South Africa Wins Africa Country Image Award

FIFA Soccer World Cup still improving South Africa’s image

Vienna. February 20, 2015. Africa is one of the most populated continents in the world. While natural resources are abundant, Africa remains the world’s poorest and most underdeveloped region. Media coverage on Africa is often characterized by a focus on bad news stories, while positivity in the region is neglected, a phenomenon called “bad news reporting.” There remains much to be done to further uplift and develop the African people and to change global perceptions on Africa. According to research by Media Tenor, South Africa is at the forefront of setting the African agenda.

The award is presented at the 15th International Agenda Setting Conference in Vienna. The conference runs from the 19th to 21st February 2015. The award is calculated based on a scientific media content analysis of 11,704 reports on Africa out of 457,738 reports on global TV news and opinion-leading business and financial print media. A catalogue of 10 criteria was applied to the reports to gauge a country’s performance. Criteria included basic visibility without excess negativity, political performance, economic performance, social developments, and leadership qualities.

“South Africa took the number one spot in the Africa Country Image Award, with Zimbabwe and Kenya following in second and third respectively. While South Africa faced its fair share of challenges, reflections on the country’s successful hosting of the FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2010 and an improved matriculation pass rate boosted South Africa’s score, propelling it into first place”, says Theresa Lötter, Managing Director of Media Tenor South Africa.

For more than 20 years Media Tenor's mission has been to contribute to objective, diverse and newsworthy news by bringing together the diverse parties who both impact and are affected by the news. Media Tenor's global research projects include analyses of election campaigns, investor relations, public diplomacy, corporate communications and other topics critical to news makers and news audiences. The annual Agenda Setting Conference brings together these diverse constituencies for data-driven workshops, panels, case studies and keynote speeches.

Contact:

Theresa Lötter, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,  +27 82 7746 720