This paper chronicles the anecdotal evidence of unexpected problems that emerged in two mass communication projects in Central America. The aim is to highlight the most salient "people-related" issues faced by mass communication evaluation researchers who work in alien cultures. The paper argues that graduate students in schools of journalism and mass communication are well trained in theory, methods, and statistical analysis but are not so well prepared to deal with the obstacles put up by people and the organizations they represent in field settings. The paper states that this problem is particularly true for those who intend to work in evaluation research in developing countries. The two projects discussed in the paper dealt with non-formal community educational radio and were located in isolated regions of Nicaragua and Honduras. Personal experiences of the author during these projects are recounted while observations drawn from literature that addresses evaluation research are integrated in the text. The paper makes the case that the field of journalism and mass communication needs to prepare graduates better to handle these "people-related" issues. (Thirteen notes are included.) (MS)