February 13 is World Radio Day, which celebrates the radio as a way of educating people, providing information, and promoting freedom of expression across cultures.
About World Radio Day
The idea of World Radio Day was first proposed by Spain’s Radio Academy in 2010. UNESCO officially celebrated World Radio Day in 2012 and now it is 6th year of the celebration.
Radio is the mass media reaching the widest audience in the world. It is also recognized as a powerful communication tool and a low cost medium. Radio is specifically suited to reach remote communities and vulnerable people: the illiterate, the disabled, women, youth and the poor, while offering a platform to intervene in the public debate, irrespective of people’s educational level. Despite being over 100 years old, the radio is one of the most popular ways to exchange information, provide social interchange, and educate people all over the world. It can save lives during natural or human-made disasters, and it gives journalists a platform to report facts and tell their stories.
Themes on World Radio Day
- 2015 : Youth and Radio
- 2016: Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster
- 2017 : Radio is YOU
The theme for 2017 is all about audience participation and engagement – providing listeners with a voice, not simply on-air, but in the policy and planning of radio content. Where social media and audience fragmentation can put us in media bubbles of like-minded people, radio is uniquely positioned to bring communities together and promote positive dialogue for change.
Let us be participative radio audience