World Radio Day

13 febrero, 2021

Actualidad planetaria, ECOGENIOSNo Comments

Proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day, February 13 became World Radio Day (WRD).

Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. This unique ability to reach out the widest audience means radio can shape a society’s experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard. Radio stations should serve diverse communities, offering a wide variety of programs, viewpoints and content, and reflect the diversity of audiences in their organizations and operations.

Young people have a lot to say, but in many communities they do not have a forum to talk about their challenges, to voice their concerns, or to share their stories.

As media consumers, youth often feel neglected or misrepresented by mainstream media outlets. As participants in their communities, they often feel left out of public debate on issues that affect them. Radio can play an important role in reversing this trend by helping youth to represent themselves and to speak about issues that are important to them.

Radio reaches over 95% of the population worldwide. The global population has surpassed 7 billion with people under the age of 30 representing over half of this number*. Given these statistics, it is worthwhile for broadcasters to do the math and start providing more broadcasting for youth and by youth.

On the occasion of World Radio Day 2021 (WRD 2021), UNESCO calls on radio stations to celebrate this event’s 10th anniversary and the more than 110 years of radio.

This edition of WRD is divided into three main sub-themes:

• EVOLUTION(link is external). The world changes, radio evolves.
  This sub-theme refers to the resilience of the radio, to its sustainability ;
• INNOVATION(link is external). The world changes, radio adapts and innovate.
  Radio has had to adapt to new technologies to remain the go-to medium of mobility, accessible everywhere and to everyone;
• CONNECTION(link is external). The world changes, radio connects.
  This sub-theme highlights radio’s services to our society—natural disasters, socio-economic crises, epidemics, etc.

References UNESCO. ONU.