has been doing over the years.
According to her, “Shared knowledge, shared information, and coordination is not only a good practice, but also a necessity for the survival of our sector.”
About 50 participants representing media practitioners, civil society organisations, scholars, and donor agencies participated in the launch event.
According to CAMECO, Commbox is both an online and physical library aimed at facilitating knowledge on media and communication in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Central, Eastern, and Southeast Europe. It specialises in open-access publications originating from or concerning the Global South and puts special emphasis on practical guides, training materials, and evaluation reports.
Mr. Christoph Dietz, Vice-Director of CAMECO, explained: “About 17,000 publications are freely available. Ten filter options allow a differentiated selection of materials. In addition, filters for ‘Key Guides’ and ‘Deep Insights’ help the users to identify starting points in different subject areas”, emphasizing that “These selections are powered by human intelligence”.
CAMECO said the most frequently used sections of Commbox are those related to digital transformation, conflict and peace, religion and communication, artificial intelligence (AI), the evaluation and impact assessment toolbox, disinformation, dealing with violent pasts, community radio, and climate and environmental reporting.
The database draws on the library that CAMECO has compiled worldwide since it was founded in 1969, and the collection ranges from the beginnings of international media assistance to the present day.
Most of the materials, more than 20,000 publications, are in English. However, CAMECO said its ambition is to create further collaborations and to expand the volume of publications in French, Portuguese, Spanish, and other languages.
Mr Dietz explained that in order to make the commbox truly international, “it should be a common work shared by different organisations with special collections and toolboxes”.
Current partnerships have already been established with the Centre for Development Communication (C4DC) at the Institute for Communication and Media Studies at Leipzig University in Germany with the Special Collection on Public Spheres in Afghanistan, and with the Agiamondo Civil Peace programme on Dealing with the Past in the African Great Lakes region.
The Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom has also become a commbox partner for the Special Collection on Safety of Journalists, while CAMECO is in further conversations with partners in Ecuador and in Argentina for developing a Special Collection on Latin American Communication Thought.
According to Mr Dietz, “We have many ideas what we could do in the future, ranging from information integrity and AI ethics, digital wellbeing and resilience, research methods, climate communication, crisis-sensitive journalism and pastoral communication. Literature collection is not enough, knowledge management needs common reflection.”
Also, CAMECO’s Executive Director, Michael Unland, explained that the Commbox combines technology with “human touch” and that although the platform uses modern technologies, it is shaped by people who have worked for decades in journalism support, community media, and media assistance.
He said: “There remains, more than ever, a need for reliable information and for meaningful exchange. COMMBOX is based on many years of collecting, organising, classifying, reviewing, and sharing knowledge on communication and media.”
Mr Unland insisted that it is not simply a database or a “warehouse of PDFs,” as it is a curated knowledge space, adding that “Behind every thematic classification and summary stands a human decision and human judgement of somebody of our community. This library is linked to real-life projects and studies. Its users will ultimately help to transform information into action, enabling people to learn together.”
