Population Media Center ANNUAL REPORT 2000
President’s Message
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n 2000, Population Media Center experienced exponential growth in programs and visibility. We started 2000 — our 2nd full year of operation — with projects in four countries: the United States, The Philippines, Mexico and Ethiopia. We ended the year with projects in 10 countries, more than doubling our worldwide outreach. In the pages that follow, you will read about projects that are under way or in development in India, The Philippines, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Mexico and The United States. Clearly, there is tremendous demand for effective behavior change communication strategies. The strong scientific evidence for the effectiveness of the entertainment-education methodology created by Miguel Sabido of Mexico — using serialized dramas to create characters who evolve gradually into role models for the audience — has led to tremendous interest in the expertise of PMC personnel and far more requests for PMC’s assistance in developing Sabido-style programs than we have been able to respond to. Population Media Center’s personnel have unique depth of experience with application of the Sabido methodology to social and health concerns related to population and reproductive health issues around the world. But knowledge of the methodology is still far too limited globally, and, consequently, PMC devoted a good deal of time in 2000 to conducting capacitybuilding workshops for researchers, script writers and broadcast professionals. In September, PMC facilitated the participation of Miguel Sabido, President of the World Association of Producers of Entertainment-Education, and his colleague Sergio Alarcon, President of The World Entertainment-Education Foundation, in a global meeting of entertainment-education practitioners held in Amsterdam — the third in a series of such meetings that have occurred since 1989.
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As a result of our work, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has adopted the Sabido methodology as one of their official behavior change communication strategies for addressing AIDS in Africa. And so, in September, we conducted a six-country training workshop on the Sabido methodology for participants from Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, under sponsorship of the African Regional Headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC’s Office of Global Health. PMC also conducted a training workshop focused on formative research methodologies for the project team in Ethiopia in May. In addition, Tom Kazungu provided in-depth training in radio production to a producer from Botswana sponsored by the CDC. Many of the pioneers and leaders in the entertainment-education field have joined with Population Media Center to carry out its mission. These include: • Miguel Sabido, the creator of the social-content soap opera methodology; • David Poindexter, former president of Population Communications International (PCI), who is now PMC’s honorary chair; • Rodney Shaw, founder of The Population Institute and former Senior Vice President of PCI, who is now PMC’s Senior Vice President; • Tom Kazungu, the first African and the first person in radio to use the Sabido methodology, who now serves as the Director of Radio Production Training for PMC; • Rose Haji, the producer of a very successful Tanzanian radio serial using the Sabido methodology, who serves as a production trainer with PMC;
• Ramadhan Swalehe, who carried out the formative research and the evaluation of the Tanzanian serial, and who now serves as a research trainer for PMC; • Roger Pereira, producer of the blockbuster Indian television serial using the Sabido methodology in the early 1990s (with an average audience of 230 million viewers), who has now agreed to produce PMC’s planned television serial in India; • Cecile Alvarez, who represents PMC in The Philippines, and whose 1994 television soap opera became the subject of Barbara Pyle’s first People Count documentary on CNN and Turner Broadcasting; • Anameli Monroy, an adolescent sexuality expert, who is PMC’s Country Director in Mexico; and • Marcio Schiavo, who for twelve years has worked with David Poindexter and me in influencing Brazil’s TV Globo to incorporate family planning themes into its prime time serial dramas. • Our Program Advisory Board includes 32 key players in the fields of broadcasting, population stabilization and communications research. All of PMC's personnel and advisors recognize the need for our work and the necessity of expanding it to respond to the many countries that have requested our help. Population Media Center personnel conducted a total of seven international missions in 2000, although the requests for PMC’s help outpaced our ability to respond. There is a clear need to bring the Sabido behavior change communication methodology to more of the fastest growing countries in the world — and to those most severely affected by the AIDS epidemic. To do this requires philanthropic resources, commercial involvement and, most importantly, a commitment to spread the use of the methodology to new countries. Everyone involved with PMC shares that commitment. The media paid increasing attention to the organization and its work in 2000. Population Media Center collaborated with the Turner Broad-
casting Network and CNN in the development of six of the People Count documentaries produced by Barbara Pyle, and narrated by Jane Fonda. These programs have been provided absolutely free, with no licensing fees to broadcasters worldwide, and may be used for educational purposes in perpetuity. As a result, many countries in the developing world are now using People Count programs extensively. The segment entitled, “Heads Up,” a show about the impact of exponential population growth on the natural resources of Easter Island and the resulting collapse of human civilization there, was developed with support provided by PMC under a grant from the Teresa and H. John Heinz III
PMC’s William Ryerson was interviewed by Judy Woodruff on CNN. Charitable Fund. “A New Deal” featured how family planning services have been built into a microenterprise lending program sponsored by the UN Population Fund. “Soaps for Social Change” is an update of a 1994 documentary Barbara Pyle made about the Sabido-style television serial produced by Cecile Alvarez of The Philippines, PMC’s partner in that country. The earlier documentary played worldwide on CNN International during both the 1994 Conference on Population and Development in Cairo and the 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference. The updated documentary adds information about the use of soap operas for social change and Annual Report 2000
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uses Jane Fonda as host. In November, PMC’s honorary chair, David Poindexter, and I were interviewed by Cecile Alvarez on her nightly radio program, which is broadcast in the language, Tagalog (with a little English from guests) nationwide in The Philippines. In July and August, the Ethiopian Herald carried a series of articles on PMC’s project there. In Vermont, where PMC’s headquarters are located, the news media have taken a strong interest in our programs. Vermont Public Television has broadcast its Points North interview with me numerous times during the last year, and a news story about PMC was carried by WCAX, the local CBS affiliate. In addition, the newspaper, Seven Days, featured PMC in its March 15, 2000 issue. Population Media Center’s web site (www.population media.org) logged over 8,000 visitors during the year; an analysis of the monthly visits indicates that this number is climbing exponentially. The site was recently selected as one of the best educational resources on the web by Study Web (a division of LightSpan, Inc.), one of the internet’s premier sites for educational resources for students and teachers. The publicity about PMC’s work has generated numerous requests for speaking engagements about population issues and our entertainment-educa4
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tion strategy. In April 2000, I was the Earth Day speaker for an event in Boston co-sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists and Population Resource Center. Closer to home, I gave public addresses at Dartmouth College, the University of Vermont, and an Elderhostel event held at Killington Resort. To curb population growth requires not only family planning services, but also changing attitudes and behavior with regard to childbearing and related issues. The challenge is enormous, but it is clear that the behavior change communication strategy developed over the last quarter century by many of the people involved with PMC has great potential to speed the process of population stabilization. Behavior change programs via the entertainment mass media have great leverage and can deliver significant impact. I am thankful for the support of our dedicated and highly professional staff and for the trust that our contributors have placed in us. The progress we have made in the last year as a result of this support is nothing short of remarkable. We look forward to achieving even more in the year ahead.
