The provision of skills and information has gained relevance in empowering communities. In modern society, communication is no longer a luxury but an integral element of facilitating development. In other words, the two concepts are intertwined. Odoom (2020) holds that effective communication is central to effective development (p.37). Therefore, governments must invest in communication projects, especially community media, to stimulate local development programs (Servaes, 2007, p.43). Although communication is vital to the development, key players in the development space – government agencies, research institutions, community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations, and donor bodies- have varying views regarding communication’s role in facilitating development. This diversity affects the implementation of development projects, particularly in developing countries. This underscores a need to broaden people’s perception of the connection between communication and development. Therefore, the purpose of this essay is two-fold. First, the essay discusses the differences between community and commercial radio. The second objective is to highlight ways community radio can foster social change and development.
Community Radio and Commercial Radio
The radio has undergone tremendous changes over the years. The inception of radio technology was seen as a way to keep people informed and connected. Today, radio stations are popular for entertainment and sharing information. Radio broadcasts news and different programs to target audiences. However, radio stations come in different styles and sizes, ranging from those serving local communities (community radio) to those operating at the national or international level (commercial radio).
The main difference between commercial and community radios is ownership and purpose. Commercial radios are privately owned or independent and rely heavily on adverts for monetisation. According to Servaes (2008), privately owned economic organisations strive to maximise profits and consider family and personal relations crucial to the private domain (p.355). On the other hand, community radios are not-for-profit organisations that operate at the grassroots to address the need of local communities, especially the marginalised and vulnerable populations. Unlike commercial radios, community radios provide a platform through which the oppressed and voiceless air their concerns and grievances (Manyonzo, 2009, Tabing, 2004, cited in Malik and Pavarala, 2020, p.44).
Malik and Pavarala (2020) identified several features that differentiate community radio from commercial radio (CR) (p.45). The editors noted that grassroots communities own, manage, and operate CR. The goal of CR is to empower the target community’s cultural and socio-economic life through direct engagement of the people. While commercial radios are privately owned, CRs are community properties. Other defining characteristics of CR include: voicing the concerns of local communities and contributing to local development, strengthening democracy, acting as the third model beyond commercial and government broadcasters, and conveying the thoughts and views of the communities they serve.
Furthermore, CR and commercial radio differ in terms of listener participation. The most defining attribute of CR is the genuine dedication to community participation at different levels. The participation of underserved people, including the illiterate youth, women, the elderly, farmers, the disabled, and labourers, is the primary focus of CR (Malik and Pavarala, 2020, p.45). CR stations deal with issues affecting these communities directly without intermediaries. These stations employ a participatory method in planning, programming, and managing the voices of vulnerable groups to ensure their voices are heard and their demands are met (Malik and Pavarala, 2020, p.46). In contrast, commercial radio listeners have limited opportunities to contribute to programming through phone calls or requesting favourite songs (Servaes, 2008, p.355). In CRs, listeners are managers, owners, directors, and producers.
Overly, CR is controlled and owned by the audience, independent from commercial influences, and fosters participation of the target communities. The governance structures, production methods, and on-air content vary significantly from other broadcasting approaches, especially those practised by commercial radio (O’Brien and Gaynor, 2012, p.145). Al-Hassan, Andani, and Abdul-Malik (2011) affirm that broadcasting content in CR is relevant and popular to specific or local audiences, which commercial radio stations tend to overlook (p.2). The goal is to provide a platform where marginalised communities can share their experiences, narrate diverse stories, and become active contributors.
Ways Community Radio Can Contribute to Development and Social Change
McPhail (2009) defined development communication as the “process of intervening strategically or systematically with either media or education to achieve positive social change” (p.3). Community radios provide avenues for social and economic development. In these stations, programme production contributes to communities’ political and social empowerment. Thus, the stations are crucial to grass root development. For example, they address poverty, gender inequality, social problems, education, and other concerns affecting local communities (Al-Hassan, Andani, and Abdul-Malik, 2011, p.2). Servaes (2008) highlighted the need for governments to support community media development to promote local growth programmes (p.43). This section explores different ways CR contributes to social change and community welfare.
Local Governance and Democratisation
Community media is an integral component of civil society, crucial to democracy viability. CR advances good governance by acting as the community watchdog, making elected leaders and local authorities more attentive to their duties (Fraser and Restrepo-Estrada, 2002, p.71). These stations allow the oppressed and marginalised to engage with authorities or give them a voice to communicate their problem and ensure their rights are met. Undoubtedly, local governance is instrumental to the development and social change. CRs contribute to local governance in several ways.
