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. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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New Research on Media Habits of Youth Breaks Stereotypes

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Summary

A new study on the media habits of young people in three countries, released at the World Newspaper Congress, 2008, in Göteborg, Sweden, found that television continues to be the most important source of news and information for the young, despite the rise of the internet. Conducted by Canada-based company DECODE for the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and national partners in the three focus countries, the survey of 3,500 young people between 15- and 29-years old in the United States, the Netherlands, and Finland, found that young people get their news and information from a wide variety of sources, but that television continues to be their preferred medium. The study, commissioned by WAN to help publishers better understand and meet the needs of younger readers, also found that newspapers are well placed to attract readers in this age range.

 

 

It found:

  • "Young people are interested in news and see the value of being informed.
  • Loyal newspaper readers are more informed, engaged and connected to community than non-readers.
  • Parents (especially mothers) and teachers have successfully influenced young people to become newspaper readers - peers are not influential.
  • Newspapers must start earlier to establish how the brand of news emanating from newspapers is different from and superior to other media options. This strategy should be multi-platform, accentuating content, not format.
  • Young people leaving home provides an important opportunity for newspapers. The study shows a significant drop in readership at this life-stage at a time when interest in news is peaking.
  • Newspaper editorial content, in general, is disconnected from youth interests - and when it is about youth, it is mostly negative. Music and film top the list of interests while politics ranked in the lower than 30th.
  • Social networks can be allies of newspapers, not the enemy. Social network users are more supportive of all media generally, but also show a higher increase of support for newspapers than non users."

 

 

The article states that WAN and DECODE are seeking to extend the survey into additional countries. It asks national newspaper associations interested in participating to contact robert@decode.net

 

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Source

Young People's Media Network on June 4 2008.