Done by Adnan Abdulrahman Alomari

1. Seminar Paper
Audience Research in Yemen
Submitted to:
Prof. D. S. Poornananda
Professor
Department of Journalism & Mass Communication
Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta
Submitted by:
Adnan Abdulrahman Naef Farhan
Research Scholar
Department of Journalism & Mass Communication
Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta
17 December 2016

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Audience Research in Yemen
Introduction:
Yemenis are addicted to Arabic language satellite television channels beamed
in from abroad. These provide their main source of news and entertainment. All local
radio and TV stations are run by the state-owned Yemeni General Corporation for
Radio and Television (YGCRT) and are tightly controlled by the government. Until
recently Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya were the most popular channels for news and
information about events in Yemen and the wider world beyond. However, other
satellite channels, beamed specifically at Yemeni audiences, became popular in 2011
as they began to give extensive coverage to the protest movement against President
Ali Abdullah Saleh. Foremost of these were London-based Suhail TV and Cairo-based
Al-Sa’idah. A media consumption survey of 1,000 people conducted by the BBC
World Service Trust in 2010 found that 86% of respondents watched TV on a daily
basis, whereas only 19% listened to radio. Nearly all those questioned had a satellite
dish at home and 65% said they watched international Arabic channels more
frequently than local TV.
Television is the main source of news and entertainment in Yemen. It is far
more popular and influential than radio. However, most Yemenis shun the local
state-run TV stations, whose news and current affairs output is tightly controlled by
the government. They prefer to watch satellite channels beamed in from overseas,
both for news about Yemen and the wider world and for entertainment. The Gulf-
based channels Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, the UK-based satellite broadcaster Suhail
TV and Cairo based Al-Sa’idah are particularly popular for news and information.
Media habits in Yemen:
A survey of media consumption habits in Yemen carried out by the BBC World
Service Trust in 2010, found that 86% of the respondents watched television on a
daily basis, whereas only 19% listened to the radio and 12% read newspapers. TV

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viewing was equally popular amongst young and old alike. It was also widespread
amongst all social and income groups, from wealthy city sophisticates to the rural
poor. All the households surveyed had at least one television set, and most had at
least two.
Newspapers are the third largest source of news and information in Yemen
after TV and radio. But they only circulate in the main cities and are not widely
regarded as an important and reliable source of news and information about the
Yemen.
The BBC World Service Trust survey of media consumption habits in 2010
found that only 12% of Yemenis read a newspaper daily and only 3% regarded
newspapers as in important source of news about current events in the country.
Yemen Polling Center:
The Yemen Polling Center (YPC) is an independent research center established
in 2004, which is in-charge of conducting audience research in Yemen. As the first
polling center in Yemen, it claims of providing the highest quality in social science
research. With its 500 enumerators distributed in all of Yemen's governorates, the
center has developed to be the pioneer in social science research and data collection
in Yemen.
The center design and perform opinion polls, surveys, in-depth interviews,
focus group discussions, program monitoring and evaluation as well as media
research. Since its establishment, YPC has conducted 150,000 interviews in all areas
of Yemen. The data collection is designed to serve the research needs of national and
international institutions, non-profit organizations, corporations, government
agencies, academic institutions and professional associations.
YPC conducts public attitude surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews,
demographic studies, and market research employing both quantitative and

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qualitative methods for development projects, international organizations and
foundations, publications, business groups, banks, and other stakeholders.
It has a dedicated, well-experienced, and qualified team. In addition, the
center cooperates with dozens of experts, consultants and university professors
within Yemen and abroad. Out of the more than 2,000 field researchers the Center
has examined and trained, it has been selected about 500 enumerators throughout
the country for its field research, fifty per cent of whom are female. Its experience, as
well as its personnel and technical resources, allow the center to conduct surveys of
any size throughout all of Yemen’s governorates while adhering to the most stringent
international standards in data quality and insuring cost effective and timely studies.
The YPC Methodology:
Since its inception YPC has conducted, and is currently conducting, dozens of
qualitative and quantitative research projects on a multitude of issues ranging from
satellite television, radio consumption patterns, consumer attitudes, human rights,
women’s rights, political reform issues, corruption, public health, and other
governance related studies. In addition to numerous successfully completed public
opinion surveys and research projects, YPC has implemented several economic
surveys and qualitative studies, covering all governorates in Yemen. YPC has
surveyed more than 100,000 Yemeni citizens through face-to-face interviews.
To ensure the highest quality of social science research, YPC adheres to a 10-
step research methodology. The application of the methodology is supervised by the
experienced staff at the YPC headquarter in Sanaa.
1. Desk Review and Baseline Preparation
Before implementing fieldwork or designing the questionnaire, YPC researchers
conduct thorough background research on all issues and subject areas concerning
the research objective defined by the client.

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2. Questionnaire Design
The collected background information, the objectives of the project, as well as the
client's input serve as the basis for the questionnaire design. YPC's knowledge of
local circumstances and use of language ensures the effectiveness of the research
instrument and maximal research results.
3. Drawing the Sample
YPC chooses a large enough sample size, allowing meaningful analysis across
different regions of the country and among different demographic groups.
Marginalized groups, especially persons with disabilities, Yemeni youth, women, and
urban and rural residents are all covered by the sample. If additional measures are
deemed necessary to ensure sufficient interviews are conducted with any particular
demographic group, further purposive sampling is employed.
4. Pretesting the Questionnaire
Once the questionnaire is completed, it is pretested in Sana’a and in additional key
target areas. The pretest serves to identify any questions that are not easily
understood by respondents, any difficulties the enumerators have in gathering the
data with the survey instrument, and any additional issues or difficulties.
5. Data collection
For the data collection in the field, primary sampling units (PSUs) are randomly
selected (PPS) within each governorate. Enumerators are given a walking and skip
pattern to determine in which households the survey should be implemented in. In
reporting response rates, YPC accords with all standards established by the World
Association of Public Opinion Research and American Association for Public Opinion
Research.
The agency conducts interviews using Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing (CAPI). YPC developed special software, which allows the interviewer to

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record the respondents with a computer.. With this method, unlike with Computer
Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), the interview takes place in face to face
instead of over the telephone. CAPI technology is the preferred method for the data
collection of long and complex questionnaires.
6. Quality Controls
All supervisors have long-standing experience in managing and supervising the teams
of enumerators and administering the questionnaires in their respective
governorates. The supervisor is responsible for managing and supervising the field
work, reviewing the field questionnaires, contacting the enumerators on an hourly
basis, and keeping the project officers at headquarters directly informed about the
whereabouts of the enumerators at all times. The first completed surveys are
checked by the YPC headquarters in terms of correct skip patterns, missing data, and
legibility. At least 10 percent of the completed surveys are verified by telephone or
visits.
7. Data Entry & Processing
All data is entered into SPSS and is available in ASCII or STATA format. The codes for
any open-ended questions are developed after the pre-test. Categories for responses
are created to encompass all possible answers. To ensure all data is entered
correctly, ten percent of all the work returned from each member of YPC’s data entry
team is independently verified.
8. Final Report Preparation
After completing the project, YPC prepares a final report which tailored to the needs
of the clients, includes all important data.
IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS
The research has conducted numerous in-depth interviews in various governorates
of Yemen, including remote areas such as Marib and Hadhramout. In-depth

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interviews are a good research instrument to receive detailed information on a topic
from community and elite actors. The interviewees are selected based on specific
criteria such as age and education level, but also based on the research objective of
the project. In-depth interviews are designed and conducted by YPC's team of
qualitative research experts. This team does not only include academic researchers
but also journalists, and provides transcriptions and summaries of the interviews,
which can be made available both in English and Arabic.
FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Since its establishment, it has implemented more than 300 focus groups in all areas
of Yemen. The center has built an expertise in conducting focus group research in a
variety of topics including social, political, economic, development and security
related issues.
Recruiting of Focus Groups
YPC's methodology to recruit focus group participants adheres to the highest
standards of social science research. The participants for each focus group are
selected based on criteria provided by the client and/or developed by YPC according
to general criteria and the specific research objective of each project. The recruiting
teams, consisting of a field supervisor and interviewers, are distributed in different
areas of the targeted governorates. Interviewers randomly submit screener surveys
to residents to determine the individuals' characteristics. The recruiting teams select
13 to 15 participants.
Instrument Design
Focus group discussions have the goal to explore a subject and the depth of
information you can potentially learn. YPC personnel at the headquarters designs the
instrument based on the research objective defined by the client. Particularly the
center's in-depth knowledge of local dialects and circumstances within the

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communities enables YPC to design highly effective instruments that guarantee
maximal research results.
Training of Moderators
The moderators tasked with holding the focus group discussions are highly
experienced and receive training for each individual focus group. The training is
provided at the YPC headquarters in Sanaa before the moderators go into the field.
In the training, the moderators are not only prepared for the technical aspects of
moderating a focus group discussion, but are also made sensible to the topic and
possible problems they may encounter during the discussion.
Moderating a Focus Group
Before a focus group discussion is held, the moderator checks the environment to
ensure it is suitable for the discussion. Discussions are recorded with high quality
equipment and a researcher observing the focus group from a distance is tasked with
taking notes.
Transcript and Translation
At the YPC headquarters in Sanaa, transcripts and summaries of the recordings of the
focus group discussions are prepared. Translators ensure at the headquarters
translate the transcripts ensuring the data is submitted to the client in both English
and Arabic.
Since its establishment, YPC has implemented programme monitoring and
evaluation, as well as needs assessment projects across all areas of Yemen. In order
to assist international and national organizations to not only improve the design of
their project, but also determine a project's impact. YPC develops its methodologies
based on the project's characteristics as well as the client's needs.
Programme monitoring: YPC understands the monitoring of projects to be an
ongoing process. Employing both quantitative and qualitative research

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methodologies, YPC provides partners with constant feedback on the progress and
impact of their projects. Measuring a project's outputs against predetermined
standards allows YPC to assess weaknesses and recommend corrective measures
before the implementation of a project is completed. YPC's interviewers distributed
across the country allow YPC to monitor projects that are out of the reach of donor
organizations.
Programme evaluation: YPC conducts programme evaluation in order to assist
organizations understand the impact of any implemented project. The evaluation is
to ensure that investments effectively serve the strategic objectives and
requirements of projects. Evaluation methodologies are designed by YPC staff in
cooperation with clients to ensure maximal research results. Our geographical reach
ensures that projects implemented in Yemen's most remote areas can be evaluated,
while adhering to the highest standards of social science research.
Needs assessment studies
In order to assist international and national organizations determine the
needs of beneficiaries, YPC conducts needs assessment research in all areas of
Yemen. Understanding the needs of beneficiaries will not only enable organizations
to better design their projects, but to ensure training activities can be tailored
according to the needs of trainees. The assessment tool is designed by YPC staff in
cooperation with clients to ensure the best research outputs. YPC is capable of
assessing the needs of any groups in any area of Yemen.
References:
Media and Telecoms Landscape Guide. (2012). Retrieved from https://internews.org/
sites/default/files/resources/niger_media_guide__final_draft_070312_20.12.12.pdf
Yemen Polling Center website: http://www.yemenpolling.org/