With many thanks,
William N. Ryerson
PMC’s Approach
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arvard University biologist E. O. Wilson once said, “The citadel of the mind can not be taken by direct attack.” This is especially true with regard to the ingrained beliefs and behaviors in the area of family life. Traditions regarding the role and status of women, family size decisions, and sexual behavior have been shown scientifically to be more easily changed through role modeling by characters in emotion-packed serial dramas than through direct information and education programs. Entertainment programs attract larger audiences, and audience members form emotional bonds with characters; in turn, those characters influence social norms. Enhancing the capacity of various countries to carry out effective communication strategies related to family and reproductive health and associated social issues serves as the cornerstone of PMC’s mission. As a result of international collaboration among developing countries, each country team involved with a PMC project develops unique programs written in local languages, acted by indigenous talent, and produced by qualified indigenous professionals. These programs are based on research into
Program Activities the effects of the culture on sexual and reproductive decision-making carried out in the country. This strategy helps to ensure that the programs are both culturally relevant and engaging to the audience of that country. In each country, Population Media Center searches for a highly qualified person to become its Country Representative. This person brings together research institutions, producers and writers to constitute the PMC country team. Population Media Center also brings together representatives of the government, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, and broadcasters to collaborate on the project and to constitute the project advisory committee. Rather than focusing on just one issue, such as family planning or family size decision-making, the programs address a wide range of social and health issues that are of relevance to the audience. Programs are reflective of life in a given society, not generic infomercials about reproductive health. Population Media Center’s programs promote health and human dignity through highly entertaining programs that aid informed decision-making by PMC the audience.
Ethiopia Dr. Negussie Teffera, Country Representative In the last year, Ethiopia has added over 1.5 million people to a population that ranks as East Africa’s most populous. In the last decade, per capita income has declined six percent, and now stands at $100 per year. Under the able leadership of Dr. Negussie Teffera, the country’s foremost expert on population, the PMC project in Ethiopia is moving forward toward the launching of a two-language radio serial highlighting family size issues, reproductive health, and the status of women. Prior to joining forces with PMC, Dr. Negussie was the Di-
rector of the government’s National Office of Population, where he developed the population policy of the country and oversaw its implementation for seven years. In February 2000, PMC President William Ryerson and Dr. Christine Galavotti, Chief of the Behavioral Research Unit, HIV Section of the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health, worked with Dr. Negussie in Addis Ababa to assist with the selection of a research team for formative research. In May 2000, PMC conducted a training workshop on formative research methodologies that also included an overview of entertainment-education strategies.
Facilitators and participants in the formative research workshop held in Addis Ababa in May 2000
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PMC Ethiopia Country Representative Dr. Negussie Teffera introduces Dr. Benson Morah (2nd from right), Country Representative for UNFPA, at the May workshop in Ethiopia. Working with a team of researchers under contract with PMC, Dr. Negussie has overseen completion of a thorough review of existing publications regarding the interaction of Ethiopian culture and sexual and reproductive decision-making. In addition, PMC conducted an assessment of public attitudes towards recent and current programming on Ethiopian radio dealing with population, family planning and related subjects. The report from this study offers numerous insights into how the PMC program should be designed to ensure both its popularity and impact on attitudes and behavior. A plan was developed for qualitative data collection through interviews and focus groups in the Amhara and 6
Population Media Center
Oromia regions of the country, with technical input by behavioral scientists at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The research team is headed by Dr. Assefa Hailemariam, one of the country’s leading demographers. The research findings will be used to create a list of priority issues to be addressed by the program and a policy framework that represents the official policies of the country with regard to these issues. These documents will then be used to create a series of value statements with regard to each issue that will guide the scriptwriters in the design of characters and storylines. Dr. Negussie has identified a team of producers and writers for involvement in the project.
In November 2000, Tom Kazungu, PMC’s Director of Radio Production Training, spent a week briefing them on the Sabido methodology. Population Media Center’s offices in Addis Ababa are located in a building containing a radio studio, which we can use for production. Various government ministries, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies have been brought together in a program advisory committee, which met twice in 2000 for briefings on the formative research process and plans for the program. Radio Ethiopia has provided a letter of intent to carry the PMC radio serial. Mr. Fekadu Yemiru, Deputy General Manager of Radio Ethiopia, joined Dr. Negussie and three others in attending a three-day workshop PMC conducted for six African countries on the Sabido methodology in September 2000 in Johannesburg. The workshop was co-sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Office of Global Health of the CDC. PMC Ethiopia served as a member of the organizing committee for a national workshop on adolescent reproductive health held in Bahar Dar in November 2000, with support from the Packard Foundation. Population Media Center was selected to chair the media and communications committee of this national conference.
