AudienceScapes: Data and analysis on communication, media use and ICT access trends in developing countries

April 20th, 2010 | Organizations

Mobile Active informs about AudienceScapes.org (@AudienceScapes) which is an online tool and research program providing essential media use and communication information on developing countries from a bottom-up perspective, based on in-depth analysis by the AudienceScapes research team.

From their website:

With initial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are making InterMedia’s knowledge and experience in the field readily available to those who conceive, design, implement and evaluate development programs as well as to other stakeholders in the development process. We are also offering custom added-value analysis and reports to commercial companies in media, telecommunications and other fields in order to create a revenue stream to help support the project’s development goals.

Many development practitioners, particularly those working for locally-based agencies and NGOs, have limited access to empirical research that could help them better target and deliver communication, information and education efforts in a range of activities. These could be anything from HIV-AIDS prevention campaigns to gender equality programs to dissemination of better agricultural techniques, to supporting media development. We aim to fill this knowledge gap.

In addition, the AudienceScapes project hopes to facilitate healthier two-way communication in the development process by making the practitioners more aware of the information assets and needs of citizens and policymakers in developing countries.

The site has detailed information about Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Columbia, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Peru in the African continent and very recently has profiled Pakistan in Asia.