Media in Conflict Zones

1. Media in Conflict Zones Graham Mytton Audience Research Training and Consultancy Field Research in Sierra Leone and South Sudan during 2007 and 2008

2. Challenges of doing research in conflict and post conflict areas • Because of the role of media in conflict resolution, media research is important • The future peace and stability of these countries depends in large part on the free flow of information • But research can be difficult. In some cases, powerful groups can interfere • Suspicion among respondents can be a major problem • However, in many cases, people like to be asked. And for many, the experience of research – of actually being asked interesting and important questions is welcomed • Media in recent and continuing conflict areas are changing, sometimes as fast as elsewhere • Many agencies make major use of media for conflict areas and require research to plan their strategies and programmes • The paper looks at evidence from recent experience and field research in Sierra Leone and South Sudan.

3. Users of Media Research in Conflict Areas • United Nations (sponsors of post conflict radio and other media in Sierra Leone, Sudan, Congo, CAR and others) • Fondation Hirondelle, the Swiss media agency which runs radio stations in Congo (DR), Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan and elsewhere • BBC – services like those for the Great Lakes, the Horn of Africa and Darfur, as well as its general programmes in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and African languages • Internews – radio stations in several countries, including Sudan and Chad • Others, including VOA, RFI, DW and others • USAID, DFID, EU

4. Sponsors and Clients for Media Research in Conflict Zones & Less Developed areas of Africa

5. South Sudan Two projects • First for Fondation Hirondelle which has a contract from the UN to run Miraya FM, a service that is mainly for South Sudan, but can be heard throughout also on shortwave. That survey in in June-September 2007 covered 7 of the 10 states of the autonomous entity of Southern Sudan • Second was for USAID and covered one state in the South, and two in the north, in the so called “three areas”. More of that later.

6. You are here: Pamro conference

8. Short History Lesson • The decades-long war ended with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA. • South Sudan was given substantial autonomy • There is an agreement that South Sudanese will be able to vote for independence or to remain with Khartoum, in 2011 • The “three areas”, South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei, remain outside the South proper, but they are also promised a referendum on their future. They are where a good deal of the oil has been found.

9. Research Challenges • Displaced population. During the war, millions were displaced, both internally and as refugees in neighbouring countries • Census took place in 2008, after the first survey and results were not available for the second • The census now says that the population of the South is 8.2 million

10. Research Challenges • But when we did both surveys, we had only estimates to go on, principally those published by UNICEF which combined estimates of the resident population with estimates of the numbers of IDPs and refugees who had returned • From these, for the first survey, we drew up a plan that distributed the sample of 2,000 among the ten states • Because of the impossibility of reaching three of the states, Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile, the achieved sample was 1,546

11. Research Challenges • Despite the CPA, conflict has not ended. There have been outbreaks of fighting between SPLA forces and the national Khartoum-directed army, as well as violent internal South Sudan disputes • This led to nervousness and suspicion among respondents in many areas, especially in the remoter areas. Refusal rates for taking part were not high but refusals to answer certain questions were high • Last but certainly not least, the weather in 2007 made research very difficult almost everywhere, and closed three states completely in the first survey and whole areas of some states in the second

15. In 2008 the weather was kinder, but the roads in many places make any travel hazardous, lengthy, costly and adventurous!

16. Transport was always a challenge!

17. There is a large UN force in the South

18. Some results from the 2007 survey • The first thing to note is that despite the war, poverty and displacement, South Sudanese are major users of some media and they are, perhaps surprisingly, well informed • TV access is mostly low. Radio is the main medium. Mobile phones have already made a major impact. Internet use is low. • An important question was “From what sources do you get news? And of these, which is the most important to you and which the most reliable”

21. TV Use • 19% ever watch TV • Viewing is higher among men (24%) than women (13%) • It is also strongly correlated with education and age; better educated and younger people are more likely to be viewers • There is a lot of viewing outside the home

22. TV Use

23. TV Use • 12% of the sample had watched TV in the past week • 6% had watched within the past month • The top station was the Khartoum based TV Sudan, followed by Juba TV and satellite services such as NileSat and DSTV

24. Miraya FM • The main purpose of the survey was to assess the audience for Miraya FM which is managed by Fondation Hirondelle • It is available on FM from several local transmitters and on shortwave throughout • Awareness of the station was high at 42% • Its weekly audience was 14%, slightly ahead of BBC and SRS

26. Miraya FM Audience • Strong male bias

27. Miraya FM Audience • Somewhat better educated

28. Miraya FM Audience • But a little older

29. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement • How well do South Sudanese know what has been agreed? • 67% said that they had heard of the CPA • All of these were asked to say what they thought it was about

32. Results from 2007 survey for Miraya FM and Fondation Hirondelle

33. Survey in 2008 for USAID. Coverage was of three states, one in the South (Unity) and two under Khartoum administration – two of the “three areas”

39. Survey in 2008 for USAID. We also askd several questions on political attitudes, using questions used by Afrobarometer

41. Sierra Leone • National media survey commissioned by Fondation Hirondelle • Strong emphasis on covering the entire country, including remote and difficult to reach areas • Most previous national surveys have avoided some areas

44. Sierra Leone • Sierra Leone Civil War began in 1991, when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under Foday Sankoh fought against the elected government. Tens of thousands died and more than 2 million people (well over one-third of the population) were displaced because of the 11-year conflict. Neighbouring countries became host to significant numbers of refugees attempting to escape the civil war. It ended on 18 January 2002. • British and African troops assisted in maintaining peace and in training a new national army

45. Sierra Leone • Unlike Sudan, peace has been achieved, elections held, and normal life has been re-established. • Many problems remain, not least the damage to the lives of many people and the weakness of the country’s infrastructure. • Research however is relatively easy • Refusal rates were very low

46. Training took place in several centres, including Freetown and Bo.

48. Outdoor Advertising is widespread: Mobile phone companies’ displays are ubiquitous

49. Some of the field supervisors and data entry staff

50. War damaged home in the countryside on the road to Bo