Dr. Negussie also chaired a discussion on the communication framework for addressing HIV/ AIDS at the African Development Forum 2000, which was held in Addis Ababa in December. The Ethiopian Herald and other newspapers have carried numerous stories about PMC’s work in Ethiopia. PMC received a three-year $750,000 grant from the David & Lucile Packard Foundation for support of the project in Ethiopia in 2000. The UN Population Fund also has become an official sponsor of the project. In addition, several individuals have provided private support. Ghana Located in Western Africa, Ghana has a population of 20 million and a population doubling time of 29 years. With support from the CARE-CDC Health Initiative, PMC provided technical assis-
a behavior change communication project to address HIV/ AIDS and reproductive health issues. During a visit to Ghana by Bill Ryerson and Dr. Christine Galavotti of the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health in June, 2000, meetings were held with broadcasters and researchers to discuss the plans for the project and to make recommendations to CARE regarding engagement of a research team to carry out formative research. During the trip, a meeting was held with key stakeholder agencies, including representatives of various donor countries and UN groups. The concept of a Sabidostyle serial drama on radio was strongly endorsed by this group as a unique contribution to the promotion of reproductive health in Ghana. The UN Population Fund agreed to become an official sponsor of the project. The trip included a visit to western Ghana for meetings with
Based on recommendations by PMC and CDC, Research and Communication Resources, Ltd. was engaged to design and carry out the formative research. PMC prepared terms of reference for the research, and participated with CDC in the review of the research protocol. Following that, the research team began the process of conducting a review of the existing literature. In addition, they began an assessment of the health service infrastructure in Ghana and an assessment of media consumption patterns among the people, with the focus on youth and young adults. Representatives of CAREGhana participated in the May workshop on formative research that PMC held in Ethiopia, and representatives of the research team, project managers and broadcasters attended the September methodology workshop PMC conducted in Johannesburg.
William Ryerson (standing, 2nd from right) and Luke Nkinsi (standing, 3rd from left) of the CARE-CDC Health Initiative, visit with staff of CARE-Ghana in Obuasi, Ghana. Solomon Panford (standing, right) tance to CARE-Ghana in the de- two radio stations that agreed to oversees the behavior velopment of the early stages of carry the resulting serial drama. change communication project in Obuasi. Annual Report 2000
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Botswana During 2000, Population Media Center collaborated with CDC’s BOTUSA project to establish a behavior change communication program in Botswana. The country has the highest rate of HIV infection in the world, estimated at 36% of the adult population.
In Botswana, 81 percent of the population listens to radio several times a week.
A recent survey in Botswana showed that 81% of the population listens to radio several times a week. While Radio Botswana has the highest penetration, several private FM stations have captured significant portions of the urban youth audience. Bill Ryerson first visited Botswana in July 2000, accompanied by Dr. Christine Galavotti of CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health. The visit started with a meeting of stakeholder agencies, including representatives of government ministries, NGOs and UN bodies. The 8
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stakeholders strongly endorsed the project as a new approach in the field of social and health communications. The team also met with the Director of Information and Broadcasting and negotiated free air time for the radio serial on Radio Botswana’s most widely heard station, RB1. Additionally, the team met with officials from the University of Botswana regarding the formative research needs of the project. CDC subsequently engaged a team of researchers from the University. The team also interviewed a producer, Geoffrey Motshidisi, who was recommended by the Minister of Health. Following the visit, PMC developed a job description and contract for CDC’s use in employing Mr. Motshidisi. Tom Kazungu provided a week of training in radio production for Mr. Motshidisi in Kazungu’s Nairobi studio. PMC also developed a plan of action and budget for the project. A delegation of nine people from Botswana attended the PMC methodology workshop in Johannesburg in September. Following that workshop, Ramadhan Swalehe and Bill Ryerson joined Amy Lansky of CDC in Botswana to develop a plan of action for the formative research. The plan included interviews with researchers, service providers, NGOs, traditional healers, religious leaders, community leaders, teachers, bar owners, taxi drivers, commercial
sex workers, miners, soldiers, and the general population of married and unmarried men and women and youth (both inschool and out-of-school). As with other projects, the research in Botswana started with a literature review and an analysis of the health service infrastructure and media consumption patterns. As the research was getting started, Botswana Television (BTV) went on the air for the first time. While radio is still the medium of choice to reach the largest number of people in Botswana, it became apparent before the research was over that television is an important medium in urban areas. The plan that evolved is for a twice-weekly half-hour serial drama in Setswana. A summary of the episodes will appear each Saturday in a weekly newspaper column, courtesy of the Department of Information and Broadcasting in the Office of the President. While the formative research moved forward in the last months of 2000, PMC assisted CDC in the recruitment of scriptwriters and developed plans for an in-depth workshop for the writing and production team. Malawi Malawi is a country of nearly 11 million people, with a population doubling time of 36 years. The average per capita income is $210 per year. Currently, 14 percent of married women use mod-
PMC Honorary Chair David Poindexter visits with Dr. Angela Trenton-Mbonde (left), Country Representative for UNAIDS, and Ms. Zahra M. Nuru, UNDP Resident Representative, in Malawi in October 2000.
