Dr. Ali Fisher, Intermedia’s Associate Director of Digital Media Research, used examples of online activity during the Arab Spring and the 2009 Iranian election in a presentation to U.K. military officers about understanding online communities.

The talk, entitled Identifying influential users in large-scale digital environments, took place at the U.K. Defence Academy’s Higher Command and Staff course, which prepares officers with the ranks of Commodore, Brigadier, Air Commodore or (OF5) Captain RN, Colonel or Group Captain for higher command and staff appointments.

A few key points Dr. Fisher made during the talk, which drew from the range of digital and social media network analysis techniques currently offered by InterMedia:

• Humans Huddle. We form relationships and groups which, when analyzed, can give context to the volume and metrics-based approaches to interpreting social and digital media. This allows us to identify influential users in large-scale digital environments and focus on specific groups and communities for further analysis.
• Understand individuals’ specific interests based on their online relationships. Taking the example of individuals responsible for recent attacks on NATO websites, I demonstrated how relationships a user had via social media could be used to build up an understanding of the different issues in which this user had an interest.
• These methods can be used across a wide range of practice areas. For example, they can be used to identify those one wants to support or empower, just as they can be used to identify groups considered a threat to national security, the welfare of children or the stability of computing systems upon which much of our lives depend.

For more information about InterMedia’s digital practice, contact Dr. Ali Fisher at fishera@intermedia.org

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InterMedia, the global research-based consultancy, announced Thursday the appointment of Dr. Ali Fisher as Associate Director of Digital Media Research, effective immediately. Dr. Fisher is widely known for his work in identifying how information flows through both online and offline communities, and the influence of relationships on human behavior.

Dr. Fisher will be based in InterMedia's London, U.K. office and lead the ongoing development of the company's global digital research practice, providing clients with comprehensive and targeted digital media insight that drives decision-making. InterMedia's digital research practice builds clients' understanding of social media and other digital information environments, and how to engage successfully with people active in them.

"Ali brings unique approaches to analyzing online communication patterns, in social media and elsewhere. His published and blog writings have become must-reads for members of the strategic communications community as well as for practitioners of constructive engagement in other domains," said Robert T. Coonrod, CEO of InterMedia. "We are very excited that Ali will help lead our expanding team of analysts covering new and social media strategies," Coonrod added.

For the past four years, Ali Fisher has been Director of Mappa Mundi Consulting, working as an independent public diplomacy strategist and researcher. He specializes in providing insight to enhance organizational strategy and evaluation through network analysis. Ali is also an honorary research fellow in the School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine at the University of Birmingham, U.K., where his research has focused on the flow of health-related information through digital platforms. In addition, his research has been used in projects focused on law enforcement and counter-terrorism.    

Prior to 2008, Ali directed the Counterpoint think tank at the British Council and was a lecturer in International Relations at the University of Exeter, U.K.. He completed a Masters in U.S. Intelligence Services and his PhD at the University of Birmingham. In addition to his commercial work, Ali regularly produces work for academic publication.

Dr. Fisher is co-author with InterMedia COO Susan Gigli of the article, "Networked Audiences," which appeared in the Summer 2011 issue of The Channel magazine. The article features 10 essential tips for media companies seeking to engage with audiences in the digital world.

Other selected published works of Dr. Fisher:

• Trials of Engagement: The Future of US Public Diplomacy, (eds.) Ali Fisher & Scott Lucas (Brill, Fall 2010) 
• “Bullets with Butterfly Wings; Tweets, Protest Networks, and the Iranian Election.” in Yahya R. Kamalipour, Media, Power, and Politics in the Digital Age: The 2009 Presidential Election Uprising in Iran (Rowman & Littlefield, November, 2010)
• “Mapping the Great Beyond; Identifying Meaningful Networks in Public Diplomacy.” CPD Perspectives in Public Diplomacy, Paper 2, 2010 
• "Four seasons in one day: the crowded house of public diplomacy in the UK," in: Routledge handbook of public diplomacy / ed. N. Snow; Ph.M. Taylor. – New York: Routledge: (2009) pp. 251-261
• "Music For The Jilted Generation: Open-Source Public Diplomacy," The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, Volume 3, Number 2, September 2008 , pp. 129-152(24)
• With Aurélie Bröckerhoff,Options for Influence; global campaigns of persuasion in the new worlds of public diplomacy (Counterpoint) 2008

