"In this article, we employed communication infrastructure theory (CIT) to analyze Gram Vaani’s (“Voice of the Village”) Covid-19 Response Network in India. We reviewed key CIT components (i.e., storytelling network and communication action context) and their applications in civic engagement,
...
health disparities, and crisis mitigation. Our results showed that Gram Vaani’s Covid-19 Response Network merged all three types of CIT application into an integrated whole and extended it to marginalized rural and migrant/resident worker communities in India. In 15 months, 870,000 individuals used the organization’s Mobile Vaani platforms, made 2.5 million calls, recorded 24,880 voice reports, and shared 2,327 impact stories. Taken together, they amplified the voices of the most vulnerable, provided direct assistance, and held government agencies accountable in three major areas: health promotion and healthcare access, livelihood support and working conditions, and safety nets and essential services. We identified (1) storytelling network actors at all levels (micro, meso, interstitial, and macro), (2) enabling and constraining communication action contexts of pandemic community mobilization, and (3) specific impact pathways for different storytelling network actors to overcome barriers and leverage Mobile Vaani as an enabling and empowering communication action context." (Abstract)
more
"There is a growing body of evidence from rigorous evaluations demonstrating the effectiveness of education entertainment – ‘edutainment’– interventions in achieving development outcomes. Building on this research, this study presents the results of a pioneering quasi-experimental evaluation
...
of Navrangi Re, a 26-episode television drama aired in India in 2019. The show was the first ever edutainment broadcast on commercial television in India. It aimed to influence sanitation behaviours through changing knowledge and attitudes, increasing risk perception, stimulating conversations, building collective efficacy, and creating social disapproval against poor faecal sludge management practices. The evaluation compared changes in outcomes of those exposed to the TV show with those unexposed, applying differences-in-differences estimation to a panel of 2,959 respondents. Baseline balance tests show high comparability between exposed and unexposed respondents. It found exposure to the drama led to significant changes in most outcomes with 37% of those who watched at least one episode showing behavioural intent to act, rising to 78% of those who had watched at least seven episodes. The show reached 59.6 million unique viewers, confirming drama as an effective, low cost and scalable tool to engage people around faecal sludge management – a critical and hard to address issue." (Abstract)
more
"Kilkari is one of the largest maternal mobile messaging programmes in the world. It makes weekly prerecorded calls to new and expectant mothers and their families from the fourth month of pregnancy until 1-year post partum. The programme delivers reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health in
...
formation directly to subscribers’ phones. However, little is known about the reach of Kilkari among different subgroups in the population, or the differentiated benefits of the programme among these subgroups. In this analysis, we assess differentials in eligibility, enrolment, reach, exposure and impact across well-known proxies of socioeconomic position—that is, education, caste and wealth. Data are drawn from a randomised controlled trial (RCT) in Madhya Pradesh, India, including call data records from Kilkari subscribers in the RCT intervention arm, and the National Family Health Survey-4, 2015. The analysis identifies that disparities in household phone ownership and women’s access to phones create inequities in the population eligible to receive Kilkari, and that among enrolled Kilkari subscribers, marginalised caste groups and those without education are under-represented. An analysis of who is left behind by such interventions and how to reach those groups through alternative communication channels and platforms should be undertaken at the intervention design phase to set reasonable expectations of impact. Results suggest that exposure to Kilkari has improved levels of some health behaviours across marginalised groups but has not completely closed pre-existing gaps in indicators such as wealth and education." (Abstract)
more
"In this paper, ARIJ proposes the following recommendations which target the greater media community. This includes media institutions concerned with the press, unions, press unions and donors who support this venture. We maintain that disinformation is a product of a social and political environmen
...
t, as well as a professional one. Our recommendations are as follows: First: Build a regional network for news and information fact-checkers, in both the written and visual press ...; Second: Designate the year 2021 to combat disinformation in the Arab region ...; Third: Support scientific specializations for scientific journalism cadres ...; Fourth: Expand and develop methods of teaching media education ...; Fifth: Launch an audiovisual media campaign to support news verification ...; Sixth: Produce simplified training materials in Arabic on how journalists can use artificial intelligence in media work ...; Seventh: Encourage independent news auditing initiatives [...] Eighth: Encourage the Arabization of more existing digital news verification tools ..." (Recommendations, page 38-43)
more
"During disease outbreaks or pandemics, policy makers must convey information to the public for informative purposes (eg, morbidity or mortality rates). They must also motivate members of the public to cooperate with the guidelines, specifically by changing their usual behavior. Policy makers have t
...
