Helping Change Things

advocacy means to actively support a cause. We do advocacy radio when a broadcaster takes up a position on behalf of listeners, to help them. The broadcaster then conducts a campaign. This may be to improve their environment, their health or their living conditions. 

Jesus showed us how to be advocates for the poor and needy. He gave us many practical examples during his three years of public ministry. He showed us how to help the outcasts, lift up the fallen and heal the sick. He also showed great respect for women. He challenged many of the social practices of his day – things that were out-of-line with the Kingdom of God. 

Our concern is for what is right. We also want to bring comfort and support. With these two we make a place for advocacy among the many roles of the Christian broadcaster.

Radio for the community is very good for advocacy in social development. It can do much to remove bad feelings through careful research and strong persuasion.

 An advocate is “a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.” How can we use radio programming for this?

There are many poor people around and those who need what is right. We can easily find things that need to be changed for the good of the community. What problem are there in the community? Is it safe water? Or waste? AIDS/HIV? Drugs or alcohol? Road safety? No work? We could make a very long list. What are most people are talking about?

Very often these problems hurt the poor more than the rich. But the poor do not have a voice.  They do not have friends to make their problems known. Radio can give them that voice.  They can also be helped to make their own radio programs.

Radio programming can be used to talk openly about the problem. Broadcasters can talk to the people who are being hurt. The program can be used in teaching about the nature of the problem. What causes it? People will tell their story and offer their ideas. Let them talk! But also talk to those who have the power to make changes and find answers. Radio can provide the meeting for these kinds of public discussions.

Media need to give minority people a voice.  Big broadcasters do not do this. Community-based stations need to produce programs that bring these needs to the attention of important people who have power to change things. In some parts of the world this has worked very well. Radio has been a powerful instrument.

Broadcasters need to learn to “give the microphone away.” They need to get listeners to speak for themselves and even produce their own programs.

Community broadcasters could meet a great need by providing key information. Why? Because they are an alternative to government media, and show they care for the complete person.

Non-Christian media may not care about what interests us. We need to produce programs that give new ideas.  We need programs about social movements and issues, and new trends. We want to help the listeners' access to information. We want to help them open their eyes and see what things could look like. We want to help them to act.

Where governments hold tight control it may not be easy to speak out on social issues. But the trend is for more open discussion.

On local stations advocacy might be used in a community health program. It could show people how to use new medicines. Or it may provide the community a voice in helping get clean water. It may be used to help young people know about HIV/AIDS. Or it could help adults to stop smoking. For many radio attracts attention and adds belief, especially when supported by well-known people.

Advocacy is more than a channel for unhappy people. If it were that, then the loudest would have everyone's ear. Advocacy includes speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. Advocacy also involves building a strong argument. Advocacy can aim at specific policy makers, or it can aim at changing wider attitudes.

Advocacy is very useful after natural disasters. Good information is very important and radio is able to respond quickly. It also provides opportunity for the people of the community to be heard. See how First Response is doing this.

Chapter 4 on Incarnational Radio includes further understanding of the use of advocacy in social change.