project. As a result, PMC began developing a plan and budget for a Chichewa-language radio serial drama and the associated formative and evaluative research. ern methods of contraception. At the invitation of the WHO country representative in Malawi, PMC honorary chair David Poindexter visited the country in October 2000. Among the meetings organized by WHO was a meeting with approximately 20 members of the technical working group on AIDS, including UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA, The National AIDS Control Programme, the ECAIDS Project, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Information, foreign government representatives, and various broadcasters and NGOs. The group strongly endorsed the concept of a Sabidostyle soap opera on radio to address issues of AIDS and reproductive health. Poindexter also held meetings with the Honorable J. Malewezi, Vice President of Malawi, and the Honorable Mr. A. Banda, Minster of Health. Both endorsed the
Zimbabwe A country of 11 million people, Zimbabwe has among the highest AIDS infection rates in the world. Three missions to Zimbabwe in 2000 led to a plan and budget for a serial drama project dealing with family planning, AIDS avoidance and related reproductive health issues. During these three trips, Bill Ryerson met with key stakeholder agencies, including representatives of the Ministry of Health, the National AIDS Commission, UN agencies and NGOs, all of whom expressed strong support for the project. Zimbabwe’s CDC office, which invited PMC to undertake these missions, participated in most of the meetings, along with Dr. Christine Galavotti of CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health. A total of seven representatives from Zimbabwe attended the methodology workshop PMC conducted in Johannesburg in
September. Two of these were radio producers, whose travel was underwritten by PMC. The others were sponsored by the World Health Organization or CDC. The third visit, in November 2000, included both Tom Kazungu and Bill Ryerson. During that trip, potential project managers were interviewed, and producers, writers and studio facilities needed for the project were identified. A formal search process for a project manager was undertaken at year’s end by a consultant engaged by CDC. The plan that emerged for Zimbabwe is a three-language radio serial drama (in Shona, Ndebele, and English) to be played on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s (ZBC) Radio Two, which broadcasts nationwide. ZBC has agreed to air the program. Project Exploration in Africa In February 2000, Bill Ryerson was accompanied by Dr. Christine Galavotti, of the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health, on a trip to Africa. In addition to a stop in Ethiopia, exploratory visits were made to Kenya and Uganda regarding the possibility of developing PMC projects in those countries. Meetings were held with government officials, UN agency representatives, broadcasters, and research institutions to assess current communications projects on population issues and to determine the feasibility of undertakAnnual Report 2000
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LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF
ing a PMC project. In both Kenya and Uganda, there are strong indications of interest in a PMC entertainment-education program. As PMC expands its staff over the coming year, we anticipate further developments in one or both of these countries.
Spanish, throughout the region. In 2000, Population Media Center partnered with Comunicarte, a non-governmental organization in Rio de Janeiro, to influence the prime time programs of TV Globo. The staff of this project meets regularly with the writers of the prime
Lacos de Familia (“Family Ties”). They were broadcast nationwide in Brazil and exported to 122 countries worldwide, dubbed into various languages. In 2000, these four soaps inserted 580 socio-educational scenes — referred to as “social product placement” — dealing with issues of interest to PMC. These issues include reproductive health, gender relations and the rights of children and adolescents. The project focuses on bringing in themes that relate to contemporary issues in Brazilian society. In addition to regular meetings with the writers of the prime time soaps, project staff developed a “writer’s book,” a reference text In 2000, four soap operas broadcast nationally in Brazil containing a series of included nearly 600 socio-educational scenes dealing with briefings on the various reproductive health, gender relations and the rights of and social and health ischildren and adolescents. sues that might be appropriate for that proBrazil time soap operas of TV Globo gram, plus references to experts Marcio Schiavo, to suggest themes and storylines and institutions, articles on enCountry Representative dealing with reproductive health tertainment-education, and a retBrazil is the largest country in and related social issues that can rospective of the author’s previLatin America, with a popula- be incorporated into these pro- ous television writing, with an tion of 170 million people. grams. The staff monitors the emphasis on the social issues adWhile its population doubling programs to evaluate the num- dressed in his or her work. The time has slowed to 45 years, it is ber of social and health themes writer’s book also includes a proincreasingly important as a that are incorporated. spective calendar that provides source of television programThe four soap operas in- the author with concise informaming for the rest of Latin cluded in the project were tion 60 days in advance of imAmerica. TV Globo exports it Malhacao (“Working Out”), portant dates or events that programs, expertly dubbed into Vila Madalena, Uga Uga, and might serve as “hooks” for enter10
Population Media Center
tainment-education scenes (such as the International Day for Women, the International Day for the Environment, and World Population Day). In 2000, PMC and Comunicarte consolidated the strategic alliance established with the Ayrton Senna Institute in 1999. The Senna Institute is collaborating in the monitoring, recording and analyzing of social product placement scenes in the TV Globo soap operas, as well as in the development of the writer’s book. PMC and Comunicarte have also formed a partnership with the Children’s Rights News Service, which uses monthly reports by Comunicarte on coverage of children’s issues in the media in its three publications: Newsclip Analysis, Free Radicals and Young Media. Of particular interest to the Children’s Rights News Service are the socio-educational scenes related to childhood and adolescent issues, especially those related to the rights of children and adolescents. Brazilian print media have taken great interest in the work of Comunicarte and PMC in Brazil. The Journal da Tarde (Afternoon Newspaper) carried a story on the launching of the writer’s book entitled, “An NGO Helps TV Bring Reality to Fiction.” The article introduced social product placement as an innovative form of distance learning. The February issue of Voce S. A. (You, Inc.) magazine
also covered the concept of social product placement in existing entertainment programs. The focus of that article was on the degree to which people were talking about these programs
(CONAPO). These states lag behind the rest of the country in what has been a remarkable demographic transition, from an average family size of 6.2 children per couple in 1978 to
PMC Mexico Country Representative Dra. Anameli Monroy speaks at a PMC workshop for journalists on coverage of adolescent reproductive health issues.
