Assessing the Strength of Different Violence Monitoring Systems in Crises

Abstract

Violence monitoring systems can play a vital role in tracking, managing, and responding to violence. Such systems typically rely on one or a combination of strategies for data collection, including old and new media monitoring. In spite of the widespread use of violence monitoring systems there is limited information on their comparative opportunities and limitations. Drawing on research conducted during the 2017 Kenya elections, this briefing explains why policymakers and practitioners should continue to invest in combined approaches to violence monitoring that make use of both old and new media to play to their relative strengths while remaining aware of limitations and biases in both.