Empowering Locales: Need for an Effective Community Media
| Published date | 01 January 2014 |
| Author | Moina Khan |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120140112 |
| Date | 01 January 2014 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
EMPOWERING LOCALES: NEED
FOR
AN
EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY MEDIA
MOINA
KHAN
India
is a
pluralistic
society,
and
a
synthetic
mosaic
constructed with an amalgamation
of
different kinds
of
communities and hence community communication becomes
an urgent need. Though with the phase two
of
FM
licensing in
July
2005,
airwaves
were
made
accessible
and
many
community radio stations belonging to non-government
organisations and educational institutions were set up all over
India. Many campus community radio stations have been set
up in urban areas
under
the governance
of
respective
educational institutions, with an aim that these will act as a
good communication agent. In Indian metropolitan cities,
where
there
are
many
sources
for
information
and
entertainment, what is the image
of
community radio stations
among its audience? Campus people, can be aware
of
it,
but
what about the community it caters to? Why do they actually
listen.
to it? Do they
actually
depend
on
this
kind
of
communication strategy?
INTRODUCTION
THE
COMMUNICATION and information need
of
every society
is
different. "Every nation needs to define development for itself and find its
own strategy."(Servaes, 1989 in Srampickal J, 2006) India being a pluralistic
society needs an entirely different communication approach. With change
in every region, tradition, culture, and group, a different communication
need and strategy is required. It is not just a nation's growth in terms
of
power, trade and economy but there is more to development. A society is
said to
be
developed when its people are informed, aware and are
empowered. They have their unique cultural and indigenous identity. They
initiate and participate in dialogues and are the decision makers and agents
of
change. For such a kind
of
individual development, another kind
of
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