"In 1947 Father José Joaquín Salcedo laid the cornerstone of what would become, until its demise nearly a half century later, Latin America’s largest, Catholic, mass media-based education and community development network, the Radiophonic Schools of Radio Sutatenza and Acción Cultural Popular (
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ACPO). Begun as an experiment in rural catechetical outreach using a homemade radio transmitter, three borrowed receivers, and an old film projector, the radiophonic school system expanded to encompass five radio stations, state-of-the-art printing and recording facilities, a national circulation newspaper aimed exclusively at rural readers, and Latin America’s first leadership training institutes for peasants." (Page 114)
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"Was hilft gegen die Landflucht? Digitale Strategien können ländliche Räume vitalisieren. Die Autorin begibt sich auf einen Landspaziergang durch zukünftige digitale Welten: Glasfaser, Offene Daten und Sensoren im Internet der Dinge tauchen ebenso auf wie smarte Mobilität, Roboter in der Gesund
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heitsvorsorge und smarte Bürger. Die ländlichen Orte stehen vor der Entscheidung, sich auf den digitalen Weg zu machen, ohne dabei ihre Traditionen und Eigenheiten aufzugeben. Das Buch ist eine Einladung, den eigenen Platz in der digitalen Welt zu finden im Sinne von Eigenheit, Freiheit und Gemeinwohlorientierung. Denn ohne digitales Land ist auch kein Staat zu machen." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"This report analyses the Chin media sector. It is based on research conducted by MDIF from late 2018 through December 2019, as well as a quantitative and qualitative survey conducted by Myanmar Survey Research (MSR) in May 2019. The report provides data on the Chin media operations themselves, as w
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ell as the news and information needs and preferences of their actual and potential audiences in Chin State and Sagaing Region [...] What we have found is that, in many respects, Chin media face very similar problems to their counterparts elsewhere in Myanmar. They have often been set up by individuals who are deeply committed to serving the information needs of their communities, and they are often an important source of information for their audiences. We also have found that Chin media are dealing with challenges managing the digital transition that are similar to both their national and local media counterparts, and that more than half of them are also simultaneously continuing to produce print publications that remain a valuable news source for local communities. And, like local media all over the country, MDIF’s research has confirmed that Chin media are facing a major struggle to survive financially, often having to rely on local donors and personal savings as well as more traditional revenue sources such as advertising and print copy sales." (Introduction)
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"Que se haya establecido en primer lugar el uso de la aplicación WhatsApp nos muestra la importancia de las redes en la comunicación personal, afectiva, familiar, en el trabajo, la economía y la organización de las personas. El Facebook denota la importancia e las redes abiertas, sin embargo, ta
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mbién las características como medio de información y el grado de apertura de la población a la información global. En tercer lugar, la importancia del Google y el YouTube como plataformas de exploración de información más especializada en salud, tutoriales para actividades manuales, información agropecuaria, muestra nuevas formas de búsqueda y de adquisición de conocimientos y habilidades en diferentes temas de interés, sin límite. Otras formas de acceder a vincularse de manera colectiva e individual, como la información de otras organizaciones, el correo electrónico, aunque han mostrado numéricamente menos representatividad, su uso no es menos importante, ya que por una parte se trata de contenido local nacional y por otra de comunicación personalizada. Respecto a las brechas del uso del Internet frente al nivel de educación alcanzado, estas pueden ser disminuidas gracias a las herramientas, como el uso de mensajes de voz, por lo que llamamos a los jóvenes a darse la tarea de encontrar la manera de transferir estos conocimientos a las personas con mayores dificultades. De manera que se independicen para atender sus propias necesidades de comunicación. Al mismo tiempo que el estudio ha encontrado relaciones de solidaridad entre familiares y vecinos, que llevan más allá del uso individual de estos medios, por lo que alentamos a mantener estos mecanismos de colaboración. La radio y la televisión son todavía importantes medios de información, sin embargo, la tendencia en la propia comunidad Macharetí muestra que puede ser complementario al uso del internet, lo que en los próximos años ayudaría a disminuir la brecha generacional entre los distintos medios de difusión y comunicación." (Conclusiones, página 79-80)
