In recent years, the rise of social media and the proliferation of fake news have made the work of dedicated media directors, and campaign managers even more important. Let us provide campaign media and newsroom support systems, assemble innovative technologies, and experienced teams. Train campaign staff, recruit volunteers and coordinate activities to improve your campaign outreach, prevent the spread of misinformation, manage online and offline community engagements and monitor campaign or election outcomes.

Campaign call center, newsroom, and control room are three distinct entities that can be related in that context of campaigns or other similar activities such as media organizations, and emergency response operations. As campaign management consulting firm in Nigeria and Africa, we make deliberate efforts to setup these three spaces or functions for advocacy campaigns, nonprofit organizations, political candidates, and election stakeholders.

Our campaign media and newsroom support services play distinct roles in the democratic process. Call Centers are crucial for reaching out to potential voters and communicating your campaign messages; while Newsrooms are central to journalism, campaign news and media production to the public; Control Rooms on the other hand are essential for managing complex operations; including campaign events and logistics leading up to the election day. Here is what we consider when carrying out these campaign functions for clients:

Campaign Media & Newsroom Support

Campaign Call Center:

A campaign call center is a critical component of GOTV campaigns that can be used in other types of campaigns, such as advocacy or fundraising efforts. During election campaigns, call centers are typically set up by political candidates, advocacy groups, or nonprofits to facilitate communication with voters, supporters, or potential donors. Key features and functions of our campaign call center include:

• Phone Banking: It helps volunteers or paid staff to make outbound calls to potential voters or donors to provide information about the campaign, gather voter data, or solicit donations.
• Data Management: Call centers often use databases to maintain and update voter information. This helps in targeting specific demographics and tailoring the campaign’s message.
• Scripting: Call center agents follow scripts provided by the campaign organisation to ensure consistency in messaging and compliance with campaign strategies.
• Voter ID and Outreach: Agents may ask questions to identify the issues that matter most to voters and their level of support for the candidate or campaign.
• Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Efforts: Call centers play a crucial role in mobilizing supporters to go to the polls on election day.
• Key Activities: Campaign call centers make phone calls to potential voters or supporters to promote the campaign’s message, solicit donations, and encourage voter turnout. They may also conduct surveys and collect data for campaign strategy.
• Technology Used: Call center agents use phones, computers, and customer relationship management (CRM) software to manage call lists and record interactions with voters.

Campaign Newsroom:

A newsroom is a physical or virtual space, where campaign spokespersons, media handlers, journalists, news professionals, editors, and other staff gather to research, produce, and distribute news content and report on current events and news stories. Newsrooms are typically associated with media organizations, including newspapers, television stations, radio stations, and online news outlets.

Another important function of election newsroom is to provide analysis and commentary on the election results. This may involve carrying out objective research, analyzing voting patterns, identifying trends and shifts in public opinion, and exploring the opportunities or threats of an election as regards to the future of individual candidates, entities or the country at large. In some cases, our newsroom support may also offer predictions about the likely outcome of the election based on the analysis of the data. Here are some key aspects of a newsroom:

• News Gathering: Journalists in a newsroom gather information through interviews, polling and public option research, and investigative reporting to produce news stories.
• Editing: Editors review and edit articles, videos, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and adherence to editorial standards, campaign guidelines and regulations.
• Production: Newsrooms are responsible for producing news content for various platforms, including print, broadcast, and online media.
• Breaking News: Newsrooms are equipped to respond rapidly to breaking news, providing timely updates and coverage, managing crisis and monitoring campaign or candidate’s reputation.
• Editorial Decisions: The newsroom plays a central role in determining which stories are covered, their level of importance, and how they are presented to the public. They set the narratives.
• Key Activities: In a newsroom, journalists research, write, edit, and fact-check news stories. Editors review and coordinate the content, while graphics designers and production staff prepare it for publication or broadcast.
• Technology Used: Newsrooms are equipped with computers, telecommunication systems, editing software, and content management systems to facilitate the production and dissemination of news.

Election Control Room:

Control rooms are typically associated with various operations, including broadcast television, live events, and emergency response systems.  An election control room is a centralized command center responsible for monitoring and managing the various aspects of the election process to ensure its smooth operation and fairness.

One of the primary tasks is to report on the election results in real time. This involves collecting data from polling stations across the country, verifying the accuracy of the results, and presenting them to the public, political party or election candidate in a clear and understandable format. We use sophisticated campaign management software and data analysis tools to help process and interpret the results of elections. Here are some key aspects of an election control room:

• Real-time Monitoring: Control rooms monitor election activities, polling stations, and ballot counting to identify and address any issues or irregularities.
• Communication Hub: They serve as a hub for communication between election officials, law enforcement, civil society groups, election observers and other relevant agencies to coordinate responses to any problems that may arise.
• Data Analysis: Control rooms analyze election data to provide updates on voter turnout, election results, and any incidents that may impact the election’s integrity.
• Security and Safety: Control rooms experts ensure that the election is conducted in a secure and safe environment.
• Key Activities: The specific activities in a control room may vary widely based on its purpose. In a broadcast control room, for example, operators manage cameras, audio, and graphics during live broadcasts. In an emergency response control room, personnel coordinate resources and communications during crises.
• Technology: Control rooms are equipped with a range of technology, such as monitoring screens, communication systems, control panels, and specialized software for real-time decision-making and operations. Election control rooms utilize advanced technology such as real-time data feeds, communication systems, and security measures to manage election logistics effectively.