First, CRs contribute to political and social empowerment. O’Brien and Gaynor (2012) content that CR stations design their programs in a manner that contributes to political and social empowerment by promoting dialogue between different community sections (p.146). This leads to democratisation and changes in power structures, thus encouraging progressive social change. For example, Simli Radio provides interactive processes in Ghana that allow local authorities to share government policies and initiatives, contributing to accountability and transparency (Al-Hassan, Andani, and Abdul-Malik, 2011, p.3). People also leverage these opportunities to question certain commissions and actions.
Political and social empowerment is achieved through improved participation of local communities in programming processes. As mentioned earlier, CR allows the voiceless and oppressed to communicate grievances. The stations enable a socially inclusive process by emphasising a participatory programming approach (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.46). Participation enhances the engagement of local communities in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programmes, changing people’s skills, behaviours, and knowledge. Evidence suggests community participation drives social change (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.47). As a driver for social change, CR contributes to sustainable development by allowing participatory communication.
Researchers have documented how participatory broadcasting leads to social change and development. For example, in Bangladesh, community stations like Krishi Radio facilitate the free flow of information regarding sustainable development and allow marginalised people to air their voices and exchange ideas (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.48). These exchanges have (1) facilitated agricultural promotion and rural development, (2) promoted gender sensitivity and empowered women, (3) ensured accountability and good governance at local levels, (4) reduced the gap between national and local issues, (5) ensured social progress and controlled injustice, and (6) promoted the right to know and empowered the voiceless. Servaes (2008) affirmed that CR is among the effective mean of development communication in rural settings and social participation (p.226). These developments in Bangladesh show that community radios effectively respond to social, cultural, economic, and political development issues that drive change.
Secondly, CRs foster women’s empowerment. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goa 5 states, “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, and it has a target to “enhance the use of technology to promote the empowerment of women” (p.147). From a development economics perspective, women empowerment enables women to make strategic life decisions (Huis et al., 2017, p.2). The idea is to promote women’s awareness and understanding of their rights, autonomy over their lives, and self-confidence (Sohail, 2014, p.163). It is imperative to note that gender equality is vital to economic development and reduces household poverty. Besides, women’s empowerment is crucial to attaining sustainable development globally.
CRs are central to redressing gender imbalances by creating platforms for women to participate in decision-making at different governance and economic development levels. The stations ensure women’s concerns and voices are covered in the daily news, portray women positively, and support women in acquiring confidence and technical skills (AMARC-WIN, 2008, cited in Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.147). In South Asia, CR stations in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal have programs that ensure women participate in programming, decision-making, and managerial roles. This shows that CR stations empower women by facilitating their involvement in different capacities. While women’s empowerment remains a concern in most parts, access to information, media, and communication technologies is requisite to building participatory democracy, empowering women, bridging the gender equality gap, and minimising exclusion (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.150). This evidence shows that CRs allow disparate groups to express themselves and make deliberate efforts to empower women by institutionalising policies that promote gender equity.
Furthermore, CRs are central to community building. An investigation of the community development role of CRs in Ireland found that the broadcasts aired through these stations inspired local populations to participate in community-building efforts by counteracting social isolations and cultivating a sense of belonging (Fraser and Restrepo-Estrada, 2002, p.75). CRs are not confined to their offices. Instead, they visit listeners in their homes or gathering areas to facilitate community events, improve social networks, and connect with the listeners. This sense of a shared community helps identify areas that need improvement and work towards tangible goals.
Cultural Promotion and Reclamation
Sustainable development and social change are hinged on culture. Culture is the foundation for shaping the future and an ingredient in achieving social cohesion. Culture affects different aspects of life that determine social progress or the success of development efforts, including economic and educational policies and tolerance of diverse opinions and views (Gratz, 2017, p.2). In many countries, CR is an instrument of social change by addressing cultural issues that affect development, such as negative views about indigenous groups and discrimination against disadvantaged groups and women.
One of the key functions of CR is to promote local identities, cultures, and characters by emphasising local content (Fraser and Restrepo-Estrada, 2002, p.70). For example, CRs in Nepal act as social movements for preserving and reclaiming local cultures and identities. In Nepal, CRs address three key issues: (1) poor representation in governance, (2) low unemployment and literacy via affirmative action and targeted education programmes, and (3) linguistic and religious discrimination (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.74). Most underserved groups in Nepal use the space provided by CRs for empowerment. From a cultural front, indigenous people in Nepal are leveraging CRs to re-establish their culture and identities. The idea is to reclaim their cultural identity. They use these platforms to educate locals on political, cultural, and social issues. CRs promote and inspire marginalised cultures and identities, making them vital to social change. Young Nepal enthusiasts have used Radio Makalu to re-establish their identities and preserve their language (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.75). Besides empowering marginalised communities, CRs create a discursive space, contributing to pluralist democracy. This underlines CR’s capacity to encourage dialogue among diverse cultural and ethnic groups.
