The IEC and SABC education both have a public mandate to produce materials that inform citizens about voting. For the last three election years Grounded Media has produced a series to deliver democracy and election information in an entertaining way in the form of a game show. The game show had to appeal to the general South African Public and support the IEC’s aims to build informal knowledge around the Constitution and democracy in particular and the country in general.
Designing a game show requires careful consideration of many factors including contestant mix, teams or individuals, game show mechanism, quiz vs practical game formats, multiple choice versus “one-question-one-answer” formats, elimination and point accumulation rules, level of difficulty of questions, categorizing and theming questions, and how to mix people and facts to produce fun and entertainment.
In order to win a cash prize, the teams must demonstrate a sound knowledge of all things democratic, including general information about our country, our Local Government Elections and democracy in general. The TV series is supported by a viewer’s competition with prizes each week and a Facebook page for comments and discussion.
