Media, Discussion, and Attitudes in Fragile Contexts

"...we are not yet in a position to claim that media can affect attitudes towards violence at scale. We are, however, in a position to highlight the importance of discussion as a predictor of conflict-related attitudes and the need to fully examine context, as the sector attempts to develop an evidence-based understanding of the drivers of conflict."

This 52-page research paper outlines BBC Media Action's experiences producing national debate and discussion shows in Kenya and Nigeria, and discusses whether media - in particular, debate and discussion programmes - can help to mitigate conflict in fragile settings. The report draws on BBC Media Action's experience in working across a variety of fragile contexts, but focuses mainly on the two case studies in Kenya and Nigeria. In Kenya, Sema Kenya (Kenya Speaks) uses a public debate format. In Nigeria, Talk Your Own (English and Pidgin) is a magazine programme supplemented by monthly public debates in a similar format to Sema Kenya. Both programmes broadcast regularly to audiences of nearly 13 million people. They have been produced to support balanced, moderated discussion that incorporates multiple viewpoints in debate. This talk format has been produced according to BBC's editorial values of independence, impartiality, and honesty, and "every effort is further made to ensure that the live audiences for these shows are representative of society and that everyone in the audience gets an equal chance to have his or her question heard."

The research centred first on testing the hypothesis that media, and BBC Media Action programmes, in particular, are able to influence political discussion - both private (family, friends, and others) and public (in group settings). Building on this, the research further explored whether discussion can, in turn, affect conflict-related attitudes at scale, whether this be attitudes towards other groups in society or attitudes towards violence.

The results suggest that there is evidence that exposure to discussion-oriented media programmes are strongly linked to private discussion among family, friends, and others. Evidence from Kenya also suggests that the debate-style programming is potentially linked to public political discussion, but that this relationship is likely to be mediated through other variables such as private political discussion. In both Kenya and Nigeria, both private and public discussion is strongly associated with individual attitudes towards conflict. However, the relationship is a complex one and bears further examination.

Qualitative feedback from participants who took part in Sema Kenya reported that the discussions on the show were important because they enabled leaders to listen to the voices of citizens and to solve problems openly. The programme was also seen to help them evaluate the role of their leaders in addressing key political issues and to make them aware of their right to question their leaders about their responsibilities. This data suggest that there is evidence that discussion can be an important interim outcome leading to knock-on effects in other areas of governance, such as self-efficacy and political participation.

In terms of future programming, the report notes that there is a need to gain a better understanding of the conditions under which media can support the positive dimensions of discussion and ameliorate the negative ones. "What is clear from a programming standpoint is that we cannot simply assume that all discussion is good at all times and that variables, such as efficacy and participation, always go hand in hand with more tolerant attitudes."