In 2010, UNESCO proclaimed 13th February as World Radio Day. For 11 years, it has been celebrated with a special theme. In 2022, the key issue revolves around trust.
“We see it in every country in Europe that people rely and trust radio as one of the best sources of information for them. I think that our challenge for people working at radio stations is to keep that trust,” says Edita Kudlacova, the head of radio at European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
According to the European Broadcasting Union Trust in Media Report for the year 2021, recent world events and the Covid-19 pandemic have eroded trust in the media in general, fuelled by the circulation of false content rapidly spreading on social media. However, specific media studies reveal a global decline in trust in the Internet and social networks, but a rise in overall trust in the news.
“We have seen it during the past two years with the pandemics that people were looking to public service news coverage much more than before,” adds Edita Kudlacova.
The EBU 2021 Trust in Media Report shows that many citizens still ascribe greater confidence in radio than in any other media. It also suggests that investing in fact-checking, investigative journalism and rigorous verification of sources and content are some of the practices radio broadcasters could strengthen to keep audience trust.
“Investigative journalism is the journalism that unveils in a professional and in-depth manner the issues (and wrongdoings) that were not in the public domain,” says Mirta Lourenco, the chief Chief of Media Development at UNESCO, adding that when this form of distinctive journalism is taking place, the public may better recognize and understand the fundamental role of journalism and free media in a democratic society. “This public’s understanding then goes hand-in-hand with trust in media, while distrust in media is often the result of superficial reporting without professional verification.”
The costs of verified information was, however, raised due to a decline in news media revenue, including radio, that led to the loss of advertisement to Internet companies. “The issue is not then striking out against the Internet and everything online, but as said above, giving people the competencies to distinguish between falsehoods and information, between compromised and independent news, between information for the interest of some of the public and information in the public interest,” Mirta Lourenco stated.
Despite the calls for diversity, radio still remains one of the most popular media. It is used by an overwhelming majority of people as it can be listened to everywhere, even when electricity or connectivity are not reliable.
“It is actually the audience who attribute trust. And people trust the media that represents them, brings them accurate information, and holds the powerful to account,” sums up Mirta Lourenco from UNESCO for Radio Slovakia International. “Happy World Radio Day!”
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WRD EBU
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Source: RSI
