Media Synergy

Elections present an important opportunity to move forward democratic processes and the public interest. At the same time, they risk to create tension and possible violence given the high stakes of the winner-take-all approach. Media Synergy is an influential and successful tool that Search for Common Ground has used to support recent elections in Burundi, DRC, Liberia and Sierra Leone. A Media Synergy brings together a range of radio stations and journalists, building a coalition among them to support nationwide election reporting. This approach has contributed to preventing rumors, public manipulation, misinformation, parochialism and voter intimidation, while reinforcing the transparent, participatory and credible nature of the election process and its outcomes. The Media Synergy provides joint news coverage collaboration that expands the reach of any one station and reinforces the overall credibility of the information by bringing together journalists from different perspectives into one pool. SFCG targets independent, rural, regional and national radio stations, with Media Synergy members including radio stations from all political, religious and special interest (youth, rural, urban, etc) demographics. By implicating many multi-level media actors before, during and after the election period; by offering an on-air forum for political dialogue on the elections results and the ensuing establishment of the institutions; and by sending trained radio journalists to improve their skills and quality of engagement by quickly relaying real time events, as well as producing radio program broadcast activities, the Media Synergy is ensuring the easy and open access to trustworthy information, enabling for free and fair elections.

With several African countries such as Burundi and Guinea facing elections imminently, tensions are rising as politicians launch their campaigns and citizens begin to pick their preferences in the midst of ongoing political, ethnic, and regional divisions. These elections present a critical opportunity for ending political stability and implementing democracy. With support from a range of donors, SFCG will work with radio partners—17 independent stations in Guinea and 14 radio stations in Burundi including the 10 most popular and four with regional leadership—to apply the Media Synergy tool in these sensitive contexts. More information about Synergy and its results in previous elections is available at www.sfcg.org or from rfpa@sfcg.org.