'Mann ki Baat' was the reason for a PIB briefing yesterday. A Rs 100 coin is also being minted as a special commemoration, which Modi himself will ‘release’, evoking thoughts of a coronation rather than routine broadcasts by a Prime Minister in a democracy.
A member of a community radio demonstrates the proper way of washing hands to tribals
BHUBANESWAR: In the hinterlands of Odisha, where tribals do not have exposure to information, community radios are trying to fill that void. They have been providing updates on Covid-19 and sensitising villagers about preventive methods to keep the virus at bay.
As many as 13 community radio stations have adopted nearby villages to keep them updated about Covid through their campaign ‘Nua Sakalara Katha’ (story of a new dawn) and help villagers practice wearing mask, maintain social distancing and wash hands regularly. The campaign has received support from the US Consulate General in Hyderabad and Young India, an NGO.
These radio stations have adopted 81 villages to generate awareness among communities to deliver key messages on quarantine, social distancing, use of masks, proper handwashing and to prevent misinformation.
BHUBANESWAR: Tribal people of some rural pockets in the state do not have exposure to several information sources, but Community Radios try to give updates on Covid-19 issues and sensitize them about the preventive steps to keep the second wave of pandemic at bay.
As many as 13 Community Radio stations have adopted nearby villages to keep them updated about Covid through its campaign ‘Nua Sakalara Katha’ (story of new morning) and help them to adopt the practice of using masks, maintaining social distancing and hand washing. The campaign has received support from US Consulate General Hyderabad and Young India, an NGO.
Expanding Discursive Spaces: Community Radio during COVID-19 and Beyond
Locating the ongoing migrant worker crisis in the politics of voice poverty and lack of access to spaces of representation, the article examines the role played by a grass-roots medium like community radio in India and elsewhere to provide discursive spaces for interest articulation for marginalised communities. Despite the lack of public funding and state support, community radio stations across India have risen to the occasion by broadcasting locally relevant information in local languages and helped mobilise communities to deal with the crisis. The article suggests that genuine democratisation of media may yet be possible with appropriate measures to address issues of information access and communicative equity.