New development resource to bridge communication knowledge gaps

Global media and communications research company InterMedia Tuesday launched 'AudienceScapes' (http://www.audiencescapes.org), a multi-platform communication resource intended to support and improve international development efforts and outcomes.

AudienceScapes fills a need in the development community to better understand how people gather, share and use information at both the grassroots and the policy levels -- essential knowledge for those using communic ation, public interest education or media-based initiatives to improve lives in the world's poorest countries.

Supported initially by a US$1.29 million two-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, AudienceScapes is based on a unique research programme that can be put to immediate practical use by development practitioner s in areas such as mobile money, financial services, public health and agriculture.

According to the programme managers, AudienceScapes research is a handy resource for identifying local needs in media, communication technologies, development information and development policy.

'Currently, development organisations seeking to target audiences and policymakers have limited access to comprehensive baseline information they can use to guide their communication and advocacy efforts,' said Mark Rhodes, President of InterMedia.

'As a result, the many millions spent each year on development-related communication activities often produce disappointing results. The losers in this equation are people in the developing world who don't receive critical public interest information that could improve their quality of life,' Rhodes added.

AudienceScapes comprises several integrated elements including: Innovative research, disseminated as data through a user-friendly data query tool, and as custom downloadable analytical reports; National quantitative surveys loo king at the general population's access to and use of media, access to and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and word -of-mouth communication habits; and how these factors affect people's acquisition of knowledge about key development topics.

The surveys have been piloted in Ghana, Kenya and Zambia, with plans to roll them out in other countries.

The AudienceScapes website, featuring detailed country communication profiles plus other resources for development practitioners working in communication, media development, technology development and policy dialogue, is being launched with a core group of 10 complete profiles of countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

To allow the development community to become acquainted with the site's features, through April 2010, AudienceScapes users will not have to register to access its resources. After April, registration will be required.

-March 10, 2010 by PANA

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Source: www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/new-development-resource-to-bridge-communication-knowledge-gaps-2010031045523.html (accessed on 11.03.10)