and the issues that they covered throughout Brazilian society. The magazine Marketing also carried a story about this work, including an interview with Marcio Schiavo. Mexico Anameli Monroy, Country Representative Mexico is a country of 100 million people, with a doubling time of 36 years. Most of its growth comes from five highfertility states that have been identified as priority states by the government’s National Population Council
the current fertility rate of 2.4 children per woman. One of the reasons for the higher fertility rates in the five priority states is that they have largely been bypassed by television (including the family planning soap operas of Miguel Sabido), both because of lack of ownership of TVs and, in some regions, use of indigenous languages instead of Spanish as the primary spoken language. Together with Mexico’s CONAPO, PMC and its NGO partner in Mexico, CORA (Adolescent Orientation Center) have designed a plan for use of radio Annual Report 2000
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programs to reach the priority states. The programs will meld several communication strategies successfully applied elsewhere in Mexico with young people and will be designed to promote replacement level fertility and delayed parenthood. The project provides for treatment of a variety of fertility and family planning related topics during weekly hour-long broadcasts. Each topic will be covered by four broadcasts, the first and third of which will include melodramas written and produced by young people and aimed at a youthful audience. The second and fourth broadcasts on each topic will be utilized for radio forums to bring together youth and professionals to discuss the drama’s message and the impact of the issue on the lives of adolescents. As part of these forums, open telephone lines will allow audience members to join in the process. The target audience will be 15-25 year-olds, but the programs will also appeal to parents, teachers, health professionals and other adults interested in young people. The project’s strategy includes training institutions to which the youth can turn for effective and high-quality services. In 2000, Anameli Monroy developed this plan and obtained commitments from state radio stations in three of the states to provide free airtime for the programs. She also successfully pilot-tested the model in Puebla 12
Population Media Center
state (one of the priority states). In addition, PMC carried out workshops to sensitize media professionals about adolescent reproductive health issues in three states. Each one was attended by approximately 50 journalists and other media professionals. Population Media Center also helped send a group of young people to Guerrero State to
Miguel Sabido
present role-plays on issues related to adolescent reproductive health during Adolescent Health Week. The broadcast media carried interviews with Anameli Monroy focused on adolescent reproductive health issues numerous times during the year. She participated in four TV shows on Channel 11 as well as three radio interviews on The Children’s Hour.
for creating a television serial drama for African American youth took a leap forward in 2000 when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded $244,000 to cover the research expenses. PMC was instrumental in arranging the contract with Motivational Educational Entertainment (MEE), a company specializing in social and health research related to African American youth. The research plan calls for holding focus group discussions in Washington, DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta. Individual interviews will then be conducted with trendsetters identified from these groups. PMC will be assembling an advisory committee for the project, with high-level representatives from the AfricanAmerican community. In 2000, Population Media Center received support for the project from the Vital Spark Foundation. New Urban Entertainment Television (NUE-TV) — the cable company that has stated its intention to run the resulting TV serial drama — began broadcasting via AT&T Broadband in several markets in the US and Caribbean in July 2000.
India The United States India is a high priority country The formative research required for Population Media Center.
GENE THIEMANN/LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF
visit, Ryerson and Poindexter met with government officials, broadcasters, producers and researchers. Roger Pereira, whose last family planning serial, Humraahi, had a regular audience of 230 million viewers and was the top rated program on the air, agreed to produce the next TV program. In collaboration with Pereira, PMC developed a plan for a twolanguage serial in Hindi and Tamil, designed to reach the largest potential televiIndia has a population of more sion audience. than one billion people, and adds Population Media the largest increment of any Center developed country to the world’s population terms of reference for each year: approximately 18 the formative research, million people. and Pereira obtained proposals from research institutions for that With a population of over one work. The formative research billion people, it adds the largest will be used to shape characters increment of any country to the and storylines. world’s population each year, approximately 18 million people The Philippines — or a new Mumbai (Bombay) Cecile Alvarez, Country Representative every year. In November, 2000, Bill The Philippines is a largely Ryerson and David Poindexter Catholic country with a popuvisited New Delhi and Mumbai lation of 80 million people, and to assess the feasibility of a tele- a population doubling time of vision serialized drama dealing 31 years. In November, 2000, Bill with family planning, family size, AIDS avoidance and the Ryerson and David Poindexter status of women. During the visited Manila to make final
preparations, including engaging a planning team, for a summit meeting of soap opera producers and writers planned for February, 2001. Soap operas are a way of life in The Philippines, with almost 30 of them televised nearly every day. Bringing together the producers and writers of these programs is a cost-effective way to encourage them to incorporate social and health issues affecting population trends into their programs. As a result of PMC’s visit, the following groups agreed to cosponsor the event: EarthSavers (an organization dealing with environmental issues that features a performing group of street children and disabled children founded by PMC partner Cecile Alvarez); The GLOBE Parliamentarians (Global Legislators Organized for a Balanced Environment); the Philippine Legislative Committee on Population and Development; the Commission on Population (POPCOM); The Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare; the government’s Commission on Human Rights; the government’s Department of Social Welfare and Development; the UN Development Program; the Advertising Foundation of The Philippines; and various NGOs. Ryerson and Poindexter were interviewed by several broadcast and print media during PMC their trip. Annual Report 2000
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Financial Analysis
Support from Institutional Donors
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The following institutions provided support to PMC during calendar year 2000:
