By Jerry Okungu NEPAD Kenya Secretariat

1. USING THE MEDIA TO COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC IN THE APRM PROCESSPresented at the APRM Training Workshop in Addis Ababa, EthiopiaFebruary 21, 2007 By Jerry Okungu NEPAD Kenya Secretariat

2. IS COMMUNICATION RELEVANT IN THE APRM PROCESS? • Lack of awareness about the APRM • Lack of appreciation of the APRM • Pain of dealing with uninformed stakeholders • Fear of the unknown by acceding country • Fear of the citizenry by their governments • Lack of trust of government by its citizens • Lack of awareness of APRM benefits.

3. PLANNING THE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY FOR THE APRM PROCESS. • Defining Communication • The Communication Process Key elements of the Communication Process • The Source, • Message • Medium • Recipient

4. DEVELOPING A MESSAGE FOR THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS • Why the Message? • Which message? • Whose Message? • What Message? • Who delivers it?( critical) • How do you develop the Message?

5. SOCIAL SEGMENTATION FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION • For the APRM Communication Strategy to succeed, it must strive to segment the society according to needs, ability and level of understanding • The APRM’s Four Pillars that require distinct messages: • Political & Democratic Governance • Economic Governance • Corporate Governance • Socio- Economic Development

6. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHEN DEVELOPING APRM MESSAGES • Public Sector • Private Sector • Civil Society • Academia • Media • Political Elite • Informal Private Sector • The NGO Sector & Development Partners

7. TARGET GROUPS AMONG THE MASSES FOR SPECIFIC MESSAGES • Language Groups • The Marginalized, pastoralists, minorities, physically challenged • The Youth & Women • Workers • Rural Communities • Urban Slums In any media targeting, language form and sensitivity to social groups can make or break your campaign.

8. OTHER TARGETED GROUPS • Employers & Manufacturers Associations • Trade and Industry Associations • Financial Institutions • Professional & Philanthropist Associations • Trade Unions • Religious Organizations • Political Parties & Parliamentarians • The Public Service & The Judiciary

9. HOW CRITICAL IS THE MEDIA TO THE APRM PROCESS? The APRM Process is a process a bout a nation’s citizenry. It belongs to the masses of our nations. The more reason Mass Media is critical in providing the badly needed: • Mass education • Mass awareness • Mass understanding • Mass mobilization • Media diversity for our diverse societies • Segmentation of target audiences of different strata in society.

10. PLANNING AND MANAGING THE MEDIA FOR THE PROCESS: THE KENYAN STORY. • Galvanizing Media owners & Gatekeepers • Getting on board Media CEOs • Recruiting respected journalists • Personal relationships with the media fraternity is everything!

11. HOW TO BREAK THE APRM STORY ON THE FRONT PAGES WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT • The July 9, 2005 Kenyan case study. • The October 3, 2005 Kenyan case study • The June 25, 2006 Kenyan story • The June 30, 2006, Kenyan case study in Banjul In all the above cases, the media took the APRM story because it had merit and would interest their audiences.

12. DEALING WITH THE UNEXPECTED MEDIA STORY • The fall-out in the National Governing Council • The fall-out in the first Kibaki Cabinet • Negative court-case publicity that almost killed the APRM story • Belligerent enterprising Civil Society members that saw financial gains slipping through their fingers • Competing with other stronger stories

13. EXPLOITING OPPORTUNITIES THAT PRESENTED THEMSELVES The use of available news makers that furthered the APRM cause: • Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o- then the focal point • Dr. Graca Machel- leader of the Kenya Mission • Nelson Mandela- who accompanied Graca Machel • Mission Members that accompanied Graca Machel

14. WHEN TO PAY THE MEDIA AND GET MONEY’S WORTH • When you are ready to sustain the momentum! • When you are ready to keep the public hooked on to the process with specific messages • When you have constant flow of information critical to the public • When you have prepared a calendar of public events • When you have achieved certain milestones

15. WHAT YOU SHOULD PAY FOR? • Professionally developed human interest infomercials • Captivating television documentaries • Informative press advertising • Live interactive television and radio talk shows – for instant public feedback on issues at hand. • Well trained and experienced journalists to put out features and analytical articles from time to time • Production of TV, Radio and Press commercials • Air time and space on TV, Radio and in newspapers with strong audience following. Do not waste resources on inconsequential media outlets.

16. OTHER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION TO CONSIDER • Sign language for the deaf • Audio medium for the blind • Pictorials for the illiterate • Graphic illustrations for the illiterate • Cartoons for the elite with a sense of humor

17. CHOOSING THE MEDIA FOR THE PROCESS Issues to consider when choosing which media to use in Public Awareness Campaign: • Language factor • Cultural Diversity • The level of infrastructure development • Media consumption levels • Literacy levels • Affluence levels The nation’s economic situation and level of development have a direct bearing on the media to use in any campaign.

18. THE MEDIA MENU TO CHOOSE FROM • Television- for the affluent upper class society • Radio- for the lower class society • Newspaper- for the affluent and literate • Internet- for the DCG • Cell-phone- for the masses & the DCG • Billboards & Street lights for Mass Transit Traffic • Passenger buses & trains for the masses

19. OTHER FORMS OF MEDIA TO CONSIDER • Oral Media- for the illiterate • Mobile Cinemas- for the rural and slum masses • Road show Theatres- for the general public • Music Concerts- for institutions & the Masses • Political Rallies- for the general public • Sectoral Forums- for the academia, business and professionals • Citizens Forums- for stakeholders • Funerals & weddings- for invited guests & the rural public • Churches, Mosques & Temples- for the faithful

20. HOW TO DEAL WITH BAD PUBLICITY DURING THE APRM PROCESS: • When hostile media is bent on publishing falsehoods • Handling a hostile press • The need for diplomacy, accuracy and openness • Dialoguing with the gate keepers of a hostile press • Getting the media to trust the APRM Spokesman • Using other media to deal with a hostile journalist/ publisher.

21. HOW NOT TO HANDLE A HOSTILE PRESS: • Never engage in bitter exchanges with the press • Never buy space to reply to inaccurate press allegations • Never buy pages of newspapers to tell your story • Never avoid the press when they are looking for you • Never sweat in front of cameras in a crisis situation • Never say “No Comment” in a crisis situation. Buy time! • Admit accuracies in the allegations; rebut falsehoods with conviction. • Remember: Bad publicity is better than No publicity at all!

22. SUSTAINING THE DIALOGUE • Dealing with the Country Report • Sharing with the public • Continuing the debate started during SAS( what was it that the citizens talked about?) • Why the serialization? • Why television series? • Why talk shows