APPENDIX I FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS OF RESPONSES RESPONSES FROM THE READERS AND JOURNALISTS 1. Readers' and Journalists' responses to the questionnaires according to newspapers Paper Readers* Percentage Journalists Percentage The Washington Post US Today The Baltimore Sun The Washington Times •Readers' figures do not add up to 100 percent because some of them read more than one paper. 64 29 17 6 31 12 50 6 88 40 23 8 5 2 8 1 2. Frequency of International news readership,by the respondents Frequency Daily Frequently Rarely Never No Response Readers N-72 22 31 17 1 1 Percentage 30 43 23 1 1 3. Number of respondents who have read stories and commentaries about Africa that appeared in the metropolitan papers around mid-September 1984 Topic of Story Famine in Ethiopia Cuban Troops in Angola Sudan's Islamic Laws Guinea's Coup Reforms Ethiopia Squeezed Between East & West 'Nigerian Airline hijacked to Ghana # of Readers Percentage 46 38 8 1 21 28 63 52 11 1 29 38 "This story was fabricated. No such event was reported in any of the newspapers, 4. Readers' & Journalists' Views of African Story Categories appearing in the US newspapers Category Politics Disasters Economics & Finance Crime & Violence Religion Sports & Culture Education Science & Technology Readers Percentage Journalists Percentage 58 48 35 23 13 7 9 2 80 66 48 32 18 9 12 2 145 14 10 13 2 0 1 0 0 87 63 81 12 0 6 0 0 5. Readers' and Journalists' Views of Western Europe News Story Categories that appear in the US newspapers Category Readers Percentage Journalists Percentage Politics Economics & Finance Disasters Science & Technology Crime & Violence Sports & Culture Religion Education 64 55 35 27 25 23 18 9 88 76 48 37 34 32 25 12 16 N 15 6 0 3 1 1 0 100 94 37 0 19 6 6 0 6. Readers' and Journalists' Ratings of African stories in terms of importance and interest to the American reader. Figures indicate percentage. (i) A water project is commissioned in Zambia to supply 20,000 villagers with pipe-borne water. Very Important 22 0 Very Interesting 4 0 Important 29 12 Somewhat Important 29 44 Interesting 35 0 Somewhat Interesting 39 44 Readers Journalists Readers Journalists Important Response Interesting Response (ii) A White settler farmer is killed by bandits in Zimbabwe. Readers Journalists Readers Journalists Very Important 5 0 Very Interesting 7 0 Important 24 6 Interesting 22 12 Somewhat Important 44 50 Somewhat Interesting 39 69 Important Not 22 44 Response Interesting Response (iii) A bumper corn harvest is expected in Ethiopia this season. Very Important 33 44 Very Interesting 17 19 Readers Journalists Readers Journalists Important 29 31 Interesting 25 31 Somewhat Important 29 25 Somewhat Interesting 30 25 146 Important Response Interesting Response Not 18 44 Not 21 56 Not 30 19 Not 5 0 Not 25 12 No 1 0 No 1 0 No 4 0 No 1 0 No 3 0 No 3 0 (iv) The government of Burundi is toppled by the Army. Readers Journalists Readers Journalists Very Important 22 6 Very interesting 11 6 Important 46 38 Somewhat Important 25 50 Interesting 39 19 Somewhat Interesting 32 75 Not 3 6 Not 15 0 Important Response Interesting Response (v) Plans are announced to build a railroad to link Malawi and Tanzania. No Very Not Important Important Important Response 11 12 44 38 Somewhat Important 30 31 Very Interesting 7 12 Interesting 24 19 Somewhat Interesting 40 50 Interesting Response Readers Journalists Readers Journalists (vi) Traditional initiation ceremonies involving 5,000 youth are held in Northern Kenya Readers Journalists Very Important 4 0 Very Interesting 4 6 important 5 12 Interesting 32 31 Somewhat Important 39 6 Somewhat Interesting 36 44 (vii) Guerrillas attack a French base in Chad. Very Important 26 19 Very Interesting 21 12 Readers Journalists Readers Journalists Important 37 44 Interesting 39 44 Somewhat Important 29 31 Somewhat Interesting 28 37 147 No 4 0 No 3 0 No 4 0 4 0 7 0 No 1 0 No No 3 0 2 0 9.8 19 Not 25 19 Not 26 19 Not 4 6 Not 10 6 Important Not 44 86 No Response Interesting Response Important Response Interesting Response (viii) A bomb has exploded in Johannesburg causing damage to several cars. Readers Journalists