asari Pal, writing in City of Joy, said, “All that is not given is lost.” A number of donors have said that they regretted not giving more to PMC in early 2000 when the stock market was at its peak. That said, PMC’s donors — individuals, foundations, corporations and organizations — gave generously to the organization throughout the year despite market conditions. The growth in Population Media Center’s volume of program activities — from four countries to ten in one year — bespeaks tremendous faith in PMC’s entertainment-education strategy and its highly experienced personnel. Numerous requests have been received from countries — including Nigeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Liberia, and Indonesia — that want PMC to develop projects that address their specific population problems and related health and social issues. PMC’s ability to respond depends upon continued support from donors. A review of the financial statements that follow reveals that 89% of expenditures in 2000 directly supported program activities, an improvement over last year’s 81%. Support and revenue grew from $616,484 in 1999 to $1,888,487 in 2000, a 77% increase. The very generous support of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for the project in Ethiopia accounts for much of this increase. While this grant is actually payable over three years, for accounting purposes, it must be counted in the year the grant is started. Last year, the world’s population grew by almost 85 million people, exacerbating already critical situations with regard to fresh water shortages, energy demands, climate change and extinction of plants and animal species. The world is facing serious environmental stress, and much of what we value about the earth is in danger of being lost. Supporting Population Media Center is one of the most cost-effective ways to bring about the massive changes in attitudes and behavior necessary for achieving a sustainable world. The 2000 financial statements on the following pages are a summary of PMC’s audited financial statements. Copies of the complete audited statements are available PMC upon request. 14
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Bancker-Williams Foundation The Belmont Foundation Alexander H. Bright Charitable Trust L. P. Brown Foundation Bushrod H. Campbell and Adah F. Hall Charity Fund The Cart Foundation Jane and Worth B. Daniels, Jr. Fund of the Baltimore Community Foundation Do Good Fund of Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund The Eucalyptus Foundation Joan Inman Fund of the Vanguard Public Foundation International Monetary Fund Nirvana Manana Institute The Ogburn Family Fund of the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program David & Lucile Packard Foundation Rinehart Family Foundation of Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Round Hill Fund of Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Schneider Foundation Snoeyenbos Foundation Troy Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church Vital Spark Foundation The Wollenberg Foundation
Population Media Center, Inc. STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION December 31, 2000 (With Summarized Information for 1999)
2000
1999
$377,946 29,997 31,438 8,840 487,500 57,657
$496,646 — 700 — — —
$993,378
$497,346
$5,495 38,692 44,187
$5,958 30,788 36,746
293,745 655,446 — 949,191
430,600 30,000 — 460,600
$993,378
$497,346
ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Expense reimbursement receivable Expense advances Prepaid rent Grant receivable, net of discount Equipment, net of accumulated depreciation TOTAL ASSETS
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabilities: Accounts payable Accrued expenses Total Liabilities Net Assets: Unrestricted Temporarily restricted Permanently restricted Total Net Assets
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Annual Report 2000
15
Population Media Center, Inc. STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES For the Year Ended December 31, 2000 (With Summarized Information for 1999)
Temporarily Unrestricted Restricted Support and revenue: Contributions Interest income Net assets released from restrictions: Transfers to fulfill purpose restrictions Total support and revenue Expenses: Program services: General program development National initiatives Supporting services: Management and general Fundraising Total expenses Change in net assets Net assets, beginning of the year Net assets, end of the year
16
Population Media Center
2000 Total
1999 Total
$285,638 20,349
$782,500 —
$1,068,138 20,349
$608,990 7,494
157,054 463,041
(157,054) 625,446
— 1,088,487
— 616,484
218,265 314,413
— —
218,265 314,413
283,561 71,753
41,879 25,339 599,896
— — —
41,879 25,339 599,896
59,640 24,890 439,844
(136,855)
625,446
488,591
176,640
430,600
30,000
460,600
283,960
$293,745
$655,446
$949,191
$460,600
Population Media Center, Inc. STATEMENT OF FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES For the Year Ended December 31, 2000 (With Summarized Information for 1999)
Program Expenses Program National Develop. Initiatives
Salaries $135,074 Payroll taxes 8,342 Benefits 8,920 Computer and website 7,788 Conferences — Contractual services 11,507 Depreciation — Dues & publications 1,445 Insurance 4,042 Legal & accounting — Miscellaneous — Office supplies 2,486 Postage & shipping 1,873 Printing & copying 8,905 Registration & fees 1,609 Rent — Telephone & internet 8,658 Travel 17,616
Total ManageProgram ment Fund Expenses & General raising
2000 TOTAL
1999 TOTAL
$47,278 $182,352 2,920 11,262 4,015 12,935 1,638 9,426 3,094 3,094 119,795 131,302 28,828 28,828 1,739 3,184 666 4,708 8,271 8,271 132 132 3,455 5,941 1,844 3,717 1,176 10,081 2,853 4,462 4,105 4,105 3,279 11,937 79,325 96,941
$20,299 1,044 894 249 — 1,949 — — 2,315 8,525 907 745 186 376 1,249 — 1,248 1,893
$22,558 1,139 721 — — 433 — 220 — — — 8 260 — — — — —
$225,209 $189,705 13,445 12,932 14,550 12,331 9,675 6,087 3,094 — 133,684 101,717 28,828 — 3,404 1,180 7,023 5,945 16,796 5,070 1,039 915 6,694 2,014 4,163 2,538 10,457 6,039 5,711 1,337 4,105 — 13,185 8,948 98,834 83,086
$218,265 $314,413 $532,678
$41,879
$25,339
$599,896 $439,844
Annual Report 2000
17
Population Media Center, Inc. STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS For the Year Ended December 31, 2000 (With Summarized Information for 1999)
2000
1999
$488,591
$176,640
28,828
—
(60,735) (8,840) (487,500)
(300) — —
(463) 7,904
3,206 4,697
(32,215)
184,243
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Acquisition of equipment
(86,485)
—
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES None
—
—
(118,700)
184,243
496,646
312,403
$377,946
$496,646
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: Change in net assets Adjustments to reconcile change in net assets to net cash from operating activities: Depreciation (Increase) / decrease in operating assets: Expense reimbursements and advances Prepaid rent Grant receivable Increase / (decrease) in operating liabilities: Accounts payable Accrued expenses NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES
NET INCREASE / (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS: Beginning of year End of year
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Population Media Center
POPULATION MEDIA CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Virginia Carter, Redondo Beach, California
William N. Ryerson, Shelburne, Vermont
Phillip Thorson, Bethesda, Maryland
Former Senior Vice-President and head of drama for TV producer Norman Lear and trainer of developing-country broadcasters in development of social-content soap operas.
