Kony 2012

KONY 2012:To what extent do viewers place faith in the

media’s portrayal of social issues?

Ayrie Calhoun CMS 200 – M. Ebben April 29, 2012

The KONY 2012 campaign is an awareness project which uses

• Film• Social media• Street art• Face-to-face interaction

in the attempts to emphasize the

possibility of arresting Joseph Kony.

Within the last 10 seconds of the film viewers are told to share the movie.

The original KONY 2012 video is a 30 minute film, released on March 5th, 2012, which explains the threat Joseph Kony poses in Africa. It also explains the Invisible Children Organization’s plan for his arrest.

What I expected:• High rates of

participation• More impressionable

on the younger generation

• Little outside research• A bandwagon effect

Hypothesis:

If the media presents a cause or event with a particular attitude, then viewers will be more likely to share said attitude.

A 10 question survey was distributed to gather information on the impact

KONY 2012 had on the public.

The survey was conducted via the internet.

For a more accurate display of the campaign’s impact, the survey was taken by people from 4

different parts of the country. (California, Boston, Ohio, Maine)

40 people participated in the survey.

The 10 questions asked:What is your age?Did you see the KONY 2012 video?How did you become aware of the video?What percentage of the video did you watch?Were you aware of the Invisible Children organization prior to watching the video?After seeing the video what did you do?Where did you go for more information?Did you see the second video? Did your opinion change?Did you participate in “Cover the Night” on April 20th?Do you feel the KONY 2012 campaign made a difference?

A vast majority of survey takers claimed to see the original video.

73%

28%

Did you see the first video?

Yes No

Most people watched the whole video, or none of it. There were few partial viewings.

32%

14%

8%

46%

What percentage of the video did you watch?

0% 25% 50% 100%

Most viewers found the video on Facebook.

64%15%

3%18%

How did you become aware of the video?

Facebook Twitter YouTube The News Other

Conducting outside research was much lower than I had expected.

42%

26%

5%

16%

12%

After seeing the video what did you do?

NothingShared the videoOrdered an "Action Kit"/PostersConducted my own researchOther

Aside from the viewers who did nothing, the next highest action taken was sharing the video with others. Very few viewers sought out more information.

By not seeking out more information, viewers were only getting the information they were given from the video.

8%

43%

3%10%

38%

Where did you go for more in-formation?

The Invisible Children website

The internet

The News My peersI did not seek out additional information

A majority of outside research was found on the internet. Some went straight to the Invisible Children website, and one person found information on the news.

3.6 million people signed the electronic pledge to show their support in stopping Kony.

WITHIN 6 DAYS THE FILM HAD REACHED ONE MILLION VIEWS

A month later a second video was released:

10%

82%

8%

Did you watch the second video? Did your opinion change?

Yes, but my opinion did NOT changeYes, but my opinion DID changeNo, but my opinion did NOT changeNo, but my opinion DID change

Without peers showing support, individuals lost interest.

After all the hype of the original video, support seemed to die off. As people’s excitement dwindled they slowly began to disconnect.

I was surprised to find that most people were on the fence about a difference being made, yet a majority of people did nothing past sharing the link after seeing the film.

13%

23%

33%

18%

15%

Do you feel that the KONY 2012 campaign made a difference?

Yes, definitelyYesMaybeNoDefinitely not

My Findings:• Individuals follow their peers

“Monkey see, monkey do”• People are more likely to believe

popular media, rather than research• People are willing to say they support something,

but are not willing to prove it.• Influence is an essential part of faith.

WORKS CITED

• http://lunamagazine.com.au/v2/wp-content/files_mf/1331124346_magicfields_feature_image_image_1_1.jpg

• http://www.wethegamerz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/kony2012.jpg

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/apr/20/kony-2012-facts-numbers

• http://radioboston.wbur.org/files/2012/04/0419_kony-20212-624x446.jpg

• http://keepittrill.com/online/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/stop-invisible-children-kony2012-545x361.jpg