World Radio Day 2022

4th February 2022
This year, the theme of World Radio Day is based around trust – a fitting theme which recognises radio’s prevalence in peoples’ lives.
World Radio Day

“Yes to Radio, Yes to trust” is the theme of this year’s World Radio Day, being held on 13 February. As part of the recognition of radio, and the role it plays in society around the world, UNESCO is calling on all radio stations to take part in the celebrations.

The theme of “trust and radio” is divided into three separate sections:

  1. Trust in radio journalism
  2. Trust and accessibility
  3. Trust and viability of radio stations

Read more: 13 ideas to celebrate World Radio Day

In current times, it is more important than ever to recognise the sources of news which offer the counterpoint to widespread mis- and disinformation. Radio journalism provides this guarantee. A Europe-wide study in 20202 found it is the most trusted medium, and a different study found a strong public media was linked to the democratic health of a country. Radio occupies this position of trust because it is capable of reaching a diverse array of audiences and provide trusted news.

Public radio is no exception. Public media organisations have a commitment to impartial journalism. They reach diverse audiences with language services, as exemplified by SBS’ Covid-19 online news portal, available in 63 languages. And their role as a public media means many of them are among the most financially viable radio stations where funding streams are transparent, accountable, and trustworthy.

Trust is fundamental to radio. The medium thrives off of the relationship it creates between the listener and the station. Without trust, this relationship simply would not exist. World Radio Day is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this.