For more information about InterMedia's digital research practice, please contact:

Dr. Ali Fisher
Associate Director of Digital Media Research
fishera@intermedia.org
tel. +44.207.831.8724

For more information about InterMedia's full range of activities, products and services, email us at generalinfo@intermedia.org or contact:

Peter Goldstein
Director of Communications
goldsteinp@intermedia.org
tel. +1.202.434.9584

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The World Bank's CGAP Technology Blog recently posted an article by InterMedia about the Haiti Mobile Money Tracker.  The Haiti Mobile Money Tracker is a tool that InterMedia in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation created to examine the impact of mobile money in Haiti . Read the entire article here.

For more information on this ongoing project, go to the HMMT section on AudienceScapes or contact: Peter Goldstein.

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Kenyan national Abdinasir Abdi has been hired as Operations Manager for InterMedia Africa in Nairobi, Managing Director Vivien Marles announced today. Abdi’s role will include selecting and managing local field and data processing partners, ensuring the delivery of high quality field and data outputs for clients, and implementing sustainable capacity strengthening programs with local partners and agencies.

Abdi joins InterMedia from The Steadman Group/ Synovate, where he has been a researcher and a research manager since 2007. He has field experience in several African countries, and he played a key role in the company’s expansion into Francophone Africa. Abdi has also conducted media studies in challenging locations such as Darfur, the DRC and Ethiopia.

Educated in Kenya and Algeria, Abdi is fluent in Arabic, French, KiSwahili, Somali and English. He is a welcome addition to InterMedia’s Nairobi-based team and will be our quality champion in the region.

After only three months in existence, InterMedia Africa already is busy with a number of projects for clients including UNESCO, VOA and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Managing Director Vivien Marles also came from Steadman/Synovate, where she had been Research Director since 2006. She  also directed The Steadman Center of Applied Research,  a unique capacity-strenghtening initiative run in partnership with Strathmore Business School in Nairobi.

For more information about Abdinasar Abdi or the InterMedia Africa office, please contact Vivien Marles at: marlesv@intermedia.org

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InterMedia COO Susan Gigli and Dr. Ali Fisher, who directs Networked Communication Research, advise media organizations on how to embrace and benefit from new digital platforms through their 10 New Rules of Engagement.

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In a new white paper Dr. Ali Fisher, who directs InterMedia's networked communication research, and analyst David Montez test new digital media research methods to evaluate the US State Dept's online campaign in Brazil.

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Peter Goldstein, director of communications and AudienceScpaes project director, will speak about “Indigenized ICT Development: The Case of Mobile Phones in Africa” during a panel discussion at the Society for International Development’s triennial World Congress in Washington, D.C. The panel takes place July 30 at 10:45 am-12:45 pm at the  Omni Shoreham Hotel.

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Director of Communications Peter Goldstein has been selected as a judge for the 2011 AIB international media excellence awards, which will be presented Nov. 9 in London. For more info about the AIBs.

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After 15 years working throughout Africa, InterMedia is now in Africa.

On July 6th InterMedia President Robert T. Coonrod and Africa Managing Director Vivien Marles will be hosting a reception at the Sankara Hotel Westlands at 7pm to celebrate the opening of our Africa regional office in Nairobi.

Please come meet our staff and partners, enjoy some refreshments and learn about the innovative research-based products and consulting services that InterMedia is delivering for a broad range of clients operating around the continent.

