The supremacy of radio in dissemination of information globally cannot be understated. Kenya has experienced tremendous growth of radio since the liberalisation of the airwaves in the early 1990s.
Kenya's media industry is one of the most vibrant in the region, with 13 public FM radio services, 131 commercial FM broadcasters and 42 community FM broadcasters spread across the country. This growth can be attributed to the trust people have in radio.
Radio access is high for both rural and urban populations, with over half of Kenya's population getting their news from the radio. Most people at the grassroots in Kenya believe in the power of the radio. This is especially so during conflicts, hence the long-held perception of radio as a catalyst of inter-ethnic and communal violence. This power of radio can be harnessed to build peace.
Kenya has witnessed post-election violence at various levels since the return of multiparty politics in 1992. The 2007/2008 post-election violence is still fresh in our minds and the subsequent, deeply divisive elections of 2013 and 2017.
Journalists and the media were partly blamed for fanning ethnic conflicts in the 2007/2008 post-election mayhem, with mainstream media, in particular, being accused of biased reporting laced with ethnic insinuations and airing hate speech. In the 2017 polls, some sections of the media were fingered for leaning toward certain political sides.
The unique value of radio, which remains the medium to reach the widest audience and which is currently taking up new technological forms and devices, places it as a key channel of information dissemination to address matters of peace.
The World Radio Day celebrations on February 13, presented an opportunity to reflect on the significant role of radio in promoting peace and understanding between communities and nations. This year's theme, 'Radio and Peace', underscores the place of radio as an important player and an essential part of the maintenance and transition to peace.
The agenda-setting role of radio gives citizens a voice to air issues affecting them to authorities. Further, professional radio addresses both the root causes and triggers of conflict before they potentially explode into violence through specific radio programming and editorial choices.
The radio presents several benefits in the promotion of peace. Radio can be used to disseminate information about conflict resolution, human rights, and other topics that are important for peacebuilding. It can also be used to broadcast messages that promote peace and tolerance and challenge damaging narratives and stereotypes. It also serves as a medium for people to share their perspectives, experiences and ideas and engage in constructive dialogue to address conflicts.
Given its wide reach, radio can reach remote and marginalised communities who may not have access to other forms of media or information. Further, radio can support peacebuilding initiatives by amplifying voices of peace activists, promoting peace-oriented events and covering peace-related news and issues. Overall, radio can play a crucial role in promoting peace and stability, by fostering dialogue, encouraging understanding, and providing a platform for diverse voices and perspectives.
The Media Council of Kenya's State of Media 2022 Report recorded a four per cent improvement in radio listenership from 2021. Approximately, four in every five of the surveyed respondents admitted that they rely on radio for information. The increased usage, occurred on the back of the electioneering period, that prompted users to tune in, to get up to date news, more so for rural as compared to the urban dwellers.
Radio listenership can improve if certain conditions are met. Areas of improvement for more citizens to access radio content include issues related to poor frequencies or signals and coverage of more community-centered content. There is need to remain vigilant on misleading information and too many advertisements and betting that interfere with quality content, biases and airing of adult content during watershed hours.
Besides, sustainability continues to be a challenge for the media industry in Kenya, just like it is globally. The need to be viable in most local radio stations has continued to be a balancing act between achieving financial sustainability, editorial independence, and serving the public interest. Many local media houses struggle to achieve this balance, and now they are having to deal with a disruption that exposes both their news gathering capabilities and their business models.
Research has shown that despite the converged media, radio has remained resilient in promoting peaceful co-existence within the community. It is worth noting that Kenyan radio outlets have embraced converged approaches to content creation and dissemination.
However, this is not enough given several factors that include ownership, editorial independence, evolving media landscape, media viability and changing media business models. There is need therefore to work with radio management and editors to promote beneficial approaches to ensuring that radio is sustainable in contributing to a peaceful society.