PMC founder, with 30 years of experience as a professional in the population field, including 12 years as Executive VicePresident of Population Communications International
Retired Director of Administration of the International Monetary Fund
POPULATION MEDIA CENTER PROGRAM ADVISORY BOARD Qutubuddin Aziz, Karachi, Pakistan
Dr. Norman Borlaug, Mexico City, Mexico
Former Chairman of the National Press Trust of Pakistan (which owns nine dailies, five weeklies and two monthlies) and Director of the United Press of Pakistan news service. He also held the post of Minister for Information at the Embassy of Pakistan in London from 1978 to 1986.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in developing high-yield wheat that led to the Green Revolution in the 1970s. Founder of CIMMYT, an agricultural research station in Mexico City. Professor with the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University.
Dr. Albert Bandura, Stanford, California
Chester Burger, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. New York, New York Developed social learning theory, which postulates that people acquire attitudes, values and styles of behavior through social modeling. Often testifies before Congress on the effects of television programming on the behavior of viewers.
Dr. Albert Allen Bartlett, Boulder, Colorado Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Frequent speaker on the meaning of exponential growth.
Ted Bookstaver, New York, New York
Retired public relations and advertising executive. Past President of Communications Counselors, a public relations firm. Founded the nation’s first communications management consulting firm. Was the nation’s first television news reporter (at CBS in 1946). Played a leadership role in the civil rights campaigns.
Fred Cohen, New York, New York President of King World International, handling worldwide distribution of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and numerous other shows. Former director of cultural affairs, PBS.
Director of International Sales, King World International Annual Report 2000
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Deecie McNelly Denison, Fairlee, Vermont
Richard S. Halpern, Ph.D., Atlanta, Georgia
An organizational and education consultant with extensive experience in teaching communication courses at the college level and experience with international and cross-cultural issues.
Independent consultant in strategic marketing and opinion research. Adjunct Professor of Mass Communications at Georgia Institute of Technology. Retired Global Director of Advertising Research of Coca-Cola Company.
Lucy Lee Grimes Evans, New Canaan, Connecticut A columnist with the Stamford Advocate. Also a district representative for Zero Population Growth and a longtime population stabilization advocate.
Maisha L. Hazzard, Ph.D., Inglewood, California
Former Professor of Telecommunications and co-founder of Communication and Development Studies at Ohio University; served as special advisor, trainer, strategic communication specialist, and/or head writer/producer Lindsey Grant, for communication and development projects Santa Fe, New Mexico A writer and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for governments, media entities, universities, and social service agencies in the Caribbean, of State for Population and Environment. His Africa, India, and the USA; currently, Presibooks include Juggernaut: Growth on a Finite Planet, How Many Americans?, Elephants in the dent of SpiritWorks Communications and Vice Volkswagen, and Foresight, National Decisions: President of Strategic Developments at BreakAway Technologies in Los Angeles. The Horseman and the Bureaucrat, and Too Many People: The Case for Reversing Growth.
Hope S. Green, Burlington, Vermont Consultant to public broadcasting companies and others, founding board member of World Radio and Television Council, formerly both president of Vermont Public Television and vice chair of the PBS Board.
Lynn Gutstadt, San Anselmo, California Former Vice President of Audience Research for the CNN News Group. Founded and built department, overseeing all programming and consumer marketing research for the CNN television networks and Internet sites. Currently independent consultant in media and marketing research, based in northern California. 20
Population Media Center
Marilyn Hempel, Claremont, California Executive Director of the Population Coalition of the League of Women Voters and a member of the Executive Committee of the U.S. Sustainable Population Policy Project.
Dr. Tony Johnston, Nairobi, Kenya Executive Director, Population Communication Africa. Previously Director, UNFPA Program for Population IEC Research Training, Eastern and Southern Africa.
Shiv Khare, Bangkok, Thailand Executive Director of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Develop-
ment. Previously was Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Youth in Copenhagen and Executive Director of the Youth and Family Planning Program Council of India.
Richard D. Lamm, Denver, Colorado Director of the Center for Public Policy and Contemporary Issues and a professor at Denver University. Member of the board of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Former three-term governor of Colorado, and past president of Zero Population Growth.
Dr. Charles L. Remington, New Haven, Connecticut Professor of biology (emeritus) at Yale University. Program Chair of the first national Congress on Optimum Population and Environment in 1970. Co-founder with Paul Ehrlich of Zero Population Growth and past Chair of the ZPG Foundation. Teaches an interdisciplinary course at Yale entitled “World Population and Environmental Issues.”
Dr. Everett Rogers, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Past Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (until 1986); now heads his own private sector broadcasting organization.
Professor of Communication and Journalism at the University of New Mexico and leading researcher on the effects of entertainmenteducation soap operas in developing countries. Co-author of Entertainment-Education: A Communication Strategy for Social Change.
Leopoldo Peralta, Queretaro, Mexico
Hon. Tom Sawyer, Washington, DC
President of the Mexican Population and Cultural Foundation and a regional director of the National Institute on Migration in the Secretaria de Gobernacion of the government of Mexico. Former congressman in the Mexican Congress. Also an industrialist with operations in Mexico City, Morelia and San Juan del Rio, Mexico.
Congressman from Ohio and Co-Chair of the Population Task Force of the U.S. Congress.
Vincent Maduka, Lagos, Nigeria
Roger Pereira, Bombay, India Head of Burson-Marstellar Roger Pereira Communications and past producer of Humraahi, an Indian family planning soap opera.
Dr. David Pimentel, Ithaca, New York Professor of Ecology and Agricultural Sciences at Cornell University and a prolific author and speaker about population issues. Member of the Executive Committee of the U.S. Sustainable Population Policy Project.
Jerri Lea Shaw, Bethesda, Maryland Founder and President of a consulting firm focused on strengthening health care policy, financing and service delivery.