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"This article adopts the case study research approach through the use of document analysis and interviews to investigate the role of two community radio stations in selected areas of the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa with regard to rural development and the dissemination of information to w
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omen listeners. It also suggests ways by which these radios may be used to enhance access to information by rural women in South Africa. The findings reveal that although community radio stations are recognised as support systems for information dissemination in rural communities, their role in information dissemination and the community development of women has not been fully explored. This article suggests ways in which the services of community radios may be enhanced by the provision of information to women for rural development." (Abstract)
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"Currently, research on older Chinese rural women’s reading activities through social media is scarce. This paper, based on a 2015 ethnographic study in the south-central Chinese city of Changsha, responds to this disparity. It highlights some of the reading choices and sources shared by a group o
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f rural women (over 40 years of age) through the most popular Chinese social media platform WeChat. The discussion emphasizes that in particular women in this rural community advertising revenue mechanisms of WeChat’s official account platform. A significant finding is that Changsha’s rural women endorsed articles that appeared to reflect their off-line realities and aligned with their emotional states. Uncertainty about information accuracy was affected by their educational backgrounds, literacy levels, life experiences, and moreover, by underlying Chinese social conditions and cultural expectations, which together, meant they sometimes recirculated fake, sexual, misleading and poor-quality information." (Abstract)
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"Globale Transformationsprozesse wie steigende Rohstoff- und Nahrungsmittelpreise, die Finanzkrise und der Klimawandel haben seit Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts zu tiefgreifenden Veränderungen in der Landnutzung und den Landbesitzverhältnissen beigetragen. Konflikte um Land und Rohstoffe stehen seit
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einigen Jahren im Fokus einer lebhaften wissenschaftlichen und zivilgesellschaftlichen Debatte und führen vielerorts - insbesondere im Globalen Süden - zu Protesten. Mit über 40 Essays von »Agrarbewegung« bis »Water Grabbing« präsentiert das kritische Handbuch zentrale Themen der Debatte und macht sie einer breiten Leser_innenschaft zugänglich." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"With a focus on entertainment education, this article sheds light on the effects of radio drama in addressing conflict over land governance. The discussion is built around the broadcast of Bush Wahala radio series during the recent land acquisition process that has taken place in Sierra Leone. Thro
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ugh the analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted by the author with rural farmers affected by this issue, on the one hand, this work generates reflections on the role of radio drama in providing listeners with alternative options to the use of violence and confrontation with the authorities in order to claim land rights; on the other hand, it represents an important contribution to the literature of edutainment in contexts of conflict, with a specific focus on the increasingly complex issue of land grabbing in the developing world." (Abstract)
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"The term “Africa Rising” is used in popular and academic discourse to describe economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Increased mobile phone ownership and access to the Internet figure prominently in this optimistic narrative. However, aspects of this story are being questioned, in particular w
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hether this economic growth benefits Africa’s rural areas. In this article, we extend this critique to the optimism surrounding access to the mobile Internet by detailing rural women’s experiences with mobile devices. Drawing on data from our long-term fieldwork in Western Kenya, we describe how secondhand handsets, misinformation about social media, and gendered allocations of time constrain women’s access to the mobile Internet. We then discuss how the materiality of mobile phones, seasonal changes, and other factors must be considered when developing technological interventions in rural areas. We conclude that rural women’s lived realities merit more attention within growth narratives about Africa." (Abstract)
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"In A Village Goes Mobile, Sirpa Tenhunen examines how the mobile telephone has contributed to social change in rural India. Tenhunen's long-term ethnographic fieldwork in West Bengal began before the village had a phone system in place and continued through the introduction and proliferation of the
