Media Consumption Trends of the African Union

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Table of Contents Abstract ...... 4 Methodology ...... 5 Limitations of the Study ...... 7 Current Media Climate in Africa ...... 9 Access to New Technology ...... 9 The Rise of Social Media ...... 11 Continued Media Repression ...... 13 Key Findings ...... 15 General Media Consumption Habits of African Union Officials...... 15 Languages ...... 16 Sources for National and International News ...... 17 Preferred Sources for In-Depth News ...... 17 Recent Changes in Media Consumption ...... 17 Action As a Result of Consuming News ...... 18 Social Media ...... 20 Twitter ...... 20 Facebook ...... 22 Other Social Media Sites ...... 23 Traditional Media ...... 24 Online ...... 24 Print ...... 25 TV News Shows...... 25 Radio ...... 26 Press Clippings ...... 27 Preparation of News Briefs and Clippings ...... 27 News Sources in the Press Clippings and Briefings ...... 28 NGOs and Embassy Officials Responses ...... 30 Recommendations: ...... 32 Recommendation 1: Understand the importance of social media ...... 32 Recommendation 2: Focus on television and online news ...... 32 Recommendation 3: Recognize the importance of press clippings ...... 32 Appendices ...... 34

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Appendix 1: Introductory Email to Online Survey Participants ...... 34 Appendix 2: Online Survey Questions ...... 35 Appendix 3: In-Person Interview Questions ...... 37 Appendix 4: Media Sources Mentioned by Respondents ...... 39 Bibliography ...... 43

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Abstract

The following report seeks to provide a better understanding of the media consumption habits of those who shape African Union (AU) policies relating to peace, security, and human rights in Africa. Desk research revealed that media repression remains a critical issue in Africa but that access to new technology and the rise of social media are transforming how Africans produce and consume media. Field research through online surveys and in-person interviews contributed to understanding the media preferences of members of the African Union, large non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and select embassies located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In total, twenty-five officials of the African Union and three officials from NGOs or embassies participated in the study. Responses were analyzed and trends in general media usage, social media, and traditional media were identified. Based on this analysis, three key recommendations to improve media outreach and advocacy campaigns were identified: 1) Understand the importance of social media, 2) Focus on television and online news, and 3) Recognize the importance of press clippings. The hope is that these findings will enable a variety of groups, including the African Union, to form better media outreach strategies.

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Methodology

The study aimed to better understand the media consumption habits of policy makers at the African Union with particular emphasis on those officials who influence policies related to peace, security, and human rights. The study was expanded to include media consumption habits of officials from large NGOs and select embassies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the African Union headquarters are based, in order to obtain a broader understanding of the media consumption habits of those who influence policy making at the African Union. Desk research and field research, including two online surveys and in-person interviews, were used to examine media consumption trends and habits.

Before beginning the study, solicitation emails were sent to senior AU leadership in order to follow correct procedural norms and potentially garner support for the study. Madam Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union, and Jacob Enoh Eben, Chairperson of Communications at the African Union, were both sent emails informing them about the study and requesting their endorsement. However, neither solicitation email received a response.

While undertaking desk research, the online surveys were launched via Survey Monkey. Two online surveys were distributed with one targeting AU officials and the other targeting officials from NGOs and embassies. Both online surveys consisted of ten questions and required less than fifteen minutes to complete. The online survey and in-person interview questions were designed to gather detailed responses while guaranteeing anonymity. Respondents for the online survey were asked to provide their name and contact information only if they were willing to be interviewed. The in-person interviewees were not asked for any identifying information during the interview. The online surveys were distributed via email to more than sixty relevant participants from the AU, NGOs, and embassies (Appendix 1: Introductory Email to Online Survey Participants). In total, there were eleven online survey respondents from the AU and three from NGOs and embassies.

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) was engaged on this study to provide contact information for relevant survey participants, share the online survey, and conduct in-person interviews at the African Union. To facilitate the in-person interviews, the ISS consultants

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

were provided with background information, copies of the online survey, and a detailed script to guide their interviews. ISS completed fourteen in-person interviews.

The field data from the online surveys and in-person interviews was aggregated and analyzed. Four subcategories – general media usage, social media, traditional media, and usage of press clippings - were identified and used to draw conclusions and make recommendations.

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Limitations of the Study

Sample Size The sample size of the study was relatively small with twenty-five African Union officials and three NGO and embassy officials surveyed or interviewed. The study size was limited by both the short-time frame available for research as well as the difficulty in gaining contact information for African Union officials. It was challenging to create the survey participant list as it was hard to find current contact information online for many of the AU officials. ISS was helpful in overcoming any geographic challenges as they conducted in-person interviews in Ethiopia on behalf of the study.

