Public Service Announcements Highly Successful, Survey Finds

October 10, 2007

A recent survey conducted throughout Kosovo revealed that public service announcements (PSA) produced by ABA ROLI are having a tremendous impact acrossthe country.  Of the individuals surveyed, nearly 60% saw the PSAs, whichdealt with the importance of integrity in legal systems and the judiciary.  KUMT Consulting, the company conducting the research, also found that the PSAs made a majority of respondents more aware of their rights, and it taught them how to file complaints against judges and lawyers.

In addition to the impact research, the Judicial Inspection Unit (JIU), the Kosovo agency in charge of investigating allegations of misconduct by judges and prosecutors, also reported a marked increase in the number of complaints filed with the agency for the quarter between April 2007 and July2007.  

In April 2007, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative launched three PSAs and three animated cartoons promoting the rule of law, human rights and gender equality.  The PSAs were intended to improve the level of legal literacyin the country. The spots broadcast regularly on national and regional television stations throughout Kosovo, and were produced by ABA ROLI with USAID funding, and its partners, the Kosovo Chamber of Advocates (KCA) and the KosovoJudges Association (KJA).  ABA ROLI negotiated free air time for thesespots, and Kosovo’s national and regional stations agreed to broadcast the spots without any fees, greatly reducing the cost of the program.

According to the KUMT Consulting study, the rate of viewership and recollection for the PSAs was “very high.” In their experience, other more expensive PSAs have typically had a rate of only 10%.

For more information, contact Laura Rakovica, [email protected]