The establishment of the Africa office reflects InterMedia’s recognition of the region’s strong potential and the growing importance of high-quality media and communication research as new technologies and content providers rapidly proliferate.

We will also present InterMedia’s plans for strengthening African research capacity and ensuring that all of our work is driven by local talent and ideas. Our company is ready to build on its experience in some 25 African countries to forge collaborations and partnerships emphasizing local ownership of the research process.

Peter Goldstein, director of Audiencescapes, will be running a morning workshop on Audiencescapes from 9 a.m to 12 noon at our Gigiri Offices. AudienceScapes is an InterMedia-run project aimed as making African media and communication research readily available to the development community.

Please let us know if you are interested in attending this workshop in your RSVP to bowenh@intermedia.com.

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InterMedia announced that it has been awarded a GSA Schedule contract, effective June 8th, 2011. The contract allows InterMedia to offer its cutting-edge research products and services to the federal government more quickly and more efficiently.

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Tim Cooper will be the new Research Director at InterMedia, effective June 2011. Tim comes to us from the BBC World Service Trust, where he has overseen a global network of 50 researchers in 17 countries.

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InterMedia, the global research-based consultancy, announced Tuesday the appointment of Vivien Marles as Managing Director of the company’s Africa branch office, which is set to open in Nairobi, Kenya on 9 May 2011. Marles, a distinguished research professional with deep experience in Africa, will lead and expand InterMedia’s operations in this high-priority region.

Marles comes to InterMedia from Synovate Pan-Africa (formerly, The Steadman Group) in Nairobi, where she has been Research Director since 2006. She was also founder and director of The Steadman Center of Applied Research, a unique capacity-building initiative run in partnership with Strathmore Business School in Nairobi.

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Andrea Marmolejo, an investment advisor focused on environmental and sustainable projects in Africa, India and the UK, is the latest appointment to InterMedia UK’s Board of Directors.
Andrea set up the advisory and private placement team at UNLtd Ventures, which targets social investments in developing countries, and has also worked with the World Bank as well as with clean technology and impact investment funds. “We’re very excited to have Andrea join our InterMedia team,” says InterMedia Chair, Ambassador Richard Carlson. “Her knowledge and breadth of experience in the public and private sectors globally, as well as a keen understanding of how best to meet developing world issues and needs, will be invaluable in advising and guiding the growth of InterMedia UK.”

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Dr. Gerry Power, newly appointed managing director of InterMedia in London, was recently awarded the International Communication Association’s (ICA) “Communication Research as a Collaborative Practice” award at the organization’s 2010 conference in Singapore. The award, which recognizes outstanding collaborative techniques to address emerging problems in media and communication, highlighted Dr. Power’s work as Director of Research and Learning at the BBC World Service Trust, the position he held before joining InterMedia.

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The Board of Directors of InterMedia, the global media and
communications research company, today unanimously appointed Robert T. Coonrod as InterMedia’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
“Robert Coonrod is the ideal person to lead our organization. He will bring great vision, experience and leadership skills in taking InterMedia to its next level,” said Ambassador Richard W. Carlson, Chairman of InterMedia’s Board of Directors. “We are a leading resource for clients around the world. Bob Coonrod will help us with new opportunities by expanding the range of services we can provide.”

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Gerry comes to InterMedia from the BBC World Service Trust, where he has been serving as Director of Research and Learning for the past five years, working across radio, television, internet and mobile platforms. He is credited with building up the Trust’s knowledge management practice, making research a fundamental strategic part of all communication for development projects and for establishing a highly motivated award-winning global network of researchers that spans 14 countries.

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Peter Goldstein, director of online communications at InterMedia, recently travelled to Austria to introduce participants in the Salzburg Global Seminar to the AudienceScapes project, a treasure trove of media, communication and demographic data and analysis that will be a vital resource for the international development community.
The first segment of the project, an in-depth interview report of how policy makers and influencers in Ghana access and disseminate policy-relevant information, is due for release in the next several weeks. 

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