Research In the Area of Rural Media - The Methodologies and Approaches Used for Gathering and Utilizing Feedback from Listeners

Abstract

In this paper, the author addresses the following:

• The research situation in the rural media area.
  
  • The principal assets linked to the persons involved in development, and the national and international partners becoming aware of the importance of these media for rural development.
  • Limits and constraints.
• The methods and techniques used (methodological frames of reference for rural radio audience surveys): references and adaptations to local realities.
• The field survey, a quantitative investigation of the audience, and a summary of the results of the survey.
• The village public broadcast.
• The survey on rural households and radio, and examples of rural observations - the MADIO Project.

Summary

"Research in the area of rural media is justified by the interest manifested by a considerable number of international and national organisations, which are active in promoting rural development. The increase in the number of rural radio networks has largely contributed to making them available to radio stations, which normally operate, on a low budget. The most important assets in this regard, however, are the fairly aggressive passion, which animates the radio broadcasters, and the considerable receptivity of rural groups in replying to the solicitations they might receive with regard to their adapting to radio communication.

Certain organisations, however, are not as yet totally convinced of the actual need for rural radio, and consequently, of the utility of carrying out a specific audience survey in this area. Certain commercial advantages obviously do exist, and not only with regard to the private sector. National expertise in this area also exists, but it must first rid itself of a purely technical and commercial outlook on the subject. Inasmuch as rural radios are neighbourhood radios, any research carried out must take into consideration the very complex nature of the audience concerned, as well as the social, economic and cultural parameters involved, with all of the restraints that might be linked to the scale of the work. Information concerning this sector is not always readily available. As a result, research on the subject remains fairly empirical, in spite of the perfection of the methodological tools that are employed.

The preparatory phase for the survey is a crucial one, in order to be able to establish all the methodological frames of reference that are adapted to the situation, and to the local realities. These include the correct types of questions to be asked, a good knowledge of the milieu, clear objectives, the choice of the sites where the survey will be conducted, the sampling, and the survey questionnaire. A considerable anticipatory effort is therefore needed at this stage, in order to make certain that the frames of reference are correctly focussed, due, in particular, to the fact that rural persons do not always react as residents of urban areas might.

Considerable attention will be given to training, as well as to the introduction and follow-up of the work of the interviewers at the survey sites. The survey itself should always be considered as a training ground for the survey team, who will often find it necessary to make methodological readjustments in their work.

Given the relative overabundance of the data collected, both representative as well as indicative, summarising and analysing the end results can be tedious. It must always be remembered that the survey will have to provide precise answers to the original questions, and that it is also a useful tool to help those responsible for the radio network in arriving at their decisions.

Drawing conclusions with regard to global listening habits is not sufficient. Answers must also be found concerning the reasons that audiences have these listening habits. A complementary qualitative survey must therefore be carried out, based upon the global tendencies that have been observed. This qualitative survey would be effectuated by following the same stages as those used by the quantitative survey. The principal difference would consist in the commitment to comprehend the habits and aspirations of the rural audience, and the manner in which they integrate their radio listening with the resolution of their day-to-day problems, including those regarding development. Holding group discussions helps to provide important data that is extremely valuable to the rural radio broadcasters.

Public radio programs centered on the village also allow radio networks to carry out an on-going and totally frank dialogue with their listeners, thereby creating a friendly and playful atmosphere. However, this is often fairly difficult to organise and carry out, since it requires a total technical mastery of the medium, and the full cooperation of the radio broadcasting team involved.

And finally, the surveys conducted on rural households can complete this research by providing a wider frame of reference, namely, socio-economic and geographic. These have their limitations, however; they are more restricted, in terms of radio, and they are reserved, as well, to the audience survey. In addition, they present the risk of being biased, since the opening questions and the goals of these surveys are more general.

There are methods that can be used to lower the cost of conducting these surveys, but they too are rather costly, particularly due to the fact that that such surveys must be periodically renewed, inasmuch as the rural milieu is in a state of perpetual evolution. "