‘Spits and Spurts’ ICT Advocacy and the Media in Africa

This report, commissioned by Catalysing Access to ICTs in Africa (CATIA), a three year programme funded by the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID)in collaboration with other donors, looks at the role of the media as active catalysts for change in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) in Africa.

Working across the continent on key ICT issues such as low-cost wireless technology, affordable computing, ICT policy, local content and capacity development, the CATIA experience shows that multi-stakeholder partnerships - which include the media - can be instrumental in developing an influential presence in a burgeoning ICT context.

The report cites the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) as an example of the success of the multi-stakeholder approach in Kenya. This is a network made up of civil society, private sector and media stakeholders. According to the report, in a short space of time, KICTANet has become a recognised independent commentator on ICT policy, and has been instrumental in pushing a stagnant ICT policy process forward.

The report, which collects the experiences of a range of CATIA partners working with the media, says that ICTs can be complex, and one of the biggest needs African journalists face is access to easily-understandable information.

While electronic e-advocacy works (such as developing online information resources and conducting e-debates), media-focused workshops and forming networks of ICT journalists have been instrumental in broadening journalists’ understanding of ICT issues.

The report’s findings include:

• A key challenge is introducing a social focus to reporting ICTs on the continent. Often the link between an unfolding ICT policy process and socio-economic development needs to be spelled out.
• A lack of media freedom can impact negatively on critical ICT coverage.
• ICTs are often considered elite concerns, and many editors do not feel the need to cover them. There is also often a lack of public interest in ICTs.
• The internet can be used successfully to share information and create awareness (for example, through e-newsletters or e-debates). However, in some countries such as Ethiopia, there is a low level of ICT take-up in the newsroom. At the same time, there are suggestions that access to the internet is deepening coverage of ICTs generally.
• Advocacy programmes can stimulate coverage of ICTs by inviting prominent government officials to events. Journalists also benefit from workshops where they can interact with role-players who are difficult to make contact with otherwise, such as regulators.
• Media toolkits, which explain potentially complex ICT issues in an accessible way, are useful for journalists and even regulators. However, sometimes journalists may need additional, more specific information.
• Processes which encourage open communication with the media allow for journalists’ needs and constraints to be properly recognised.
• Costly engagements with the media, such as offering prizes or paying journalists to write stories - as is necessary in some instances - are difficult to sustain over the long-term.
• It is crucial for an advocacy programme to develop a proper understanding of a media environment at the start, so that its impact can be properly assessed, and lessons learned assimilated. This may include commissioning baseline media studies on implementation, and follow-up studies at a later date.

Because the CATIA programme was completed, it no longer has information or documents posted to its website. Information on the project is available at the Open Research website. Click here to access further information about the CATIA programme.