Misinterpreted Questions Both in-person and online participants occasionally misunderstood the questions. This misunderstanding led to ineffective responses that were either less useful for the analysis or completely unusable in the analysis.

Anonymity and Biases Given the political climate in Ethiopia and general norms in the African Union, it was important to ensure anonymity of all respondents. While respondents were informed that all responses would remain anonymous, concerns that their responses may be shared might have impacted their answers. When survey respondents know that their answers will be analyzed, this can also influence responses for a variety of reasons. For example, a respondent might want to sound smarter or more intellectual and report that their preferred news source is an internationally respected newspaper rather than a popular television show.

Self-Selecting Sample The sample consisted mostly of contacts from ISS and from the contacts of an Addis Ababa based journalist, ruling out a completely random and representative population. The respondents were asked to take part in the survey in two ways: some received emails asking them to take the online survey and others were asked to be interviewed by the journalist

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

correspondent, thus creating a self-selecting convenience sample of ISS, the journalist’s contacts and those who may have a pre-determined interest in media. Many respondents said that they were involved in writing for social media accounts of the AU and/or were in the external communications department of the African Union, showing that some respondents had a particularly high interest in media outreach prior to the survey.

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Current Media Climate in Africa

Technology is changing the way people communicate with each other, receive news, and share information in Africa. Specifically, access to new technology and the rise of social media have transformed how Africans produce and consume the news. While the media climate in Africa has generally become freer and more vibrant, media repression remains a critical issue in many countries in Africa.

Access to New Technology

In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, people have “skipped” landline phones and instead have purchased cell phones. The leapfrog to cell phones reflects the affordability of cell phones as well as the limited infrastructure in Africa, which makes setting up and maintaining landlines difficult (Bauer, 2015). Between 2000 and 2012, mobile phone penetration in Africa increased from 1% to 54%. (“How new technologies are driving media consumption in Africa,” n.d.) As the graph below demonstrates, cell phone ownership in many African countries is close to or on par with cell phone ownership in the United States.

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Along with the growth in mobile phones, Africa has witnessed massive growth in internet users. Between 2002 and 2012, the number of internet users in Africa increased to 167 million users, growing at seven times the global average. Kenya is Africa’s leader in internet usage growth with internet users in Kenya increasing from 200,000 users in 2000 to over 19.6 million users in 2013. (“Internet access is no longer a luxury | Africa Renewal Online,” n.d.) Given these recent trends, three African countries now top the list of twenty-five countries that access the internet the most. Nigeria is ranked tenth with 57.7 million internet users at the end of 2014 and a predicted increase to 84.3 million users by 2018. (Aderibigbe, 2014)

While sub-Saharan Africa has seen rapid internet and cell phone penetration, the region is still lagging behind much of the rest of the world. In 2010, for example, there was an estimated 100 million internet users in Africa compared to 2 billion internet users globally. (“A social media boom begins in Africa | Africa Renewal Online,” n.d.) The inability of existing infrastructure to support broadband and wireless, coupled with the lack of constant electricity, has presented challenges to bring internet access to more Africans.

Growth in mobile phones and internet access are interlinked as many internet users access the internet via their mobile phone. This relationship is especially evident in Nigeria where an estimated 83% of the population owns a mobile phone and 95.7% of weekly internet users report accessing the web using their mobile device. (Aderibigbe, 2014) While cell phones are prevalent across the continent, smartphones - phones that can access the internet and applications - are not as widely used. About a third of South Africans (34%) and a quarter of Nigerians (27%) indicate having a smartphone while smartphone ownership in Tanzania and Uganda is in the single digits. (Street, NW, Washington, & Inquiries, 2015) Consequently, most cell phone users tend to use their mobile devices to send text messages, take pictures or videos, and in some cases for mobile banking. (Street et al., 2015) Accessing a social networking site, getting health and consumer information, looking for a job, and getting political news are less frequent mobile phone activities. (Street et al., 2015)

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

The Rise of Social Media

As access to the internet increases, Africans have also increased their use of social media. Around nine percent of Africans currently use social media. (CNN, n.d.) South Africans, in particular, are ranked among the global leaders in time spent on social networks with an average of 3.2 hours a day compared to a global average of 2.4 hours a day.(CNN, n.d.) Twitter usage is highest at night. (“How Africa Tweets - 2014,” n.d.)