raditionally adopted a didactic and formalistic stance by conveying dry, statistics-based health information to the public. They have not yetconsidered the alternative of providing health information in the form of narrative evidence, using stories that address both cognitive and emotional aspects. The aim of this viewpoint paper is to introduce policy makers to the advantages of using narrative evidence to provide health information during a disease outbreak or pandemic such as COVID-19. Throughout human history, authorities have tended to employ apocalyptic narratives during disease outbreaks or pandemics. This viewpoint paper proposes an alternative coping narrative that includes the following components: segmentation; barrier reduction; role models; empathy and support; strengthening self-efficacy, community efficacy, and coping tools; preventing stigmatization of at-risk populations; and communicating uncertainty. It also discusses five conditions for using narrative evidence to produce an effective communication campaign on social media: (1) identifying narratives that reveal the needs, personal experiences, and questions of different subgroups to tailor messaging to produce targeted behavioral change; (2) providing separate and distinct treatment of each information unit or theory that arises on social networks; (3) identifying positive deviants who found creative solutions for stress during the COVID-19 crisis not found by other members of the community; (4) creating different stories of coping; and (5) maintaining a dialogue with population subgroups (eg, skeptical and hesitant groups). The paper concludes by proposing criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of a narrative." (Abstract)
more
"While the role of social media in the spread of conspiracy theories has received much attention, a key deficit in previous research is the lack of distinction between different types of platforms. This study places the role of social media affordances in facilitating the spread of conspiracy belief
...
s at the center of its enquiry. We examine the relationship between platform use and conspiracy theory beliefs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Relying on the concept of technological affordances, we theorize that variation across key features make some platforms more fertile places for conspiracy beliefs than others. Using data from a crossnational dataset based on a two-wave online survey conducted in 17 countries before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we show that Twitter has a negative effect on conspiracy beliefs-as opposed to all other platforms under examination which are found to have a positive effect." (Abstract)
more
"This resource helps church leaders and Christian organisations consider how they can apply their faith in a practical way and use their influence in society to: œ reduce misinformation and confusion œ build a good understanding of, and trust in, the Covid-19 vaccines œ help shape and su
...
pport vaccination programmes that are good for society, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalised. The aim of this resource is to provide general guidance based on trustworthy sources of information and previous experience. It should be adapted as needed for use in different cultural and faith contexts. Within the core resource there are links that lead to more in-depth information, guidance and tools, allowing readers to go deeper into particular issues if they want to." (Why this resource, page 2)
more
"This article examines the relationship between fake news and social media as increasingly important sources of news, at a time when mainstream media no longer have exclusive control over news production and dissemination. It has been evident that few media outlets and professionals tend to draw con
...
flicting news about COVID-19 from social media feeds, which are largely produced by common citizens with mostly no journalism training. This pervasive use makes social media key sources to scores of media outlets for news, whether it is related to COVID-19 or public affairs issues, even though it is susceptible to torrents of credibility and accuracy issues. As a result, of the overwhelming spread of fake news on coronavirus, which is contributing to framing events from several angles, media professionals are now obliged to track and vet information circulating on social media. Due to the scale of disinformation spreading on the Web, it has become imperative that the credibility and accuracy of news is thoroughly verified. Media organizations have already been putting in place various mechanisms to monitor false news. This article will attempt to identify and assess these monitoring efforts in the Arab world. For this purpose, I have put together a list of Arab observatories launched on the internet in order to monitor fake news circulating in relation to COVID-19, and to discuss their methods of monitoring work, in the context of mobilization carried out by governments and many organizations such as the World Health Organization. This article is pinned down on social responsibility approach which helps pave the way the differentpropositions to combat fake news and avoid abuses in social media uses. This article proposes an evaluation of the monitoring initiative viaa- vis fake news and proposes a set of guidelines for improving the work of such monitoring bodies. Hence, this research reveals that social media outlets have diversified their goals to match the power of the conventional media in disseminating information and bringing up issues for debate. However, in the light of the framework of social responsibility, social media actors have to constantly develop a set of ethical practices to be observed by users, establish codes of conduct regulating content production, and lay down a code of integrity to assure accuracy in news and information transmission." (Abstract).