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smartphone. She here analyzes how mobile telephones emerged as multidimensional objects which, in addition to enabling telephone conversations, facilitated status aspirations, internet access, and entertainment practices. She explores how this multifaceted use of mobile phones has affected agency and power dynamics in economic, political, and social relationships, and how these new social constellations relate to culture and development. In eight chapters, Tenhunen asks such questions as: Who benefits from mobile telephony and how? Can people use mobile phones to change their lives, or does phone use merely amplify existing social patterns and power relationships? Can mobile telephony induce development? Going beyond the case of West Bengal, Tenhunen develops a framework to understand how new media mediates social processes within interrelated social spheres and local hierarchies by relating, media-saturated forms of interaction to pre-existing contexts." (Publisher description)
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"This research paper draws on the theory of development communication to explore the relationship between community radio broadcast and community development in Northern Ghana. It traces the history of development communication practice in Ghana and its application in Ghana's rural development effor
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ts. The study draws attention to the special role of radio in development work by analysing the programming styles and formats of Radio Gaakii and its impacts on the community's development drive. The paper also explored areas of community concern most addressed by Radio Gaakii broadcast. The study adopted the qualitative approach in its design and employed in-depth interviews in its data collection. One significant findings of this study is that, the general programming style and format of Radio Gaakii's broadcast contents are practically aimed at responding to the felt needs of the communities it serve. Socio-cultural issues were found to be the primary concern of the listening community that the Station has addressed most since its inception in 2011. The station also made giant strides in the areas of agriculture, health and sanitation, women and youth empowerment. A key recommendation the study made is that, Ghana's Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should take steps at mainstreaming CRB model into Ghana's local government system by supervising the setting-up of CRS in every district capital (especially those considered rural and without community radio stations) in a non-partisan manner, with coverage reaching all communities within the district. This, it is believed will facilitate social communication and development among rural populations of Ghana." (Abstract)
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"A intenção deste artigo é refletir sobre a resistência das práticas comunitárias, com forte presença da oralidade primária e secundária (ONG, 1998; ZUMTHOR, 1993), no âmbito das relações entre pessoas dos meios rural e urbano em contato com a radiodifusão. O corpus é o “Programa do
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Galinho” da Rádio Educadora AM de São Luís do Maranhão. Trata-se de um produto radiofônico com mais de cinco décadas que vive o desafio de uma possível migração da emissora para a faixa FM. Agenciase ainda o conceito de memória e a percepção sobre os ofícios tradicionais na atualidade. A performance vocal do apresentador Carlos Henrique, o Galinho, falecido em 2021, vítima da Covid-19, é analisada de maneira a ressaltar seu protagonismo junto ao ouvinte/anunciante de avisos e de mensagens publicitárias do comércio popular de feiras e mercados, atitude que, juntamente com as notícias sobre festividades no interior, compõe um repertório que resiste ao tempo." (Resumo)
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"Makutano Junction is an ‘edutainment’ soap opera made for local TV stations in Kenya and other East African countries. The show is about a fictional peri-urban village and the people who live in it. The program is made in Kenya, but was devised and is produced by Mediae, a UK based company that
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works with the support and collaboration of some major Kenyan and international NGOs. Mediae was founded by the producers David Campbell and Kate Lloyd Morgan. Since it began broadcasting in 2007 Makutano Junction has become one of the most popular shows on Kenyan TV; currently around 8 million viewers watch it every week, which is about 20% of the country’s entire population. Mediae have created a small stable of TV and radio shows mostly for Kenya, but also for Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. They all give rural Africans access to the latest information and discussions about issues that concern them. The themes and plotlines for these shows are informed by extensive and careful research in the field, conducted by themselves or partner organisations.