Across the continent, Twitter and Facebook are increasingly popular in addition to other local social media platforms. Facebook usage has increased dramatically over the last few years in Africa from 100 million people using Facebook each month in 2014 to over 120 million people in 2016. Of those users, 15 million are based in Nigeria, 12 million in South Africa, and 4.5 million in Kenya. Notably, in 2014, over 80% of Facebook users access the social media platform via a mobile device. (CNN, n.d.)

According to Portland’s recent studies on Twitter in Africa, there were 1.6 billion geolocated tweets in Africa in 2015, representing a 34-fold increase from their initial report in 2012. The report also found that Egypt tweets the most out of any country in Africa with 28% of all geolocated Twitter volume (amounting to 500 million tweets) followed by Nigeria (360 million tweets), South Africa (325 million tweets), Nigeria (125 million tweets), and Ghana (70 million tweets). (“How Africa Tweets,” n.d.) English, French and Arabic accounted for 75.5% of the total tweets analyzed from Africa, followed by Zulu, Swahili, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Portuguese. (“How Africa Tweets,” n.d.)

The Portland Study also explored what Africans tend to tweet about and who they tend to follow to better understand Twitter usage in Africa. The report found that tweets about entertainment and popular culture are most prevalent with over 20% of all hashtags dedicated to these topics. (“How Africa Tweets - 2014,” n.d.) Following from this, Africans tend to follow musicians, comedians, and athletes on Twitter in greater numbers than heads of states and political activists (“‘Most-followed’ Africans on Twitter,” 2015).

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Graph From “’Most Followed’ Africans on Twitter”, 2015

However, recent trends indicate that political issues and politicians are becoming more popular topics on Twitter in Africa. For example, nearly one in ten of the most popular

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

hashtags in Africa in 2015 related to political issues and politicians in comparison to two percent of hashtags in the US and UK. Egypt, with the third largest population in Africa and the largest Twitter base per capita, demonstrates this trend as the most followed people in Egypt tend to be activists and politicians. Twitter and Facebook played an important role in mobilizing and providing a platform for protesters in Egypt during the Arab Spring. (“‘Most- followed’ Africans on Twitter,” 2015).

Twitter can also serve as a platform for pan-African online communities where common issues can be discussed as well as for advocacy. (“How Africa Tweets - 2015,” n.d.) When crafting an advocacy campaign, it is important to understand who the target audience is, how much that particular group is influenced by social media, and what social media platforms they tend to prefer.

According to Jo Becker of Human Rights Watch (Becker, 2015), the most popular social media advocacy campaign of 2014/2015, the “Bring Back our Girls” movement, was largely deemed a failure. Despite the hashtag going viral and the engagement of popular figures from around the world, such as Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzi, the campaign was considered unsuccessful because it failed to achieve its aim. This case demonstrates the limits of social media advocacy and importance of targeting the right audience when crafting an advocacy message.

Continued Media Repression

Since the 1990s, the African media landscape has witnessed growth in independent media, especially in local news and information production. However, continued media repression, including repressive legislation, attacks on press freedom, the imprisonment of journalists, and even the assassination of journalists (“Journalists Killed in 2015 - Committee to Protect Journalists,” n.d.), in select countries in Africa threatens these positive trends. According to the most recent Freedom of the Press report, press freedom across the world declined to the lowest point in twelve years in 2015. This decline has been attributed to political, terrorist, and criminal forces that have aimed to manipulate and silence the media in their attempts to secure power. In Africa, Ghana, Egypt, Swaziland, Sudan, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Burundi, and

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

the Gambia experienced the biggest declines in press freedom in 2015. In East and Southern Africa, in particular, journalists experienced a sharp rise in political pressure and violence. For example, Ethiopia released ten imprisoned journalists in 2014 but remains the second- worst jailer of journalists in sub-Saharan Africa, after Eritrea, and continues to repress all independent reporting (“Zone 9 Bloggers, Ethiopia - Awards - Committee to Protect Journalists,” n.d.). On the other hand, some countries in West Africa experienced improvements in press freedom, such as Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire. Despite some positive trends, only three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa out of fifty are considered to be free by Freedom House standards. Of the other forty-seven, twenty-seven countries are considered party free and twenty are considered not free. (“| Freedom House,” n.d.-a)

Some publications like the New York Times are predicting that Chinese business interests across Africa will greatly change media content, “China has surpassed the West as Africa’s largest trading partner in 2009.” For the past three years, the Chinese government has run a TV news channel in Kenya, a print news publication in South Africa and CCTV, run by Xinhua News, an agency that has twenty bureaus in Africa. The People’s Republic of China puts forth “truthful” coverage of China’s development activities through CCTV, according to the Communist Party Propaganda Chief, Li Changchun. (Keita)