more
"There has been exponential growth in the numbers of ‘digital development’ programmes seeking to leverage technology to solve systemic challenges. However, despite promising results and a shift from pilots to scale-ups, many have failed to realise their full potential. This paper reflects on les
...
sons learnt from scaling and transitioning one of the largest mobile health programmes in the world to the Indian government. The complementary suite of services was designed by BBC Media Action to strengthen families’ reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health behaviours. Mobile Academy was a training course to refresh frontline health workers’ (FLHWs) knowledge and improve their interpersonal communication skills. Mobile Kunji was a job aid to support FLHWs’ interactions with families. Kilkari delivered weekly audio information to families’ phones to reinforce FLHWs’ counselling. As of April 2019, when Mobile Academy and Kilkari were transitioned to the government, 206 000 FLHWs had graduated and Kilkari had reached 10 million subscribers. Lessons learnt include the following: (1) private sector business models are challenging in low-resource settings; (2) you may pilot ‘apples’ but scale ‘oranges’; (3) trade-offs are required between ideal solution design and affordability; (4) programme components should be reassessed before scaling; (5) operational viability at scale is a prerequisite for sustainability; (6) consider the true cost of open-source software; (7) taking informed consent in low-resource settings is challenging; (8) big data offer promise, but social norms and SIM change constrain use; (9) successful government engagements require significant capacity; (10) define governance structures and roadmaps up front." (Abstract)
more
"In the Eastern DRC where the 10th Ebola epidemic was coming to an end, the advent of COVID-19 raised additional concern of dealing with two major health emergencies at the same time with implications for effective audience engagement, and compliance to public health measures. These concerns came ag
...
ainst the backdrop of audience fatigue with Ebola programming and a seeming lack of trust in the Ebola response – seen by some members of the public as a money-making venture. Similar concern and mistrust are also expressed with the COVID-19 response. Given this, Internews secured funding from BHA/USAID to respond to the growing rumors and misinformation about COVID-19 and provide life-saving information to audiences. By working with local radio partners, Internews produced 23 radio programs and several Public Service Announcements that were aired over 14,000 times on 39 partner stations. This is in addition to expanding its rumor tracking to address community concerns on COVID-19 and building partner capacity on fact-checking and radio programming. In a Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) survey conducted in December last year, 72% respondents cited Internews radio program, Tushinde Corona for improving their knowledge about COVID-19 and 74% credited it for changing certain behaviors and practices that include regular handwashing and use of facemask. While these are notable developments, challenges remain, particularly with the acceptance of and willingness to take COVID-19 vaccine, thus generating heated public debate. The government recently suspended vaccines delivered through the COVAX Facility citing safety concerns thus adding to existing rumors about the efficacy and reliability of COVID-19 vaccines. In the December KAP survey conducted by Internews, only 49% of respondents said they would take a COVID-19 vaccine or recommend it to someone - a figure that is similar to the 46% who said the same in a GeoPoll 2020 report on COVID-19 that focused on six countries including the DRC." (Executive summary)
more
"On June 25, 2020, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Eastern DRC – the 10th in the country’s history and the second largest after the West Africa Ebola outbreak. The outbreak recorded over 3,000 Ebola cases and left over 2,000 deaths1. W
...
hile the end of the outbreak marked an important milestone, it underscores the important role of partners including those of government and ordinary people in contributing to the end of the epidemic. In the mix of this, Internews was an integral member of the response effort. Over the course of project implementation, Internews produced over 1,300 radio programs which were aired more than 200,000 times on Internews 46 partner radio stations in North Kivu and Ituri – providing a platform for engaging audiences and affected population with accurate, life-saving, and relevant information.
A KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) survey conducted in December 2020 highlighted the important role and impact of Internews programming on audiences. The survey shows 68.8% of respondents reported to have heard about or listened to Internews radio program, KomaEbola (Stop Ebola). Of those who listened to the program, 93.9% reportedly found it useful and 90.5% credited the radio program for improving their knowledge about Ebola. Also, 91% of respondents attributed change in “certain practices or behaviors about Ebola” to the radio program. The survey also shows that listeners to KomaEbola radio program are 9.6% more likely to take preventive measures to protect their families and 2.8% more likely to name Ebola symptoms correctly as compared to those who did not listen to the program – indicative of the impact of the radio program in improving knowledge, influencing behavior change and promoting positive health-seeking behavior and practices in the fight against Ebola." (Executive Summary)
more
"Exogenous shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic unleashes multiple fundamental questions about society beyond public health. Based on the classical concept of ‘need for orientation’ and the literature on the role of the media in times of crisis, we investigate to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic a
...
ffected news consumption in comparative perspective. Based on a two-wave panel survey in 17 mostly European countries, our study targets the role of both legacy news brands (TV, radio, newspapers) and so-called contemporary news media (Internet-based and social media) during this global health crisis. Our results show an overall rise of news use across countries, but only for some types of news media. We find an increase of TV news consumption, and a higher reliance on social media and the Internet for news and information. This indicates that in times of crises and an unusually strong need for orientation, people mainly turn to news sources that are easily available and offer a more immediate coverage. Furthermore, we find the rise in news use to be mainly present among those who already have a higher level of trust in legacy media and among people that were more concerned about the impact of the pandemic." (Abstract)
more
"Este artigo discute a interseção entre desinformação e religião a partir de canais do YouTube tendo como cenário a pandemia de COVID-19. Para tanto, são analisados 75 materiais audiovisuais postados em dois canais do YouTube – do Pastor Silas Malafaia e do Instituto Plinio Corrêa de Olive
...
ira. No contexto da pandemia, tal tema permeou o debate de distintas áreas, dentre elas a religiosa. No entanto, muitas vezes esses conteúdos corroboravam com o que a OMS denominou como “infodemia” e com o processo de desinformação, já que diversos elementos contestatórios aos protocolos de saúde e sem qualquer evidência científica eram divulgados e circulavam, em especial, a partir de vídeos em mídias sociais, incluindo o YouTube. Em função da centralidade que a religião ocupa no cenário brasileiro, tais discursos possuem alcance e relevância na conformação do ambiente informacional dos indivíduos. Portanto, nesta pesquisa, buscou-se identificar as principais narrativas e elementos argumentativos encontrados nos vídeos dos dois canais que faziam qualquer tipo de referência à pandemia. Dentre os principais resultados destacam-se as narrativas que evidenciam teorias conspiratórias, o descredito à imprensa e a associação ao pânico e ao excesso de atenção em relação ao tema. Ademais, tais discursos são múltiplos e aparecem de forma distinta nos canais, o que reforça a complexidade do diálogo entre a desordem informativa e o papel desempenhado por influenciadores religiosos no ambiente digital." (Abstract)
more
"Las comunidades indígenas de la región amazónica peruana fueron duramente golpeadas por la pandemia de la COVID-19. Prácticamente desde sus inicios, surgieron distintas iniciativas para informar adecuadamente en las lenguas originarias a las comunidades, pero también otras que permitieran cont
...
ribuir a paliar y reducir los impactos de la pandemia. En este artículo analizamos un proyecto implementado para enfrentar la pandemia de la COVID-19 así como otras emergencias sanitarias en general. Este proyecto fue diseñado en conjunto con el equipo de comunicadores indígenas de Radio Ucamara, ubicada en la ciudad de Nauta (región Loreto), en la Amazonía nororiental del Perú. El principal objetivo de este proyecto fue el de convertir a la radio en un centro o hub comunicacional que permita el flujo de información sobre la situación de salud de las comunidades indígenas a las autoridades regionales, y viceversa, de tal manera que permita una atención en salud primaria oportuna y culturalmente pertinente." (Resumen)
more