World Radio Day is observed every year on February 13 to raise greater awareness among the public and the media of the importance of radio and to encourage decision-makers to establish and provide access to information through radio. It is celebrated annually to recognize radio as a method for teaching individuals, transporting data and promoting the opportunity for expression across global cultures.
World Radio Day 2022 theme
According to different international reports, Radio continues one of the most trusted and accessible media in the world. The theme of the 2022 edition of World Radio Day is "Radio and Trust".
Sharing more details, UNESCO on its official website states that this year's edition of WRD is divided into three main sub-themes:
Trust in radio journalism- Produce independent and high-quality content
To raise listeners’ confidence, journalism must persist to be established on verifiable facts that are communicated in the public interest, hold the powerful to account and help society construct a more promising fate for all.
Trust and accessibility- Take care of your audience
Reaching out to a chosen audience group suggests sufficing the informational requirements of all listeners and being a stimulus for integration and social participation - including persons with disabilities. Digital radio platforms provide grounds for innovation in the accessibility of content for the latter, such as the use of sign languages or automated subtitles for hearing-impaired audience when streaming, or announcements of content for blind listeners.
Trust and viability of radio stations- Ensure competitiveness
This sub-theme links the financial survival of radio stations to their capacity to draw and maintain a large enough base of loyal listeners to be sustainable or to embed listener interaction into their business models.
History and significance of World Radio Day
Proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day, February 13 became World Radio Day (WRD).
On January 14, 2013, the UN General Assembly formally endorsed UNESCO's proclamation of World Radio Day. During its 67th session, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 13th of February as World Radio Day.
