Without good access to national and community media all public education programmes may be disadvantaged. It is possible to consider programmes that rely entirely on face-to-face education, but even these can be hindered if there is not a supplementary programme of advertising for events and news coverage to increase motivation as well as printed material to "leave behind." As such, assessment of available media options should be conducted.
Media Directories
In some countries, media registration may have resulted in a publicly-available directory. In others, NGOs and government media agencies may have collected such information. Or advertising agencies may keep books that give details on media outlets, including their market share and target audiences.
Early on, educators may want to develop a "brainstorm" list and subsequently their own directory, that analyzes available media outlets in terms appropriate to voter education programming. Criteria they may want to use include:
- Is the media owned or controlled by the government?
- If controlled by the government, is it obligated under election law to provide free space or airtime for voter education messages?
- If privately owned, is the management amenable to running public service announcements, such as voter education messages either free of charge or at a discounted rate?
- What are the published advertising rates of the outlet?
- Is the media national or community-based?
- Is the particular medium capable of preparing its own copy or producing its own spots?
- What is the policy and the protocol of the particular medium for taking spots or copy prepared by the education programme?
- In what format must spots or copy prepared by the education programme be presented to the media outlet in question?
- What is the outlet's market share, i.e. What is the size of its viewing or listening audience or readership?
- What are the characteristics of its audience?
- How are the sizes or characteristics of the audience affected by date and time and by programming, i.e. What are the most popular shows or are papers read more during the week or at week-ends?
- How many hours does the outlet broadcast per day?
- What is the print schedule, i.e. Twice daily, daily, several times per week, weekly, monthly, per quarter?
- Does the outlet's editorial board have a particular political orientation, or is the outlet associated in any way with a specific political party?
- In what languages does the outlet broadcast/print?
- Who are the contacts for the particular media and what is the street address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address.
An adequate database will need to be prepared for this information. Because of its importance, educators will also want to cultivate expertise within their own teams in this field and, in addition, develop appropriate contacts amongst outside practitioners.
Power Supply and Other Commodities
Particularly in transitional settings, educators will want to take note of any shortages or disruptions in the supply of valuable commodities such as electricity, gas, paper or ink. If power is in short supply, it may not make much sense to invest in pricey television commercials. Radio may still be an option, however, as radios can be operated on battery power. In such circumstances, print and direct contact may take on an increasingly important role. Educators will also need to take into consideration how power shortages or interruptions may affect production processes: if service providers do not have an independent and reliable power source very often this will extend the amount of time required for production. If paper or ink are difficult to obtain, then print activities may need to be de-emphasized. Even where these supplies exists, fuel shortages might hinder the ability to deliver and distribute print materials. Thus, educators must assess the availability of key commodities and the impact that these will have on the types and mix of media used.
Careful Planning and Assessment
Countries with vibrant media infrastructures are essential to the development of democracy. To the extent that voter education can enhance this by careful selection and promotion of media, it will have long-term impact for future programmes.