It is possible that the Chinese government’s influence over the press will have an effect on press freedom, “The prisons in Ethiopia, like those in China, are now filled with journalists and dissidents, and critical Web sites are blocked.” (Keita, 2012) These concerns are bolstered by cases like the Ethiopian government receiving $1.5 billion in loans from China for “training and technology to block objectionable Web sites, television and radio transmissions.” (Jacobs, 2012)

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Key Findings

General Media Consumption Habits of African Union Officials

The central part of the research study was focused on understanding how African Union officials consume and utilize media. Both the in-person interviews and online survey asked respondents to describe the types of news they consumed and how they applied the news to their jobs. The following analysis is based on responses from African Union officials. There were eleven responses to the online survey and fourteen in-person interviews conducted.

To begin, respondents to the in-person interviews were asked to describe their daily routine in media consumption. A wide range of responses were documented, including what news sources respondents utilized, when they consumed news and how they used it. Some of the highlights include:

● Eleven of fourteen in-person respondents reported using social and/or online news sources. ● Four of the in-person respondents reported watching television. ● Respondents reported consuming news at home and work, both before, during, and after work.

Respondents to the online survey were also asked to list their first source for news. Eight out of eleven online respondents reported using social media or an online news website as their first source for news.

The online survey also asked respondents to rank the importance of different news sources in order in order to better understand preferred platforms and the relative importance of different mediums.

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Mediums Ranked as a Source for News 12

4 Number Number Responses of 2

0 News Print Facebook Radio Twitter TV News Other Websites News I never use this medium 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 Not Important 0 2 2 0 0 2 1 Important 4 3 6 6 3 5 3 Very Important 7 4 2 4 8 3 1

Some of the most interesting responses from this question were: ● Every respondent felt that news websites and TV news were very important or important ● Twitter seemed to be more popular than Facebook as all respondents said Twitter was very important or important while eight out of eleven respondents said Facebook was very important or important.

Languages

English and French were the most popular languages in which people read, watched, and listened to the news.

● Eleven online respondents reported reading in English ● Seven of nine respondents reported watching/listening in English ● Eight of eleven respondents reported reading in French ● Six of nine respondents reported watching/listening in French

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

There appeared to be a slight preference for reading in English over listening to and watching new in English. Respondents also mentioned reading, watching, and listening to news in Arabic, Portuguese, Italian, Amharic, and Tigrinya. However, these language preferences were only mentioned once

Sources for National and International News

In the online survey, respondents were asked what sources they used for news about their home countries as well as what sources they used for international news.

● To gain news about their home countries, four respondents used a nationally produced news sources, while three used an internationally produced source. ● Ten out of eleven respondents reported receiving news about international events from internationally produced sources.

These responses indicate the importance of international platforms as a source for news.

Preferred Sources for In-Depth News

For more in-depth news, respondents used a wide variety of sources to get more background information on a topic including the AU news service, liaison offices and field missions, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Five out of the nine respondents to the online survey said they used the ISS for more background information, but these answers may be partly biased because the introductory e-mail mentioned the relationship with ISS.

Recent Changes in Media Consumption

Twelve of fourteen in-person respondents said that the biggest change in their media consumption patterns over the past few years was the increased use of online sources, particularly social media.

“New technology [is the biggest change]. Not only for media, but for every area. People changes their way of working. Now, I read more online. In my country for example, three

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

years ago, I was buying newspapers every morning, but now, never. But I’m also paying to subscribe on the internet.”

Given the limited access to print media is Addis Ababa, some felt the switch to using more online news sources was the easiest way to access news. Six out of fourteen respondents felt that social media had significantly increased in importance as a source of news.

“Social media has become the platform/outlet of first resort, both for reacting to events in the continent and beyond, and in publicizing the Department’s activities.”

Action As a Result of Consuming News

There was a wide range in how people utilized the news that they consumed either through reading watching, or listening. While some reported that they did nothing with the news they consumed, many said that they utilized it for professional purposes in the case when the news directly related to their work. In these cases, the responses broadly fell into two categories: 1) Those who worked in communications indicated that they would have to send out an official response from the AU regarding an event or news story and 2) Those who read a story about the field in they work, such as agriculture, and then discussed it with their colleagues to decide if there was any way their office could address the issue. While this requires further investigation, these responses suggests that people need to have a personal or professional connection to a news story prior to reading, listening to, or watching it, in order to be motivated to act on the news.

“ There’s nothing from the news that really influenced my job recently. But personally, I saw a call for protests on social media – twitter – and I decided to be part of the demonstration.”