Readers Journalists Very Important 11 6 Very Interesting 14 25 Important 26 37 . Interesting 25 19 Somewhat Important 46 31 Somewhat Interesting 43 31 Important Response Interesting Response Not 14 19 Not 17 19 No No 3 6 1 6 7. How Readers and Journalists rated the information about Africa that appeared in the newspapers. Readers Journalists More than Needed 6 0 Adequate 58 69 Inadequate 25 25 Don't Read 11 Don't know ~ 6 8. How Readers and Journalists rated the information about Western Europe 'that appeared in the newspapers. More than Needed 11 0 Readers Journalists Adequate 75 75 Inadequate 10 19 Don't Read 4 „ Don't Know ~ 6 9. Occupation of Readers who responded. Occupation Professional Students Retired Blue Collar Clerical Sales Other Unemployed No Response Total Total Number 38 14 5 4 3 3 4 0 1 72 Percentage 53 19 7 6 4 4 6 0 1 100 148 10. Race of Respondents Race White Black Oriental Hispanic Other No Response Total Number 60 5 3 2 0 2 77 Readers Percentage 83 7 4 3 0 3 T5o Journalists Number Percentage 15 0 0 0 0 1 w 94 0 0 0 0 6 100 11. Respondents'Sex Sex Male Female No Response Total Number 42 25 5 72 12. Respondents'Ages Readers Journalists Percentage Number Percentage 58 35 7 100 14 1 1 16 88 6 6 100 Under 21 21 -35 36 - 50 51 - 65 Over 65 No Response Total Number Readers Percentage 1 30 25 8 7 J 72 1 42 35 11 9 1 99 Journalists Number Percentage 0 2 6 6 1 1 16 0 12 38 38 6 6 Too 13> Position of the Journalists in their respective newspapers. The Washington Post The Washington Times USA Today The Baltimore Sun Total Editors 4 1 2 8 i5 Reporter 0 0 0 0 0" Columnist 1 0 0 0 1 149 14. Comparison of readers and journalists ratings of news on development issues. Very Important Water Project Corn Harvest Railroad Construction 22 33 11 0 44 12 Important R 29 29 44 J 12 31 38 Somewhat Important Not No Important Response 29 29 30 44 25 31 18 5 10 44 0 19 1 3 4 0 0 0 V e rY Interesting RJ Water Project Corn Harvest Railroad Construction 4 17 7 0 19 12 Interesting Somewhat interesting RJ 35 25 24 0 31 19 RJ 39 30 40 44 25 50 Not No Interesting Response R j Rj 21 25 25 56 12 19 1 3 4 0 0 0 15. Comparison of readers and journalists ratings of news about conflict situations in Africa. Figures show percentage of respondents. Very Important RJ 5 0 22 6 26 19 11 6 Killed Farmer Toppled Government Base Attack Bomb Explosion Important RJ Somewhat Important RJ Not No Important Response R J RJ 24 6 46 38 37 44 26 37 44 50 25 50 29 31 46 31 22 44 6 3 4 6 14 19 4 4 3 3 0 0 0 6 Very Interesting Interesting Somewhat Interesting Not No Interesting Response Killed Farmer Toppled Government Base Attack Bomb Explosion R 7 11 21 14 J 0 6 12 25 R 22 39 39 25 J 12 19 44 19 R 39 32 28 43 J 69 75 37 31 R 30 15 10 17 J 19 0 6 19 R 1 3 2 1 J 0 0 0 6 16. Comparison of readers and journalists ratings on news about a traditional social event in Africa. 150 Very Important RJ Important RJ Somewhat Important RJ Not No Important Response RJ RJ Initiation Ceremony 12 39 44 86 V e ry Interesting Somewhat Interesting interesting Not No Interesting Response RJ RJ Rj R J RJ Initiation Ceremony 4 6 32 31 36 44 26 19 1 0 17. Comparison of readers and journalists ratings of what makes important and interesting development news. Figures show percentage. Readers Very Journalists Very Important Important Total Important Important Total Water Project Corn Harvest Railroad Construction 22 33 11 29 29 44 51 62 55 Very 12 31 38 12 75 50 0 44 12 Very Interesting Interesting Total Interesting Interesting Total Water Project Corn Harvest Railroad Construction 4 17 7 35 25 24 39 42 31 0 19 12 0 31 19 0 50 31 18. Comparison of readers and journalists ratings of what makes important and interesting conflict news. Readers Very Important Important Total Important Important Total Journalists Very Killed Farmer Toppled Government Base Attack 5 22 29 24 46 37 29 68 66 Very Interesting Interesting Total Interesting Interesting Tot, 0 6 19 Very 6 38 44 6 44 63 Killed Farmer Toppled Government Base. Attack Bomb Explosion 7 11 21 14 22 39 39 25 29 50 60 49 0 6 12 25 12 19 44 19 12 25 56 44 151 ISSN 0258—4913 Published by: % African Council on Communication Education n