Happy World Radio Day 2023!

Today February 13th is World Radio Day! The 12th year since its proclamation in 2011 by UNESCO. This year's theme is "Radio and Peace". Past years have celebrated gender equality, youth, sport and diversity.

December 12 of this year will also mark 122 years since Marconi successfully broadcast across the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Cornwall England.

The objective of World Radio Day is to raise public awareness of the importance of radio and to encourage decision-makers to use it to provide access to information, and to improve international cooperation among broadcasters.

The following is an excerpt from UNESCO's World Radio Day page for 2023.

War, as an antonym to peace, signifies an armed conflict between countries or groups within a country, but may also translate into a conflict of media narratives. The narrative can increase tensions or maintain conditions for peace in a given context - for instance weigh in on the rough or smooth conduct of elections, the rejection or integration of returnees, the rise or tempering of nationalistic fervour, etc. In reporting and informing the general public, radio stations shape public opinion and frame a narrative that can influence domestic and international situations and decision-making processes.

Radio can indeed fuel conflict but in reality, professional radio moderates conflict and/or tensions, preventing their escalation or bringing about reconciliation and reconstruction talks. In contexts of distant or immediate tension, relevant programmes and independent news reporting provide the foundation for sustainable democracy and good governance by gathering evidence about what is happening, informing citizens about it in impartial and fact-based terms, explaining what is at stake and brokering dialogue among different groups in society.

“… since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.”

That is the reason why support to independent radio has to be viewed as an integral part of peace and stability. On World Radio Day 2023, UNESCO highlights independent radio as a pillar for conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

You can read more about World Radio Day 2023 here.