Social Cohesion
Community radios drive social change and foster development through social cohesion. In 2008, Servaes reported that communication is important in reconstructing societies affected by conflicts (p.221). In these cases, community media re-establishes social bonds and promotes reconciliation. Based on the available evidence, CRs mediate and resolve conflicts. In India, for example, CRs promote unity when problems related to livelihoods and conflicts arise (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.211). This shows that CRs can lessen conflict intensity in communities with limited access to rights and resources. These achievements underscore the value of CRs in addressing inter-community conflicts.
Shah (2011) argued that radio broadcasts could induce behavioural changes based on the stimulus-response theory (p.42). This can be demonstrated in different scenarios where radios were used to initiate change. In South Africa, women in Mouse Mpumalanga Province created Mouse Community Radio Station during the Apartheid struggle to lead the reconciliation and peace process (Servaes, 2008, p. 73). Other community radio joined the movement to build social cohesion. As a result, South Africa became a favourable country for participatory communication driven by CRs.
It is imperative to note that social cohesion and development are interlinked. Social cohesion is a vehicle for attaining development and is influenced by a society’s history, culture, and preferences shared through CRs. Economists report a positive correlation between economic growth and social cohesion because social cohesion enhances social and formal institutions that trigger economic development and growth (Sommer, 2019, p.1). This aligns with what Quarry and Ramirez (2009) call “another development, where communities are taught to be self-reliant and endogenous (p.30). It is safe to say that social cohesion links institutions to social actors. This leads to inclusive policies that foster economic development and social change by addressing problems like poverty and health disparities. It also strengthens societal ties and encourages a holistic approach to social problems.
In Ghana, Simli Radio engages experts to discuss issues that affect local people. It addresses issues like family life, social and gender inclusion, conflict resolution, domestic violence, moral education, and peacebuilding (Al-Hassan, Andani, and Abdul-Malik, 2011, p.4). These issues are important to listeners and help foster social cohesion. Therefore, the important role CRs play in driving change and development cannot be ignored. As such, governments worldwide should ensure they implement policies that support CRs and allow them to operate without interference.
Communication and Information Sharing
The provision of information is the backbone of successful development and change processes. CRs are essential in participatory communication, now known as “communication for social change” (Quarry and Ramirez, 2009, p. 17). Social change and development communication are about appreciating the role of the media, communication, and information in stimulating social change. CRs provide localised information about events, ways to participate in politics, and volunteering opportunities. This promotes civic engagement by increasing the participation of local communities in decision-making processes. At micro and macro levels, CRs address informational and educational issues that affect development (O’Brien and Gaynor, 2012, p.152). In countries like Ghana, Simli Radio informs people about the events occurring in their localities ((Al-Hassan, Andani, and Abdul-Malik, 2011, p.4). The radio communicates information concerning livelihood and education improvement opportunities to people. This underpins the significance of information and effective communication in sharing change opportunities and contributing to community advancements.
The value of information is witnessed during disasters, which can derail development efforts. The call to establish CR in Bangladesh came in 1998 in response to the Patuakhali cyclone. At the time, Mass Line Media Centre highlighted the importance of CR in communicating emergency information to communities (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.45). The need became apparent in 2008 following cyclone Sidr after which CR proponents convinced the government that it would have prevented many deaths by using CR to share information with marginalised communities. Today, radio plays a vital role in communicating disaster mitigation and preparedness (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.165).
CR stations have been helpful in South Asian countries through which government officials make disaster preparedness information available to local populations (Malik and Pavaralam, 2020, p.268). Besides, CRs facilitate rehabilitation and recovery efforts that lead to economic development. Thereby, CR stations help build awareness among communities vulnerable to disasters and educate people on better-coping mechanisms. Community-based radios have a competitive edge over other communication technologies because of their extensive reach, oral delivery, regular listenership, low price, and community engagement. Through CRs, people engage in sustainable development.
Conclusion
People worldwide receive information through different sources, including commercial and community radio stations. Commercial and community radios differ in ownership, purpose, listener engagement, and commercialisation. Unlike commercial radios, CR stations are owned, driven, and operated by the listeners they serve. As a result, CRs are better positioned to drive social change and development through improved local governance and democratisation, culture promotion and reclamation, social cohesion, and information sharing. These stations are based on the participatory approach, thus addressing issues that affect the voiceless, marginalised, and vulnerable populations. They achieve social change and development by giving voice to the voiceless and serving as the mouthpiece for the oppressed.
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