World Radio Day has been and is celebrated annually on the 13th of February since 2012, although Radio has roots all the way back to the 1800s, so it can be safely said that the medium is already well into its second century. This year's 2024 topic is “Radio: Past, Present, Future”, so naturally I came to ask myself, is radio still important today?
While nowadays most people get their news on their phone, we have to think about the ones that don't. Radio reaches corners in the world no one else sees, huge media platforms report mostly world-breaking news, while radio becomes more and more important on a smaller scale. When radio was introduced to the public in the 20th century it quickly became popular and established itself as the most used media. Now outshined by various other media like online newspapers and podcasts, that allow us to choose on our own terms when and where we want to inform ourselves and by whom, which is also not always good because of untrustful sources and fake news. But in general, we don't have to depend on certain broadcast times anymore and because there are so many different news pages people can choose the one that tells them what they want to hear.
But like I said most news platforms don't cover small-town stories anymore, there was a theft next door or there is a local flea market. News like this strengthens the local community and gives people in this globalized world a meaning of importance and makes them feel seen. Nowadays all we read is about international reports, that seem so far away and determined, impossible to influence, so that people stop caring about them. But radio is a local media, about local problems. People want to be represented and I think radio is the only medium that is offering that. Social media platforms destroy small communities and disconnect them, while radio makes them flourish. At least I am seeking something I can relate to, local news about politics and environmental problems where I actually have a realistic chance to influence certain outcomes.
So while I think radio at a large scale as a source for worldwide news is outdated, its importance for small communities grows significantly. Especially in a time when everyone wants to move to big cities, where there is almost no air to breathe anymore nor no space to move, radio can make the small-town life exciting and worth living again. So in order to celebrate radio, we should appreciate the small things in our lives that give it meaning. So the next time you sit in your car on your way to work listening to the radio, you may come to appreciate it more.
While nowadays most people get their news on their phone, we have to think about the ones that don't. Radio reaches corners in the world no one else sees, huge media platforms report mostly world-breaking news, while radio becomes more and more important on a smaller scale. When radio was introduced to the public in the 20th century it quickly became popular and established itself as the most used media. Now outshined by various other media like online newspapers and podcasts, that allow us to choose on our own terms when and where we want to inform ourselves and by whom, which is also not always good because of untrustful sources and fake news. But in general, we don't have to depend on certain broadcast times anymore and because there are so many different news pages people can choose the one that tells them what they want to hear.
But like I said most news platforms don't cover small-town stories anymore, there was a theft next door or there is a local flea market. News like this strengthens the local community and gives people in this globalized world a meaning of importance and makes them feel seen. Nowadays all we read is about international reports, that seem so far away and determined, impossible to influence, so that people stop caring about them. But radio is a local media, about local problems. People want to be represented and I think radio is the only medium that is offering that. Social media platforms destroy small communities and disconnect them, while radio makes them flourish. At least I am seeking something I can relate to, local news about politics and environmental problems where I actually have a realistic chance to influence certain outcomes.
So while I think radio at a large scale as a source for worldwide news is outdated, its importance for small communities grows significantly. Especially in a time when everyone wants to move to big cities, where there is almost no air to breathe anymore nor no space to move, radio can make the small-town life exciting and worth living again. So in order to celebrate radio, we should appreciate the small things in our lives that give it meaning. So the next time you sit in your car on your way to work listening to the radio, you may come to appreciate it more.
Nele Blachmann
Nele is a german volunteer involved in The World Radio Day