“If there is a terrorist attack anywhere in Africa and beyond, for example, to which the commissioner needs to react, it is my responsibility to initiate that reaction in the form of one, two or three tweets. All tweets posted on the Department’s twitter handle are automatically re-posted on the Department’s Facebook page. Later, other colleagues would draft a press release on the event, but the tweets have to go out ASAP.”

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

“Sometimes we have data that helps us to know more about corruption, illicit financial flows, natural resources, so we organized some meetings and tried to engage ourselves with the related AU departments to do a common work to tackle those issues.”

“I saw an article “about the level of youth involvement in agriculture. That made me share the information with my colleagues so that we would be more involved in the institution. And then we thought about it: What do we do? How can we improve our actions?”

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Social Media

“In the AU, you have to go to Twitter. If you want a job here, you have to go on their accounts.”

As previously discussed, the rise in social media is one of the biggest trends in African media. Seven out of fourteen respondents reported that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube as some of their top online sources for news. In some cases, participants hinted that social media provides a mechanism to circumvent censored news or as one respondent reported “news from the government.” One respondent mentioned following Zone 9 on Facebook. Several writers from Zone 9 were jailed in recent years by the Ethiopian regime for spurious charges. (“Zone 9 Bloggers, Ethiopia - Awards - Committee to Protect Journalists,” n.d.)

On three occasions in the in-person interviews, AU employees mentioned that they were motivated to respond and get further updates on current events after learning about them from their various social media newsfeeds. For example, the respondents noted that this occurred after learning about the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels, which occurred around the same time of the interviews, and on various humanitarian issues.

Twitter

Based on survey responses, Twitter is a slightly more popular source than Facebook for news. Following from this, employees across departments mentioned using Twitter to inform the world about the African Union’s activities.

The most followed news agencies on Twitter are BBC and Jeune Afrique. Two respondents reported following China Central Television (CCTV) on Twitter.

When asked about specific people or hashtags on Twitter that respondents followed for news, five out of fourteen respondents did not indicate any specific people or hashtags on Twitter. One of these respondents said, “Most Ethiopian people don't really have Twitter. The accounts are from the diaspora.”

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Top People/Organizations Followed by Respondents on Twitter 3

Number Number Respondents of 0 Peace and BBC Africa24 CNN Jeune Afrique Security Department of the AUC

The above graph combines the answers from in-person interviews and the online survey. For the complete list of all people and organizations mentioned, please see Appendix 4: All Media Sources.

Respondents expanded on their Twitter usage:

“I'm using Twitter only for my work. I check what the UN and the AU posted on their accounts.”

“It's quite interesting how you can link social media with things that are happening that you can discuss and come up with concrete outcomes which can be taken to the heads of states. Very interesting as opposed to someone who is only giving you news. I look at those people as alternative news providers, Twitter activists. There is news from the government and there is news from people who are actually questioning what's happening. I'm very picky in terms of choosing the news I read.”

“Our policy department officers were not on social media and we convinced them to go so that we can communicate more. We're trying to reach the youth base.”

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Facebook

Respondents were also asked to list the Facebook pages they followed in the online survey. The graph below presents the top four Facebook pages followed.

Top Facebook Pages Followed by Respondents 7 6 5 4 3 2

Number Number Respondents of 1 0 CCTV BBC CNN Jeune Afrique

Respondents expanded on their Facebook usage:

“We're using Facebook both at the personal and corporate level. Same as Twitter. I managed the Facebook AU account on our intervention on Ebola : I had the responsibility to post the information, to review it... We were thinking that now we must start having this discussion forums on Facebook. AU has a very healthy presence on both Facebook and Twitter. I'm comparing it with ECA and the African Development Bank...We are dealing with the whole continent and covering all issues of development on the continent. We have to ensure that all our departments have their own handles.”

“I'm using Facebook to get most of the information that I read. Mostly from Diretube, or from Zone 9 bloggers that I follow on Facebook.”

“I'm more into Facebook. But I'm not really active on it. I'm part of some groups related to music, art, fashion... and some communities of Nigerian journalists for instance.”

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Other Social Media Sites

The question “Are there any other social media sites you use for news” in the online survey was generally misunderstood. However, the answers confirmed the importance of Twitter and Facebook. Four respondents said “not applicable” to this question. The following graphic shows the other sites mentioned, although it is unclear if AU members are using sites like Instagram for news or for purely social purposes.

Social Media Sites Mentioned by Respondents

one mention two mentions three mentions

DireTube YouTube Google Play LinkedIn Newsstand Instagram Google Alerts

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Traditional Media

Traditional media includes conventional platforms, such as television, radio, and print news. However, as digital media become increasingly popular, the distinction between traditional media and social media begins to blur as people access information from traditional sources, such as newspapers and magazines, through the internet. As such, this section on traditional media focuses on top online new sources, print new sources, television news shows, and radio programs based on responses from the online survey.

