HOW FRONTLINE HELPED A LOCAL RADIO STATION IN ZAMBIA USE MOBILE TO PROMOTE CLIMATE STEWARDSHIP
Radio is the world's farthest reaching communication platform - and for a long time, in many places, it was the only one. But the advent of mobile has opened up the opportunity for radio stations, even small community radio stations, to become move past broadcast to being the center of conversation.That makes radio the best way to educate and engage listeners on important issues, like climate change.
Frontline paired with Developing Radio Partners and four radio stations across Zambia to conduct interactive programming and a listener survey, to collect information about agricultural practices and perceptions of climate change. Not only were our partner radio stations able to engage hundreds of listeners, they were also able to gather data from communities that live in the last mile, helping radio stations target messages, expert interviews, and content to meet their needs. By building responsive content, our radio partners played an important role in informing global conversation, as well as their own listeners, tracking perceptions, behavior change, and important disconnects in the way environmental messages reach into rural areas.
The outcome? Citizens are more informed about their relationship to climate change, journalists have more capacity to engage, and international advocates know more about how to focus their efforts and limited resources. All through the power of Radio and SMS.