The document discusses a survey about the impact of the KONY 2012 video and campaign. The survey found that most people who saw the video watched all of it and shared it with others on Facebook. However, few people conducted additional research after viewing, and while many initially said they supported the campaign, few participated in later activities or felt the campaign made a real difference. The findings suggest people are easily influenced by popular media but less willing to deeply engage or verify information on their own.

1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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.
Within the last 10 seconds of the
film viewers are told to share the
movie.

4. What I expected: Hypothesis:
• High rates of If the media presents a
participation cause or event with a
• More impressionable particular attitude, then
on the younger viewers will be more
generation likely to share said
• Little outside research attitude.
• A bandwagon effect

5. 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.

6. 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?

7. Did you see the first video?
Yes No
27%
73%
A vast majority of survey takers
claimed to see the original video.

8. What percentage of the video did you watch?
0% 25% 50% 100%
32%
46%
14%
8%
Most people watched the whole
video, or none of it.
There were few partial viewings.

9. How did you become aware of the video?
Facebook Twitter YouTube The News Other
18%
3%
0%
15%
64%
Most viewers found the
video on Facebook.

10. After seeing the video what did you do?
12% Nothing
Shared the video
16% 42%
Ordered an "Action
Kit"/Posters
Conducted my own research
5%
Other
25%
Conducting outside research was
much lower than I had expected.

11. 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.

12. Where did you go for more
information?
A majority of outside
research was found on
the internet. Some 8% The Invisible
Children
went straight to the website
Invisible Children 38% The internet
website, and one
person found
information on the 43% The News
news.
My peers
10%
3%
By not seeking out more information, viewers were
only getting the information they were given from
the video.

14. WITHIN 6 DAYS THE FILM HAD
REACHED ONE MILLION VIEWS
3.6 million people signed the electronic pledge
to show their support in stopping Kony.

15. A month later a second video was released:
Did you watch the second video? Did your
opinion change?
0%
8% 10%
Yes, but my opinion
did NOT change
Yes, but my opinion
DID change
No, but my opinion did
NOT change
No, but my opinion
DID change
82%

16. After all the hype
of the original
video, support
seemed to die
off.
As people’s
excitement
dwindled they
slowly began to
disconnect.
Without peers showing
support, individuals lost interest.

17. Do you feel that the KONY 2012 campaign made a
difference?
15% 12%
Yes, definitely
Yes
18% 22%
Maybe
No
Definitely not
33%
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.

18. 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.

19. • 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
WORKS CITED