The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Impact Data - Staying Alive

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In 2002, the YouthNet Program of Family Health International (FHI) participated as a partner in the Staying Alive campaign, which was coordinated by MTV Networks International (MTV). FHI characterises MTV as "the world's largest television network targeted to youth, reaching more than 400 million households in 164 countries in 2004." The 2002 campaign went beyond the MTV channels because the broadcasts were distributed rights-free and unencrypted, so that the content could be translated and broadcast worldwide.

The 2002 campaign evaluated here had 3 core goals: to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS and encourage prevention behaviour, to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and to empower youth to take action. Organisers used multiple formats including 7 public service announcements
(PSAs), a show called "Clinton Uncut" (featuring then-President Bill Clinton), live music concerts that integrated HIV education and youth interviews, and the Staying Alive website, a brightly coloured site presented in English, French, and Spanish. Following World AIDS Day (December 1) 2002, campaigns in selected countries continued to build on the 2002 campaign, including broadcasts in China and other countries.

The study identified 4 sites for the evaluation, each of which represented different country-level experiences with HIV/AIDS, different cultures, different media environments, and different kinds of access to the Staying Alive campaign. The sites were São Paulo, Brazil; Nairobi, Kenya; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Dakar, Senegal. FHI/YouthNet used a conceptual framework called the social diffusion model of media effects to evaluate the impact of this global project. Data from 3 of these 4 sites (Nairobi, Kenya excluded) are shared in the evaluation report, and summarised below.

Methodologies
The study used 2 basic methods of data collection. The primary data source was cross-sectional, population-based, household surveys among young men and women ages 16 to 25. These surveys were conducted at baseline and post-campaign in 3 of the 4 sites: Dakar, Kathmandu, and São Paulo. At each site, about 1,000 young people were surveyed at baseline and post-campaign, including about equal numbers of males and females. To obtain more in-depth information from the user or audience perspective, the study also included focus group discussions. A total of 41 different focus groups were held, including groups of young men only, young women only, and mixed groups. About 325 youth, ages 16 to 25, participated.
Attitudes
For the HIV prevention beliefs scale (which included questions about the importance of using a condom, discussing HIV/AIDS with a sexual partner, and getting tested for HIV), a positive relationship existed with both exposure and interpersonal communication in Kathmandu and São Paulo (these were the two sites where campaign exposure was to the MTV content). Most of the exposure was to the PSAs, which focused primarily on condom use, and to the concert programme, which promoted condom use, interpersonal communication, and HIV testing.

In Dakar, where campaign content was locally produced, campaign exposure was positively related to HIV prevention beliefs and equality of gender norms regarding sexual decision-making. In Kathmandu, only interpersonal communication showed an effect on gender norms.

Tolerance for people living with HIV/AIDS was higher among those with greater levels of interpersonal communication in Kathmandu. According to evaluators, the finding that exposure did not have much effect on tolerance is likely due to the fact that the scores on this scale were so high at baseline.
Increased Discussion of Development Issues
The Staying Alive campaign resulted in significantly more interpersonal communication on the subject of HIV/AIDS among those who were exposed to the campaign than among those who were not - regardless of the specific content viewed, the media environment, or the cultural environment.

Specifically, the survey asked respondents if in the last month they had talked about HIV/AIDS with any of the following: teacher or counselor, doctor or nurse, a sexual partner, friend or schoolmate, parents, and siblings. Kathmandu respondents reported the highest overall levels, with those exposed to the campaign talking about HIV prevention to more than two categories of people in the last month. In Dakar, each respondent exposed to the campaign talked to an average of 1.5 categories of people, and in São Paulo, about 1 category. In São Paulo, there was less discussion about HIV/AIDS among both those exposed and not exposed to the campaign.
Access
The campaign was eventually broadcast on television stations that reached nearly 800 million homes (64% of the total television households worldwide) and linked with major radio distribution channels as well. In the 3 sites analysed, from 12% to 82% of youth ages 16 to 25 were exposed to at least one component of the campaign, totaling nearly 700,000 youth. The campaign played in nearly 100 countries.

Exposure was notably higher in São Paulo (23%, 400,000 youth) than in Kathmandu (12%, 50,000 youth). Access was broad in São Paulo, where MTV Brazil was available as a terrestrial, non-cable channel. In Kathmandu, where the campaign was only available via cable, exposure was highest for the PSAs and the concert programme: more than 40% of daily viewers saw the PSAs and about 35% saw the concert. Among all viewers, about 10% saw the PSAs and about 5% saw the concert. In São Paulo, the highest exposures were more concentrated on the PSAs, seen by about 30% of daily MTV viewers and 20% of all viewers; about 12% of daily viewers saw the concert.

In Dakar, where the content was more diverse, locally produced, and aired through non-MTV channels (third-party broadcasters), research questions covered not only television programmes on HIV/AIDS but also whether respondents had heard a radio programme on HIV/AIDS; read any information in the newspapers about HIV/AIDS; seen any information on HIV/AIDS on the two local internet server sites; or seen, heard, or read statements about HIV/AIDS by celebrities or public personalities. Exposure rates were by far the highest here, where 82% of all young people (220,000) were exposed. In Dakar, more than 50% of youth saw the adapted campaign on 3 different media - television, radio, and celebrity events.