World Radio Day 2022: Date, Theme, History And Significance Of World Radio Day

Every year, World Radio Day is celebrated on February 13 with an aim to underline the importance of radio. In this era of a technologically advanced world with easy access to the internet and other mediums of communication, the peculiar role of radio simply cannot be ignored. There are a lot of people still who not only trust radio but also rely on it for the consumption of news and for entertainment purposes. To date, radio has managed to be a prominent platform to reach the masses, at least here in India.

History

The member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) first proclaimed this day back in 2011. However, it was later adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day. Since then, February 13 has been observed as World Radio Day.

Theme

The theme for World Radio Day 2022 is “Radio and Trust”. On the occasion of World Radio Day 2022, UNESCO invites radio stations around the world to commemorate the 11th edition of the event, as well as more than a century of radio. The three main sub-themes of World Radio Day 2022 are:

1) Trust in radio journalism: Journalism should be about giving out the right, well-researched, and verified information. The people involved in the radio journalism industry must be able to produce high-quality content.

2) Trust and accessibility: This sub-theme intends to bring into notice the need for accessibility of the information or news to different sections of society. Each and every individual (including people with disabilities) must be able to have access to the radio.

3) Trust and viability of radio stations: The radio stations must ensure competitiveness and must be able to engage a wide audience.

Significance

Even after decades, radio has remained to be one of the oldest, most popular, and most widely consumed news mediums. It also plays an important role in delivering information during the time of natural disasters. The main motive behind starting this day was to allow people from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences to raise their concerns and voice their opinions.