Online

Based on responses to the online survey, Agence France-Presse (AFP), African Union Websites, BBC, Facebook, and Reuters are the top online news sources used by AU officials. It is notable that Facebook, which is considered a social media platform, was included as a top online news source, indicating the trend towards using social media as a major source for news. While mentioned less frequently, several local news sources were listed as a top online news source, such as the Daily Maverick from South Africa and Xinhua News Agency from China.

Top Online News Sources Followed by Respondents 5

1 Number Number Respondents of 0 Agence African Union BBC Facebook Reuters France-Presse Website

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

There were fewer responses to the online survey question on top print new sources than there were to the question on top online news sources. Specifically, five individuals opted to respond to the open-ended question related to top print news sources with a total of ten responses compared with eleven individuals who opted to respond to the open-ended question on top online news sources with a total of thirty-seven responses. The difference in response rate may be indicative of the general trend away from traditional news platforms and towards online news sources and social media. As one respondent reported “I don't remember the last time I had a hard paper in my hands.” This variation may also indicate different barriers to access for print sources. Of the top print new sources, the most popular sources reported were Jeune Afrique and Le Monde/Le Monde Diplomatique.

Top Print News Sources Followed by Respondents 4

1 Number Number Respondents of 0 Africa All Africa BBC Jeune Le Monde Lettre du The Report Afrique Continent Economist

TV News Shows

Nine individuals responded to the open-ended question from the online survey on top news shows with a total of twenty-four answers. Most individuals answered with channels rather than specific news programs, such as CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, France 24, and Africa 24. One individual responded with a specific CNN show “Quest Means Business,” which was counted as a vote for CNN.

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Top TV News Channels Followed by Respondents 7 6 5 4 3 2

Number Number Respondents of 1 0 Afrique 24 Al Jazeera BBC CNN France 24

Radio

In regard to radio, eight individuals responded to the open-ended question from the online survey on top radio programs with a total of eleven answers. According to the survey, the top radio programs are BBC and Radio France Internationale (RFI). One individual responded with a specific RFI show “Appels sur l’actualite,” which was counted as a vote for RFI.

Top Radio News Programs Followed by Respondents 5

1 Number Number Respondents of 0 BBC Radio France Radio Niger Voice of America Internationale

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Press Clippings

More than 86% of AU respondents to the online survey and in-person interview receive daily press clippings. The clippings are sent electronically, and they are compiled from various sources. Although most respondents found the daily clippings useful, many said they used social media platforms as a supplementary news source. Their reasons for using social media as a news medium include, social media is more up to date than the news clippings and social media reports on more than just political affairs within Africa.

Use of Press Clippings

Use press clippings Don't use press clippings

Nineteen of the twenty-two respondents to the online survey and in-person interviews reported receiving press clippings or news clippings.

Preparation of News Briefs and Clippings

As shown in the graphic below, respondents utilized a variety of press clipping services. The results are from AU online survey question thirteen and come from a total of nine respondents

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Press Clipping Services Mentioned by Respondents

• News services • Liason offices/field missions • Africa Media Monitoring mentioned • AU once • AU spokesperson

• Internet/online source mentioned • AU situation room twice

All of the respondents who participated in the in-person interviews reported receiving daily press clippings from the spokesperson of the Chairperson of the AU Commission. Additionally, one respondent said the AU Continental Early Warning System (CEWS), which is within the Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Division of the Peace and Security Department, produces two daily news clippings, one in English and one in French, which are distributed electronically via the Situation Room to the AU leadership and some staff, embassies, and other stakeholders.

News Sources in the Press Clippings and Briefings

The following graph presents the top five responses when respondents were specifically asked what the most common news sources for clippings were:

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Common News Sources for Press

Clippings

Number of Respondents 0 It varies Al Jazeera The UK BBC Jeune Afrique Guardian

Respondents also reported on press clippings:

“(News clippings are useful) but it's more focused on the political aspects of the continent. That's unfortunate because there are many things happening in terms of economy, social affairs, culture. We don't get anything from the spokesperson concerning those areas. I would like to get more information concerning the culture, my area. I recommend to the spokesperson's team to collect information from other areas and to have a broader approach of what's happening in Africa.”

“Daily news clippings are not enough : if I want to be better informed, I go to social media.”

“I think it will be good for me to keep this (reading the daily clippings) routine as it has really helped me to be up to date with current state of affairs on the continent and worldwide. Social media enable us to get instantaneous information. AU is not even visible.”

