InterMedia’s clients include the BBC, U.S. Department of State, World Bank, Deutsche Welle, Sesame Workshop, IREX, USAID, Radio France International, and U.S. international broadcasters.
Sample Recent Projects
U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
InterMedia is helping the Bureau assess the effectiveness of its international professional media and journalism exchange programs. This thematic evaluation (2008-2010) includes a global online survey and face-to-face qualitative research with alumni and stakeholders in four countries. InterMedia’s evaluation concentrates on ECA exchange programs with a media focus run by the International Visitors Leadership Program, the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists and the Office of Citizen Exchanges. These programs endeavor to increase mutual understanding and strengthen links between the U.S. and countries around the world. InterMedia is assessing how successful these programs have been in helping these countries improve the practice of journalism, strengthen new media outlets, increase capacity for investigative and in-depth reporting, provide independent sources of information, and generally improve and professionalize the fields of journalism and broadcast media.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
InterMedia recently assisted the UNESCO Institute for Statistics in assessing and revising the methods used by the organization for collecting global media data. Dr. Joachim Bruess and Dr. Raul Roman of InterMedia contributed with methodological, technical, and area expertise to help UNESCO accurately gather statistical data garnered from markedly different media environments, advancing its mission of promoting universal free speech and access to information. “One of the most important aspects of this work is to design measures that can be standardized and applied to all member countries—and this includes the definition of indicators that can be used internationally and that remain valid in very different media environments,” said Dr. Raul Roman, who subsequently participated in a workshop of experts held by UNESCO in Delhi, India, to discuss new data collection plans for this global effort. “The key is collecting data that are globally comparable with the final goal of assisting in data-driven design of media policies and programs.”
United Nations (UN) Media Research and Strategy Project
InterMedia recently completed a 20-country project for the News and Media Division of the UN. InterMedia’s research, analysis and strategy will be used to increase UN Radios’ reach among target audiences; enhance the impact and engagement of its programming; fine-tune its messaging; improve distribution; and inform its marketing and promotional strategy.
U.S. Department of State – China Democracy and Rule of Law Program (CDRLP)
InterMedia is conducting an ongoing multi-year, multi-method evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of CDRLP activities. InterMedia is also identifying opportunities for project-to-project coordination and network building among participants and key stakeholders, and providing recommendations for improving overall individual CDRLP programs and practices.
BBC World Service: Maintaining the Advantage in Multimedia Markets Insight Project
In 2006-2007, InterMedia conducted a four-pronged study (qualitative, quantitative, media laboratories and staff research) across six regions of the globe (Indonesia, India, Russia, Ukraine, Colombia and Kenya) among consumers of media in and out of home to identify future trends in media behavior.
U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors’ International Audience Research Project (IARP)
InterMedia is the six-year incumbent on the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors’ (BBG) audience evaluation contract. InterMedia carries out a combination of market, audience and social science evaluation and research in some 60 countries annually. The range and complexity of the research studies vary, from one-page “immediate response” analyses to large national surveys with 10,000 interviews. Since 2001, InterMedia’s responsibilities have evolved: increasingly we are providing enhanced multi-media measurement capabilities, developing innovative research approaches, and helping the BBG to apply new success indicators.
U.S. Department of State Youth Exchange & Study (YES) Program
As part of an ongoing multi-year, multi-stage project, InterMedia evaluates all aspects of this annual exchange program that brings approximately 600 students from across the Islamic world to the United States. InterMedia developed the indicators and methodologies for this project (including online surveying and focus groups), manages the evaluation program long-term and on a day-to-day basis, conducts the analysis, and reports regularly to the client.
IREX
InterMedia is leading a project to support IREX and the development of sustainable independent media in Morocco. InterMedia is conducting in-depth interviews with key Moroccan media and advertisers, supervising a national survey and conducting media training. The end goal is to provide audience and market data to media outlets, advertising agencies and advertisers, and to train these outlets in the use of research to understand and respond to their audience and advertisers.