Radio and Trust

Building on more than a century of history, radio remains one of the most trusted and widely used media. Throughout the years, radio has provided affordable access to information in real time and professional coverage about matters of public interest, as well as guaranteed distance learning and entertainment. Bridging the gap between traditional and state-of-the art technologies, radio now offers a variety of content through different devices and formats, such as podcasts and multimedia websites.

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. But while studies reveal a global decline in trust in the internet and social networks, they show a rise in overall trust in the news. And many citizens still have greater confidence in radio than in any other media.

Digital access to information is far from being equal, with huge differences remaining between regions and between communities. In comparison, radio remains affordable and can be listened to everywhere, even when electricity or connectivity are not reliable. It is also diverse and inclusive. Community radio, for instance, reaches out to those under-represented in the mainstream and social media, who may feel better understood and fairly portrayed and consequently trust their local station.

On the occasion of World Radio Day 2022, UNESCO calls on radio stations to celebrate the Day through three sub-themes:

Trust in radio journalism: Produce independent and high-quality content;
Trust and accessibility: Take care of your audience;
Trust and viability of radio stations: Ensure competitiveness.

Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO,
on the occasion of World Radio Day

13 February 2022

On this edition of World Radio Day, the theme of which is radio and trust, we are celebrating the independence and reliability of radio.

We turn to radio, more than to any other medium, when we need to be informed. For example, in Europe, where fewer than one in five people consider social networks a credible source of information, more than half of all people trust radio.

This trust is all the more important under serious circumstances, as radio is the only medium which can reach so many households, especially in the remotest of areas. During a pandemic, radio thus remains one of the surest ways to know what to do, without controversy confusing matters.

Radio is often the medium through which learning continues when schools are closed. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, while three quarters of university students own a radio, only 30% have Internet access at home.

However, our trust in radio may be due to something even more profound: where images can be distorted or reproduced to the point of excess, radio establishes a more direct, more intimate relationship between speaker and listener. Of course, this close relationship must be coupled with a guarantee of independence and rigour. Our organization sees to this by promoting reliable and quality information everywhere through support for press freedom and journalists.

The best guarantee of radio’s independence, however, is the diversity of those who make it and the diversity of their voices. Radio would not inspire such trust if we could not make it our own, regardless of our culture. While television requires more significant resources, radio offers communities, villages and schools an accessible means of sharing their knowledge. UNESCO is encouraging radio projects, for example in Cameroon, where an agreement to support community radio stations was signed in November.

For trust is the product not only of a constant effort to be independent, but also of better representation of diversity in terms of language, gender and ideas. Many radio stations have already taken up these issues; whatever their audience ratings, they will have UNESCO’s solid support.

This February 13, let us all join together to express how much radio means to us. A medium over 100 years old, radio is today more relevant than ever. May it live on for many more years to come!

Toronto Students Salute Canada’s ‘Troubadours of Truth’ – Neil Young and Joni Mitchell

Listen to our ‘RADIO and TRUST’ music on our ‘World Radio Day Radio’ station!