We just finished working with Internews to map the first ever comprehensive media survey in Afghanistan. By processing 6,648 close-ended interviews across 107 districts in all 34 provinces, we have created an extensive visualization of the Afghan media landscape. Check out the full site.
Proper media access creates opportunity for social change by connecting people and providing uncensored news. Nothing proves this better than the internet's key role in the recent events of the Arab Spring. As a non-profit organization working in Afghanistan, Internews understands the importance of media access in the difficult path towards peace and prosperity. Internews has recognized that their work supporting local media initiatives must be informed by hard data about the evolving needs of Afghanistan's population. Therefore, they commissioned a comprehensive media evaluation. Our role was to visualize the results of this evaluation and make this valuable trove of data easy to explore and easy to reuse.
Let me walk you now through key features of the site and share some of the findings.
Upon load, statistics reveal alarmingly low internet access nationwide. Hovering over provinces reveals even worse statistics. No citizens reported having internet access in the province of Baghdis, where only 22% of the nearly 500,000 citizens have electricity, and 70% are illiterate. Similar background stories appear for other provinces without any internet access, such as Zabul, Laghman and Uruzgan. All are rural. All have high illiteracy rates. All are without internet. How can non-profits like Internews empower citizens without the ability to read or use the internet?
Subsequent map layers show us that these same provinces have high access to radios and mobile phones. In Laghman, 75% of respondents reported listening to the radio daily, and 98% reported the same in Uruzgan. This data informs Internews' strategies for supporting local media initiatives in these rural areas, which is reflected their support of 42 local, independently operated radio stations. By focusing on radio infrastructure and training local journalists, Internews empowers citizens in the difficult realities of low electricity and high illiteracy.
Further exploration of the map reveals countless stories about urban and suburban areas, trends among men and women, and consumption patterns of other media types. Our map is also relevant for any organizations looking for the most effective means of advertising and implementing their own health, education or political initiatives. Contextual socioeconomic data informs the work of organizations that focus on improving infrastructure and literacy education.
All maps on this site were created using the free and open source map design studio Tilemill. To learn how to start creating maps yourself, check out the documentation and support guides at Mapbox.com