December 2003

Das begins by stating, "In villages across nine Indian states listeners are getting hooked on to radio shows featuring women sarpanches and journalists fighting social and economic inequities through panchayati raj institutions [PRIs]. In the process, listeners are spurred on to participate in local institutions of self-governance themselves."

Drawing on radio's reach (almost 90% of India's population), the Delhi-based Participatory Research In Asia (PRIA) has launched pilot programmes to inform local communities about the need to strengthen PRIs and strategies for strengthening them. Selected programmes include:

The Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies contacted more than 3,000 people in 7 states where the programme has already been broadcast. While 16% of the 705 respondents had heard at least one episode of the PRI programme, 16.7% had heard the programme more than once. In the words of one member of Prasar Bharati Board: "Radio has a community-building capacity if you can create interest in the context of what is being broadcast. People identify with the programme and the situation. They feel that they are sharing (their problems) with others." According to the study, the drama format should be given priority, as its impact was the greatest.

Click here for the full article on the Infochange India site.

Infochange India News & Features December 2003, sent to The Communication Initiative on January 19 2004.