Page 55 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 2 2012

THE CHANNEL | ISSUE 2 2012 | 55
Whenglobal researchgroup
InterMedia conducted research
into themost effectivemethods
tooptimise engagement with
international development
amongkey target audiences,
key findings emerged that are
relevant toTVbroadcasters
worldwide. Dr. GerryPower,
ManagingDirector andHeadof
Innovationat InterMedia
EuropeandAssociateDirector
KlaraDebeljak share insight
fromtheir study
nternational development –
in other words what
governments do to alleviate
poverty and improve living
conditions in the poorest
developing nations – is a
complex issue. It involves
aid, trade, debt, foreign assistance
and corruption.
So for television broadcasters the
challenge to communicate
international development stories
in news and information
programmes is multi‐faceted and
further needs to take into account
the plethora of other information
sources available to audiences
globally. This raises key questions:
What assumptions are made about
what audiences understand about
international development in
contemporary society? Where does
television fit within the over‐loaded
global online and offline
information environment? How can
TV broadcasters communicate
about international development
more effectively?
TV'S CENTRAL ROLE
InterMedia was commissioned by
the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation to conduct a research
study to understand the most
effective methods to optimise
engagement with international
development among key target
audiences. In response, we created
the ʹBuilding Support for
International Developmentʹ
research initiative (2012), where we
spoke to nearly 4,000 interested
citizens across China, France,
Germany, the US and the UK to
COMMUNICATION
CHALLENGE ID
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