Increasing political participation is seen as one of the key routes to building accountability be... more Increasing political participation is seen as one of the key routes to building accountability between citizens and leaders. Accountability is enhanced when citizens play an active role in making demands and when officials are expected to respond to those demands with satisfactory answers and actions. BBC Media Action’s governance programmes use media and communication to foster political participation. They do this by providing access to information, stimulating discussion and enabling people to interact directly with decision-makers. The organisation works with TV, radio, online and mobile platforms and produces a range of factual and entertainment formats including drama, debate programmes, magazine formats and public service announcements.
This research report examines the relationship between BBC Media Action’s debate and discussion programmes and political participation, as well as the variables that contribute to this participation: political knowledge, discussion, and efficacy. To do this, the report draws on quantitative data collected from more than 23,000 respondents across seven African and Asian countries where BBC Media Action works. The findings are clear and consistent across all seven countries: BBC Media Action’s audiences participate more than people who do not listen to and/or watch its programmes, even when taking other influencing factors – such as age, income and interest in politics – into account. There is also a strong, positive association between exposure to BBC Media Action programmes and political knowledge and discussion. But political participation plays out differently among different groups in this dataset. Exposure to BBC Media Action governance programmes is positively related to higher political participation among younger and less educated audiences. This interaction effect is different for gender: BBC Media Action’s female audience members participate in politics more than women who are not exposed to its programmes. But the increase in political participation demonstrated by male audience members is greater.
These findings have important implications for the relationship between media and governance. If those who tend to participate less overall in politics – such as younger and less educated groups – gain more by watching or listening to BBC Media Action media outputs, then this suggests that discussion and debate formats can potentially be a powerful tool for social inclusion. Indeed, there may be an argument for targeting this sort of programme specifically at such marginalised groups is order to make their voices heard. But these results also suggest that media programming can reinforce gender imbalances in the way in which men and women participate in politics. When combined, the consistent results amassed in this multi-country sample, together with insights from detailed local research carried out previously by BBC Media Action, offer a much more comprehensive view of the role that media can play in encouraging political participation. By analysing data on a topic that has been historically under-studied in the developing world, BBC Media Action is helping to build a more comprehensive evidence base. The report concludes by suggesting future directions for research around media’s relationship to social norms, gender and other aspects of accountability, both across and within the countries where we work.
Increasing political participation is seen as one of the key routes to building accountability be... more Increasing political participation is seen as one of the key routes to building accountability between citizens and leaders. Accountability is enhanced when citizens play an active role in making demands and when officials are expected to respond to those demands with satisfactory answers and actions. BBC Media Action’s governance programmes use media and communication to foster political participation. They do this by providing access to information, stimulating discussion and enabling people to interact directly with decision-makers. The organisation works with TV, radio, online and mobile platforms and produces a range of factual and entertainment formats including drama, debate programmes, magazine formats and public service announcements.
This research report examines the relationship between BBC Media Action’s debate and discussion programmes and political participation, as well as the variables that contribute to this participation: political knowledge, discussion, and efficacy. To do this, the report draws on quantitative data collected from more than 23,000 respondents across seven African and Asian countries where BBC Media Action works. The findings are clear and consistent across all seven countries: BBC Media Action’s audiences participate more than people who do not listen to and/or watch its programmes, even when taking other influencing factors – such as age, income and interest in politics – into account. There is also a strong, positive association between exposure to BBC Media Action programmes and political knowledge and discussion. But political participation plays out differently among different groups in this dataset. Exposure to BBC Media Action governance programmes is positively related to higher political participation among younger and less educated audiences. This interaction effect is different for gender: BBC Media Action’s female audience members participate in politics more than women who are not exposed to its programmes. But the increase in political participation demonstrated by male audience members is greater.
These findings have important implications for the relationship between media and governance. If those who tend to participate less overall in politics – such as younger and less educated groups – gain more by watching or listening to BBC Media Action media outputs, then this suggests that discussion and debate formats can potentially be a powerful tool for social inclusion. Indeed, there may be an argument for targeting this sort of programme specifically at such marginalised groups is order to make their voices heard. But these results also suggest that media programming can reinforce gender imbalances in the way in which men and women participate in politics. When combined, the consistent results amassed in this multi-country sample, together with insights from detailed local research carried out previously by BBC Media Action, offer a much more comprehensive view of the role that media can play in encouraging political participation. By analysing data on a topic that has been historically under-studied in the developing world, BBC Media Action is helping to build a more comprehensive evidence base. The report concludes by suggesting future directions for research around media’s relationship to social norms, gender and other aspects of accountability, both across and within the countries where we work.