O. J. Sikes, New York, New York Deputy Director of the Latin America and Caribbean Division, U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA). Formerly Chief of UNFPA’s Education, Communication & Youth Branch; developed UNESCO’s population education program in the early 1970s; designed innovative approaches to population communication and education with the Carolina Population Center in the 1960s. Work experience in 40 countries. Annual Report 2000
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Dr. Arvind Singhal, Athens, Ohio Professor of Communications at the School of Communications at Ohio University and a researcher of the effects of entertainmenteducation programs. Co-author of Entertainment-Education: A Communication Strategy for Social Change.
Monique Tilford, Takoma Park, Maryland Development Director of the Center for a New American Dream. Former Executive Director of Wild Earth and previous Executive Director of the Carrying Capacity Network.
Peter C. Vesey, Atlanta, Georgia An international broadcasting consultant who works with clients in the developing world. Previously, at CNN, developed the CNN International networks.
Dr. Charles Westoff, Princeton, New Jersey Maurice P. During ’22 Professor of Demographic Studies and Sociology at Princeton University, specializing in population policy and in fertility and family planning research in developing countries. From 1974 to 1992, he was Director of the Office of Population Research at Princeton University. A specialist in demographic research in Africa.
David Yount, Duluth, Minnesota Research ecologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1972 to 1999; current research in human carrying capacity as PMC an indicator of regional sustainability.
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Population Media Center
KEY PERSONNEL OF POPULATION MEDIA CENTER William Ryerson — William Ryerson, PMC’s founder and President, has a 30-year history of working in the field of population, including 15 years of experience in adapting the Sabido methodology for behavior change communications to various cultural settings worldwide. He has also been involved in the design of research to measure the effects of such projects in a number of countries, one of which has led to a series of publications regarding a serialized radio drama in Tanzania and its effects on HIV/AIDS avoidance and family planning use. Mr. Ryerson is listed in several editions of Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the East. Peter Ames — Executive Vice President Peter Ames has been active in the population field for 30 years, both professionally and as a volunteer. He has worked as a researcher at the Population Council and as Director of Finance and Administration with the Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception. He holds a J.D. in International Law and Business from Harvard Law School, and has studied development economics, international organizations and languages at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Italy. He has worked in 25 countries and is the author of many articles, including a chapter on “Laws Relating to Contraception, Abortion and Sterilization” for the report of the President’s Commission on Population Growth and the American Future. Rose Haji — Rose Haji is a producer for Radio Tanzania and oversaw production of the serialized radio drama Twende na Wakati, which, from 1993 to 1997, was successful in changing behavior with regard to HIV/AIDS prevention and reproductive health on a populationwide level in Tanzania.
on a theoretical framework in which Dramatic Theory, the Social Learning Theory of Professor Albert Bandura of Stanford University, Communication Theory and Sabido’s own Theory of the Tone interact), is serving as a consultant to Population Media Center and other institutions in several countries. For over 17 years, he served as Vice President for Research for the Mexican network, Televisa, where he created his now famous serial dramas or telenovellas, and then took his entertainment-education concept to the Internet, Dra. Anameli Monroy — Dra. Monroy is PMC’s in a new endeavor called “web-novella”. His Country Representative in Mexico. A practicing work has been recognized around the world. psychologist, she is a leader in the field of He is President of the World Association of adolescent pregnancy prevention. She founded Producers of Entertainment-Education. and runs the Adolescent Orientation Center of Marcio Schiavo — Marcio Schiavo is PMC’s Mexico and has served as a youth advisor to Country Representative in Brazil. He is also numerous organizations, including the World director of Comunicarte of Brazil, which toHealth Organization, the United Nations gether with PMC, works to influence the Population Fund and the Kellogg Foundation. content of prime time entertainment programTom Kazungu — Director of Top-Com Productions of Nairobi, Tom Kazungu has produced three radio serial dramas in Kenya using the Sabido methodology to promote avoidance of HIV/AIDS and family planning use, starting in 1986. In addition, he has provided training and technical assistance to radio producers and writers for application of this methodology in Tanzania, Botswana, and India. He serves as Director of Radio Production Training for Population Media Center.
Dr. Negussie Teffera — Dr Negussie is PMC’s Country Representative in Ethiopia. He is the former Director of the National Office of Population. In that role over a seven-year period, he wrote the country’s population policy and oversaw its adoption and implementation. Dr. Negussie holds a Ph.D. in Communications from Cardiff University in Wales and has extensive experience in radio production. David Poindexter — David Poindexter has 30 years of experience in communications strategies related to family planning and reproductive health worldwide, including 23 years of applying the Sabido methodology in various cultural settings in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He was founder and President of Population Communications International. He serves as a program consultant and as Honorary Chair to Population Media Center. Miguel Sabido — Miguel Sabido of Mexico, who pioneered in the use of commercial serial dramas to achieve positive social goals (based
ming on the most popular programs on television with regard to population and reproductive health issues. Rodney Shaw — Rodney Shaw is founder and past president of The Population Institute and has been a leader in the population field for 30 years. He also started the Methodist Department of Population Problems and the Religious Coalition on Abortion Rights. He is past Senior Vice President of Population Communications International. He serves as Senior Vice President of PMC from Washington, DC. Ramadhan Swalehe — Ramadhan Swalehe oversaw the formative and evaluative research process for the radio serial drama, Twende na Wakati, in Tanzania that was successful in changing behavior with regard to HIV/AIDS avoidance and family planning use. He currently serves as an information, education & communication specialist with the Tanzania Social Action Fund, in addition to his work as Research Trainer PMC for Population Media Center. Annual Report 2000
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Population Media Center PO Box 547 Shelburne, VT 05482-0547 USA Phone: (802) 985-8156 Fax: (802) 985-8119 Web site: www.populationmedia.org Email: pmc@populationmedia.org
Edited by: Larissa Vigue Designed by: Craig Bailey