“I read it (press clippings) everyday but I prefer to go on social media.”

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

NGOs and Embassy Officials Responses

The second online survey that targeted officials from NGOs and embassies experienced a very low response rate with only three respondents. Their responses are reported on and analyzed in this section.

Websites, including Facebook, were mentioned as the “most important” form of news. All three respondents consume news in English, and one of the three reported watching and listening to news in Arabic. None of the respondents mentioned a specific radio show that they listed to for news.

When asked about how they received news about their home country, one respondent reported using a national source and another reporting using an international source. Two of the three respondents reported reading news briefings prepared by various international agencies, such as the UN Support Press Officer and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Media Sources Mentioned by Embassy and NGO Officials

• Social media (2) First Source for • TV News • Newspapers (specifically New York Times) • NRC and OCHA via e-mail

• Social Media: Facebook Groups, Twitter Online News • New Organizations: The New York Times, The Sources Washington Post, The New Republic, Bloomberg View, New York Magazine

• Harpers Print Sources • New Yorker

TV News • Al Jazeera Sources • BBC

• @BBCAfrica Twitter Handles • @jonathanchait Followed • @martinplaut • iEthiopia

Think Tanks • ODI, Save the Children Utilized • ISS, IPSA, AU, UN, ACCORD

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Recommendations:

Recommendation 1: Understand the importance of social media

Desk research, in-person interviews, and the online survey revealed the importance of online media, specifically social media. It is important to diversify the social media platforms used for outreach. Many respondents use Twitter and Facebook as a first source. The prevalence of social media is increasing, especially among communications officers.

Respondents frequently mentioned using social media to screen for and share news. While Facebook and Twitter were the most popular social media sites, other social media platforms were utilized as well, such as Youtube. Because of these factors, any AU related media strategy should incorporate social media as a key component.

Recommendation 2: Focus on television and online news

If targeting policymakers at the African Union, it is important to understand and utilize their most preferred sources for news. Although radio and print sources remain important news platforms in Africa, survey respondents overwhelmingly reported that television and online news sources were their primary sources for news. Therefore, advocacy campaigns should focus their media outreach strategies on pitching to and placing stories in online news platforms and television news channels.

Recommendation 3: Recognize the importance of press clippings

More than 86% of respondents said that they read prepared briefings. The AU Situation Room drafts and sends press clippings electronically every morning. When asked which publications are cited in AU clippings, respondents cited a variety of news sources including Al Jezeera, BBC and The Guardian. However, most AU respondents stated that they rely heavily on social media to supplement the news press clippings,

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

These findings highlight the importance of future media strategy campaigns utilizing press clippings and social media platforms, as most of the respondents received and read daily press clippings.

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Appendices

Appendix 1: Introductory Email to Online Survey Participants

To the Honorable Ambassador ____ of the African Union,

I hope this email finds you well. My name is XXXXX, and I'm a researcher at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. The Institute for Security Studies recommended you for a survey we are doing on “Media Consumption of African Union and NGO Officials.”

This study targets the media consumption of senior staff at the African Union. We will share our results with you upon analysis. Our goal is that you, your staff, and other policy experts will gain additional tools in crafting media strategies.

We ask that you support our project by taking the short survey found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NDFH9GN. Your results will be completely anonymous. We will share the results of the survey with you upon analysis. Please contact me by email or phone (+1 503 *** ****) if you have any questions.

Thank you ambassador for your participation.

Sincerely, XXXXX

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Appendix 2: Online Survey Questions

1. What is the first source you go to for news?

2. Please rank the following mediums as a source of news for you

Not I never use this Very Important Important Important medium

Print news Very Important Important Not Important I never use this medium

Other Very Important Important Not Important I never use this medium

TV news Very Important Important Not Important I never use this medium

Facebook Very Important Important Not Important I never use this medium

Twitter Very Important Important Not Important I never use this medium

News Very Important Important Not Important I never use this websites medium

Radio Very Important Important Important I never use this medium

3. What are your top online news sources?

4. What are your top print sources for news?

5. What are your top Facebook pages for news?

6. What are your top TV news shows?

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

7. What are your top radio news program?

8. What are your top Twitter accounts for news?

9. In what language(s) do you... a. Read the news? b. Watch or listen to the news?

10. How do you get news about your home country? Please mark all that apply. a. A nationally produced source b. An internationally produced source c. Other (please specify)

11. How do you get international news? Please mark all that apply. a. A nationally produced source b. An internationally produced source c. Other (please specify)

12. Do you rely on news briefs (clippings)? Yes/No

13. Who prepares these briefs / clippings? What are the news sources regularly used in these briefs?

14. For more in-depth news or background information, which think tanks and other organizations do you go to for news?

15. Please feel free to add any additional comments here.

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Appendix 3: In-Person Interview Questions

In-Person Interviews of African Union

To be explained to the participants before the interview: This study aims to provide a better understanding of the current media landscape in Africa. In particular, this study targets the media consumption of senior staff at the African Union, key embassies in Addis Ababa, and other large NGOs. This survey focuses on media usage, including print, television, radio, online, and social media sources.

