Media monitoring of the 2022 elections coverage at Media Focus on Africa

WE ARE HIRING: Call For Proposals

Call For Proposals: 2022 Comparative Analysis of Elections Coverage for Female and Male Aspirants/Candidates During Kenya’s General Elections.

Media Focus on Africa (MFA) with the financial support of Global Affairs Canada through UN Women Kenya and the

Delegation of the European Union to Kenya is implementing Ms President season 2.

MS PRESIDENT BRIEF AND BACKGROUND

Ms. President is entertaining, educating, and thought-provoking Reality TV show that seeks to portray to a national audience the capacity and ability of women to lead effectively. Ms. President is the first time that a reality TV format has been adapted and used for women empowerment programme in Kenya.

The objective is to change Kenyans’ perception and attitude towards leadership by women in communities and in the country. Through a series of tasks and challenges, contestants (all female) display their leadership capacity and ability on National TV.

The series showcase intelligent and articulate women who are Presidential with the aim of increasing the chances of women in Kenya taking up leadership positions. Ms President is conceptualized, produced, and broadcast by Media Focus on Africa. Between January 30th and July 31st, 2019, 26 episodes of the Ms President season 1 TV show were produced and broadcast attracting average weekly viewership of 3.5 million.

Following the successful production and airing of Ms President Season 1, Media Focus on Africa has launched Ms President Season 2. Ms President Season 2 will contribute to Enhancing Women’s Participation in Political Leadership and Decision Making in Kenya via a multi-media program complemented with community dialogue and capacity strengthening for key stakeholder groups. Coming in the backdrop of the 2022 election makes Ms President Season 2 relevant and timely.

Researches from across the world have shown that female politicians, in general, receive less media attention than their male counterparts. Often their gender is the subject of debate and not the substantive platform/manifesto on which they’re running for election. This includes research carried out in Kenya e.g., the 2017 elections Gender Audit report by National Democratic Institute (NDI) and FIDA Kenya.

Consequently, media monitoring of the 2022 election’s coverage of female and male candidates is part of the activities of Ms President season 2. The media monitoring will be done on a bi-monthly basis until August 2022.

A final in-depth analysis of the election’s coverage of female and male aspirants/candidates with appropriate, practical, and actionable expertise recommendations will be produced in October.

MFA invites qualified individual consultants to submit proposals for undertaking the task of monitoring media’s coverage of female and male aspirants/candidates in this year’s general elections in Kenya.

TIME FRAME FOR THE MEDIA MONITORING

• The assignment kicks off in March and will be carried out bi-monthly until August 2022. A final in-depth report and analysis will be due by 31st October 2022.

DELIVERABLES

• An inception report incorporating audience and indicator mapping, media sampling, and requisite detailed work plan.
• Bi-monthly in-depth comparative elections media coverage analysis report for female versus male aspirants/candidates.
• Facilitate bi-monthly discussions of the reports with editors drawn from the Kenya Editors Guild, members of the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) officials, Media Council of Kenya officials, women’s rights organizations, media scholars and MFA team.
• A final in-depth elections media coverage report and analysis with comparative data for female versus male candidates.
• Expertise practical and actionable recommendations to media, civil society organizations, government, and development partners.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND COMPETENCIES

• Examples of prior conducted media monitoring/content analysis/media research experience—along with the sample of the full final report of the prior assignments.
• Proven internalization and passion towards the issue of gender equality.
• Strong methodological and media research background.
• At least two references of prior partners/clients for similar projects.
• A brief technical and financial proposal along with budget breakdown (along with CV of team leader/member/s).

In particular, the technical proposal should include an understanding of the assignment and research/monitoring design and methodology description.