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Papers by Chris Snow
BBC Media Action’s governance programmes use media and communication to foster political participation. They do this by providing access to information, stimulating discussion and enabling people to interact directly with decision-makers.
The organisation works with TV, radio, online and mobile platforms and produces a range of factual and entertainment formats including drama, debate programmes, magazine formats and public service announcements.
This research report examines the relationship between BBC Media Action’s debate and discussion programmes and political participation, as well as the variables that contribute to this participation: political knowledge, discussion, and efficacy. To do this, the report draws on quantitative data collected from more than 23,000 respondents across seven African and Asian countries where BBC Media Action works.
The findings are clear and consistent across all seven countries: BBC Media Action’s audiences participate more than people who do not listen to and/or watch its programmes, even when taking other influencing factors – such as age, income and interest in politics – into account. There is also a strong, positive association between exposure to BBC Media Action programmes and political knowledge and discussion.
But political participation plays out differently among different groups in this dataset. Exposure to BBC Media Action governance programmes is positively related to higher political participation among younger and less educated audiences.
This interaction effect is different for gender: BBC Media Action’s female audience members participate in politics more than women who are not exposed to its programmes. But the increase in political participation demonstrated by male audience members is greater.
These findings have important implications for the relationship between media and governance. If those who tend to participate less overall in politics – such as younger and less educated groups – gain more by watching or listening to BBC Media Action media outputs, then this suggests that discussion and debate formats can potentially be a powerful tool for social inclusion. Indeed, there may be an argument for targeting this sort of programme specifically at such marginalised groups is order to make their voices heard. But these results also suggest that media programming can reinforce gender imbalances in the way in which men and women participate in politics.
When combined, the consistent results amassed in this multi-country sample, together with insights from detailed local research carried out previously by BBC Media Action, offer a much more comprehensive view of the role that media can play in encouraging political participation. By analysing data on a topic that has been historically under-studied in the developing world, BBC Media Action is helping to build a more comprehensive evidence base. The report concludes by suggesting future directions for research around media’s relationship to social norms, gender and other aspects of accountability, both across and within the countries where we work.
BBC Media Action’s governance programmes use media and communication to foster political participation. They do this by providing access to information, stimulating discussion and enabling people to interact directly with decision-makers.
The organisation works with TV, radio, online and mobile platforms and produces a range of factual and entertainment formats including drama, debate programmes, magazine formats and public service announcements.
This research report examines the relationship between BBC Media Action’s debate and discussion programmes and political participation, as well as the variables that contribute to this participation: political knowledge, discussion, and efficacy. To do this, the report draws on quantitative data collected from more than 23,000 respondents across seven African and Asian countries where BBC Media Action works.
The findings are clear and consistent across all seven countries: BBC Media Action’s audiences participate more than people who do not listen to and/or watch its programmes, even when taking other influencing factors – such as age, income and interest in politics – into account. There is also a strong, positive association between exposure to BBC Media Action programmes and political knowledge and discussion.
But political participation plays out differently among different groups in this dataset. Exposure to BBC Media Action governance programmes is positively related to higher political participation among younger and less educated audiences.
This interaction effect is different for gender: BBC Media Action’s female audience members participate in politics more than women who are not exposed to its programmes. But the increase in political participation demonstrated by male audience members is greater.
These findings have important implications for the relationship between media and governance. If those who tend to participate less overall in politics – such as younger and less educated groups – gain more by watching or listening to BBC Media Action media outputs, then this suggests that discussion and debate formats can potentially be a powerful tool for social inclusion. Indeed, there may be an argument for targeting this sort of programme specifically at such marginalised groups is order to make their voices heard. But these results also suggest that media programming can reinforce gender imbalances in the way in which men and women participate in politics.
When combined, the consistent results amassed in this multi-country sample, together with insights from detailed local research carried out previously by BBC Media Action, offer a much more comprehensive view of the role that media can play in encouraging political participation. By analysing data on a topic that has been historically under-studied in the developing world, BBC Media Action is helping to build a more comprehensive evidence base. The report concludes by suggesting future directions for research around media’s relationship to social norms, gender and other aspects of accountability, both across and within the countries where we work.