Our goal is to understand what forms of media that have the widest influence among key policymakers in Africa. We will share our results with you upon analysis. Our goal is that you, your staff, and other policy experts will gain additional tools in crafting media strategies. Your results will be completely anonymous.

Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask questions at any time.

Thank you for your participation.

1. Please describe your daily routine in media consumption?

2. Can you think of a time that something you read/saw/listened to in the media influenced you to act at your work at the African Union? Where was the story published?

3. How do you/team respond to particular news stories? Example? Last story that provoked action? Where was the story published?

4. Follow up to survey monkey: Are there specific people on Twitter you follow for news? Any specific hashtags you follow for news?

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

5. Are there any other social media sites you use for news?

6. What has been the biggest change in your media consumption pattern in the last three

7. Do you receive news clippings/summaries from your office and/or home ministry? a. Are these electronic or physical reports? b. What are the common news sources cited? c. Who compiles these reports? d. Are they useful? Why or why not? e. On occasion

8. Do you have anything else you’d like to add about your media routine?

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

Appendix 4: Media Sources Mentioned by Respondents

Please note that hyperlinks were not available for all sources mentioned by respondents, but when possible, they were added to this list.

Twitter Sources  Africa24 (@AFRICA24TV)  #Agenda2063  Aisha Dabo (@mashanubian)  AU (@_AfricanUnion)  BBC (@BBCWorld)  #Babawhileyouwereaway  #beingfemaleinNigeria  Carlos Lopes (@ECA_Lopes)  Charles Oyango-Obbo (@cobbo3)  Club K Angola  CNN (@CNN)  Desiree Assogbavi (@Assodesire)  FANRPAN (@FANRPAN)  FAO (@FAOnews)  Ibasanusi  Jeune Afrique (@jeune_afrique)  José Graziano da Silva (@grazianodasilva)  La Sorbonne  Dr. Dlamini Zuma (@DlaminiZuma)  The New York Times (@nytimes)  Barack Obama (@BarackObama)  JJ Omojuwa (@Omojuwa)  Paul Pogba (@paulpogba)  Peace and Security Department of the AU (@AU_PSD)  Radio France International (@RFI)  Robert Alai (@RobertAlai)  Samuel Eto'o (@setoo9)  Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian)  Thierry Hot (@Hotthierry1)  Tumusiime Rhoda Peace  United Nations (@UN)  UN Development Programme (@UNDP)  Women’s Day (@womensday)

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

 #Zumamustfall

Facebook Sources  Africa24  Africa Media  Africanews  Peace and Security Department of African Union Commission  BBC  CNN  Harvard Business Review  Jeune Afrique  Lettre du continent  New York Times  Oxfam  Radio France Internationale (RFI)  Sputnik  VoxAfrica  World Economic Forum

Online News Sources  Agence France-Presse  All Africa  Al-Jazeera  Africa News  African Union Website  The Atlantic  BBC  BBC Monitoring  CamNews  Club-K  CNN  Daily Maverick  Der Spiegel  DireTube  Disqus Digest  Facebook  France 24  Google Alerts  ISS Africa

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

 Jeune Afrique  Jornal De Angola  Kenyan Print Media  Le Figaro  Le Monde  Mail and Guardian  National News Link  New African  New York Times  Nigergeractu.com  Panapress  Punch  Reuters  Tamtaminfo.com  Time  Twitter  UN News Centre  Ventures Africa  Voice of America  Washington Post  Washington Times  Xinhua News Agency  Yahoo

Print News Sources  All Africa  BBC  Jeune Afrique  Le Monde  Le Monde Diplomatique  Lettre du Continent  The Africa Report  The Economist

TV News Sources  Africa 24/Afrique 24  Al Jazeera  BBC  CCTV

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

 CNN  ENCA  France 24  iTele  KTN  124news  SABC  Sky News  Star TV

Radio News Sources  Afro FM  BBC  Radio France Internationale (RFI)  Radio Niger  Voice of America

Media Consumption Trends of the African Union – May 2016

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