Global media research company InterMedia today released its first-ever annual review, Understanding How the World Understands, chronicling media use, audience preferences and new communications technology growth throughout the developing world.

The data highlight how increasing choice in media and news around the world affects the gathering and dissemination—as well as attempts to control—information.

These findings are based on recent surveys in 60 countries among 138,000 respondents, often in places and among populations for which detailed audience use and preferences data are scarce or unavailable.