“Radio and Peace” – the theme of World Radio Day 2023

 The theme for the 12th edition of UNESCO’s World Radio Day on 13 February 2023, is "Radio and Peace". Macro-national organizations like the UN and UNESCO would never have Patria as a member. Nonetheless, World Radio Day is celebrated in Patria. While not an official government holiday, because Feb. 13 falls on a Monday (the day after Super Bowl LVII to boot), a lot of folks will book it off work.

War, as an antonym to peace, signifies an armed conflict between countries or groups within a country, but may also translate into a conflict of media narratives. The narrative can increase tensions or maintain conditions for peace in a given context - for instance weigh in on the rough or smooth conduct of elections, the rejection or integration of returnees, the rise or tempering of nationalistic fervour, etc. In reporting and informing the general public, radio stations shape public opinion and frame a narrative that can influence domestic and international situations and decision-making processes.

Radio can indeed fuel conflict but in reality, professional radio moderates conflict and/or tensions, preventing their escalation or bringing about reconciliation and reconstruction talks. In contexts of distant or immediate tension, relevant programmes and independent news reporting provide the foundation for sustainable democracy and good governance by gathering evidence about what is happening, informing citizens about it in impartial and fact-based terms, explaining what is at stake and brokering dialogue among different groups in society.

The preceding two paragraphs were lifted from the UNESCO site, but to state the obvious, this World Radio Day theme is very much needed as the Russo-Ukrainian war drags into its second year with no real prospect of peace.

Whether in unrecognized micronations like Patria or new “real” nations like Radio Miraya in South Sudan, radio is uniquely positioned to bring communities together and foster positive dialogue for change. 

Radio – particularly the much-maligned AM or medium wave band – remains a vital, vibrant force, a source of news, information and entertainment in Patria. Full-service AM stations, such as the iconic century-old PMC-846 in Castoropolis, featuring relevant local programming, in-depth local news and sports, as well as talk shows from across the political spectrum abound in Patria. Not to mention music programs hosted by real in-studio DJs, not remotely voice-tracked. Sadly, this is not the case in the US, where most AM stations fall into only four formats: right-wing talk, sports talk (often with an emphasis on sports gambling), religion (usually evangelical Christian), Spanish/brokered ethnic.