Fwd: AMARC Europe Special Newsletter "World Radio Day 2020: We are DIVERSITY"

> > AMARC Special Newsletter> > > World Radio Day 2020> > #weareDIVERSITY> > Dear AMARC Europe members, colleagues and friends,> > In a few days we will celebrate the World Radio Day 2020. This year’s World Radio Day topic is "We are DIVERSITY. We are RADIO".> > The UNESCO argues in this year’s topic rational that “radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. This unique ability to reach out the widest audience means radio can shape a society’s experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard. Radio stations should serve diverse communities, offering a wide variety of programs, viewpoints and content, and reflect the diversity of audiences in their organizations and operations.”> > > > Diversity is a claim AMARC Europe as the biggest representative of the European community radio sector is pursuing in its long history. In the AMARC Europe charter, which was adopted in 1994 in Ljubljana, the emphasis was put on the “… diversity of forms of community radio; … provide a right of access to minority and marginalised groups and promote and protect cultural and linguistic diversity; … inform their listeners on the basis of information drawn from a diversity of sources …”> > Press freedom, access to information, critical reflection of media content and a diversity of media outlets are the key stones for a dynamic democracy, however, nowadays independent, local and community-oriented journalism is more and more exposed to political and economic threats and pressure. In this context, community media remain crucial actors and articulation platforms to ensure the participation of diverse communities in public discussion, provide access to local information and give a voice to underrepresented communities. The World Radio Day is one opportunity to showcase these potentials of community media in the current context.> > The importance of the community media sector in the current European political environment to promote diversity has been acknowledged in the findings and the appreciations the community media sector has received as an integral part of vital democracies on European and international level.> > The Council of Europe recommendation from 2018 on media pluralism and transparency of media ownership sees that the current content shift to the internet as a possible threat to independence of media houses and diversity and quality of productions. However, the Council of Europe also mentions that “…not-for-profit community media can serve as a counterbalance to increased media concentration. By virtue of their remit and organisation, public service media are particularly suited to address the informational needs and interests of all sections of society, as is true of community media in respect of their constituent users. It is of utmost importance that the mandates of public service media include the responsibility to reflect political pluralism and foster awareness of diverse opinions, notably by providing different groups in society – including cultural, linguistic, ethnic, religious, sexual or other minorities – with an opportunity to receive and impart information, to express themselves and to exchange ideas.”> > > > The European Parliament states on the role of community media in the European Union in its resolution on media pluralism and freedom (2017/2209(INI)) from 2018 that "… community media and grassroots media, [which] are crucial elements of a favourable environment for guaranteeing the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information".> > AMARC Europe is looking forward to the various events and ways the community media sector in Europe and beyond will celebrate the World Radio Day 2020 and thereby emphasizes the crucial role community radios play in promoting diversity, democratic participation and social cohesion in our societies.> > The AMARC Europe team wishes our members in Europe and our colleagues and friends around the World a happy World Radio Day 2020!> Contact for further inquiries > > Alexander Vojvoda> Project Co-ordinator AMARC Europe> Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein. > More Information on the World Radio Day Website> > Share > Tweet > LinkedIn > Forward > > Share > Tweet > LinkedIn > Forward > Topic of the> > World Radio Day 2020> > #weareDIVERSITY> > Key messages of the World Radio Day 2020> Radio can integrate people from diverse groups in their editorial teams, including women, youth, minority from different origins, LGBTQI, people with disability and others.> Radio can fairly and equally represent all men, women and children by creating and broadcasting targeted programmes by and for specific sectors of society, while also reflecting the diversity of the population in mainstream programmes. Radio stations can also set diversity targets in programmes and regularly seek audience reactions to them.> To manage diversity radio stations can collect data and develop equal opportunity charters to promote diversity and inclusion in their workforce.> Duty-bearers, including media regulators, can promote a favorable environment for radio diversity to flourish by means of different measures: for example increasing the licensing of radio operated by a variety of groups, such as indigenous / native/minority people – and/or measuring progress of broadcasting organizations towards diversity.> News technologies increase diversity in radio. DAB/DAB+, online streaming, satellite radio and the spread of low-costs technologies have broaden the access to cost-effective methods of transmitting and broadcasting programmes. Similarly, podcasts have opened the door to new ways of producing and consuming audio content thus, increasing access to information and the variety of programmes available.> Download UNESCO Resources HERE> > > Share > Tweet > LinkedIn > Forward > Program Highlight> This Invisible Entity > > "What is radio?“ asks Alasdair Pinkerton at the beginning of his newly published book "Radio: Making Waves in Sound", in which he answers this question a dozen times or more. Depending on time, place and perspective, it can mean the discovery of the natural occurring electromagnetic waves, the technological inventions that make use of these waves or a means of communication that has had tremendous effects on our lives since more than a century. It can also mean a medium of news and entertainment or the little box itself that we turn on to tune in. Alasdair Pinkerton’s “Radio” touches on all these aspects and shows beautifully that they are entangled on various levels. He tells the history of radio as stories of bold inventors, of uncanny coincidences and of political oppression and liberation.> > Superscience Me is a monthly broadcast on the Viennese Radio Orange 94.0 , created by Julia Grillmayr (j Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein. , https://scifi-fafo.com )> > The program is licensed under CC-BY-ND (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ ) and can be rebroadcasted.> Listen to "This Invisible Entity"> > Share > Tweet > LinkedIn > Forward > Team AMARC Europe Newsletter> Coordination: Alexander Vojvoda> > AMARC Europe is looking forward to your comments, critics, complaints, feedback and suggestions for the AMARC newsletter. Please send your comments to Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein.