[FoME] Influencers & Influencing for Better Accountability in the DRC

[Christoph Dietz]

Influencers and influencing for better accountability in the DRC:
Sources and circulation of information in the DRC - the case of North
Kivu
Fondation Hirondelle; Demos, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative; ICREDES,
2019, 39 p.
Download:
https://www.hirondelle.org/en/studies/992-social-influencers-in-the-drc-our-joint-study-on-sources-and-circulation-of-information-in-north-kivu

Executive Summary:

The information ecosystem in DRC is fragmented and fragile. It is
characterised by a great number of media outlets, however their level of
professionalism is low and their vulnerability to partisan capture is
high. This fragility is replicated in the online space. The Congolese
population rely heavily on informal sources of information such as word
of mouth, interpersonal communication with family and friends. The
scarcity of reliable information open avenues for the rumours and
misinformation to spread. This context presents serious challenges for
the promotion of good governance and accountability that requires well
informed citizens.

To better address those challenges, it is necessary to understand the
main sources and dynamics of information flows both offline and online,
and through media and non-media channels. A consortium composed of
Fondation Hirondelle (FH), Demos, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI)
and the Institut Congolais de Recherche en Développement et Etudes
Stratégiques (ICREDES) was created in order to provide a more
holistic view of the Congolese information ecosystem and to identify
opportunities for entry.

Due to the limited time and resources of the study, and because of the
pre-existing networks and capacities of the consortium in this region,
its focus is on North Kivu. To identify the voices, networks and themes
that dominated this information ecosystem in this region, three levels
of analysis were chosen: 1. The sources and level of information of the
local populations. This analysis was provided by HHI that implemented
household surveys of large samples of populations in Eastern DRC; 2. The
sources of information of local journalists. This analysis was provided
by FH that surveyed a network of 18 local radios in North Kivu; 3. The
network and content analysis of digital and social media provided by
DEMOS

Findings:

- Radio is the primary media source of information for the population
of Eastern DRC (78% of the sample listens to it occasionally and 43%
daily), followed by TV (31% occasionally) and written press (19%
occasionally). Access to online resources is limited (26% occasionally
and 8% daily).
- The main sources of information depend on the context and the nature
of the information people are seeking.
- The level of belief in Ebola speculation is higher where knowledge of
the epidemic is also highest. The results highlight the lack of
reliability of information sources (46% of respondents expressed a
moderate to high level of confidence in local radio, and 39% for
national radio).
- Access to media resources and the level of trust in the media is
characterized by gender inequality. Women are 4 less likely than men to
rely on radio as a source of information, reflecting their less frequent
use of this medium. Women are also more likely to believe Ebola
speculation than men.
- The source of information selected by local journalists depends on
the scope of the issue. For Ebola (local issue), the most widely used
media were local radio stations, while for the presidential elections
(national issue) they were firstly national radio stations.
- Respondent local journalists agree on reference radios at the
national and international level (Radio Okapi, Top Congo, RFI).
- Social networks are largely used by local journalists as sources of
information.
- Facebook is the most widely used social network by the population of
the DRC, followed by Twitter to a lesser extent. 
- The most shared sites and opinion on WhatsApp are more local in scope
than the ones shared via Twitter. Data also indicate that WhatsApp is
rather used by the community at the local level for information about
daily processes.
- Social media plays an important role in spreading false rumours.


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