Some of Mediae’s work is highly innovative. An example of this is the show Shamba Shape Up, which is also a major hit in Kenya and neighbouring countries. Shamba means ‘farm’ in Swahili, and as the title suggests it’s a kind of small farm makeover show. So presenters and experts visit smallholding farmers, and on camera, discuss problems that they might be having, with animal health, crop yield, market strategies etc, and consider solutions and strategies. Then they put a plan into action, and have a follow up show to see the results. Some 10 million viewers across East Africa view this show every week, even more than Makutano Junction. A very important aspect of this show is its associated app; I-Shamba, with which farmers are able to use mobile phones to access a database of up to the minute information and advice. Once remote smallholding farmers are increasingly connecting, interacting and educating themselves through this special show and app." (Page 99-100)
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"[The author] underscores how important an analytical category the rural is: rather than a dismissed backwater of a normative urban, the rural emerges here as a vibrant space, a pregnant category, a pressing concern. The elements of a critical theory of the rural presented here underscore how comple
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x such a space is, shaped by market forces, policy initiatives, technological development, demographic shifts, and community identities. Media regulation and media content are central to a rich understanding of the rural. Nonetheless, as Chris importantly points out, a critical theory of rural communication must avoid romanticizing the rural—as many have done with the local—and eschew media centrism." (Introduction by Marwan M. Kraidy, page 2)
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"This publication is the first scoping study aimed at compiling existing evaluation cases in the field of Communication for Development as applied to agricultural and rural development initiatives. It draws on a literature review and 19 cases across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribb
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ean comparing evidence of evaluative approaches, methods and outcomes of communication programmes and rural communication services. It also provides clear indications about the need to build evidence that inform policy to advance inclusive rural communication services." (Back cover)
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"ActionAid’s efforts of bring together communities radio stations from different states across the country in the recent National Consultation on Community Radio held at Bhubaneswar was quite useful to discuss the best practices of community radio stations, the challenges they face and the way for
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ward. We thank Young India and Radio Namskar for partnering with us in this effort. The present publication on the best practices of the community radios in different parts of the country encapsulate the experiences and journey of the community radio stations in amplifying the voice of the marginalized communities, the change result they have achieved partnering with the communities and the larger aspirations of the community for social justice and equality. Through this publication we would like to share the learnings emerging from the practice of community radio stations. I look forward to carrying these conversations further with you dear readers, and hence I look forward to receiving your comments and feedback on this report." (Foreword)
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"Rural print media journalists in Africa tap into perceptions about their readers to produce newspapers. The evolving aesthetic perceptions of the rural print media in Ghana have in turn produced social domains of consumption and affiliation with the newspapers and print media. The style of Ewe-lang
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uage newspapers produced in Ghana has generated different newspaper-reader affiliations and discursive spheres. This article examines some of the stylistic features of Ewe newspapers, investigating the way in which rural print media consumers and producers use these to articulate perceptions of the language domain of Ghanaian rural newspapers and print media." (Abstract)
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"Con el objetivo de incluir a toda la población del país en las audiencias radiales, el Grupo RPP encargó una investigación a nivel nacional rural que representa el 22% de la población, según cifras oficiales del INEI. De este modo, al juntar los resultados de la audiencia de esta investigaci
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n con la audiencia radial a nivel urbano que se maneja en la industria publicitaria, se obtiene una audiencia integral a nivel total Perú. Para el caso se manejó una muestra panel de 1,200 personas distribuidas en 150 caseríos en 24 departamentos, respetando el peso poblacional rural de cada uno de ellos. Los caseríos fueron elegidos estrictamente al azar a partir de la base de datos de centros poblados rurales del INEI. La importancia de esta investigación es que permite estimar el gran potencial que tiene la radio al alcanzar a nivel Perú Rural el 81,5% (4’0 millones de personas de 11 a más años) en el término de una semana. El total de audiencia rural semanal representa el 18% y a nivel audiencia urbana el 82% del total nacional. Las emisoras locales en la zona rural tienen una mayor presencia respecto a las emisoras nacionales. Según emisoras, R.P.P. alcanza durante la semana al 26,6% de esta población de 11 a más años, que representa 1’3 millón de personas que escuchan esta radio, en menor medida se ubica Nueva Q con un alcance semanal de 3,8%, le sigue La Karibeña con 3,5%, Moda 2,7% y Exitosa 2,1% entre las más destacadas." (Página 1)
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