This article examines the role of participation in development through community radio. Ordinary people participate in community radio through programme production, financing, management and the daily operations of the station. This enables them to define the development problems faced by their communities, and to find solutions to those problems -they therefore participate in development through community radio. As such, the term 'participation' is presented as an empowering factor for ordinary people and as a potential solution to the many development problems faced by the community. Using Nkhotakota community radio station in Malawi as a case study, the article employs Sherry Arnstein's ladder of participation to evaluate various forms of participation in the media and in development. The article finds that ordinary people's participation in the media is low or reduced. The argument is made that while some development goals require the full involvement of the people (e.g., access to media technology, participation in programme production, management and daily operations of the station), others do not require full-blown engagement for development to be realised. Therefore, community radio can encourage development even when members of the community do not participate fully in the activities of the radio through other means such as promoting development initiatives started by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) has been promoted as an effective biomedical intervention in the reduction of the risk of new HIV and STI infections. The government of Malawi and its stakeholders including the World Health Organization have committed a lot of resources to VMMC programming. However, research shows that its uptake among men is still low in Malawi. This study, therefore, investigated the communication-related factors that influence decision-making in the uptake of VMMC among men in Lilongwe, Malawi. To achieve this aim, twenty-five men, aged between 18 and 35 years old were interviewed on what influenced them to undergo VMMC. The study found that the respondents were influenced to uptake VMMC mostly by peer pressure and the need for conformity; partner/girlfriend demand and considerations; and advice from health personnel. The paper concludes that although the final decision was theirs to make, the men in the study underwent circumcision under duress and/or coercion. It cannot be said to be voluntary. The medical necessity of VMMC can be said to be voluntary if it is negotiated and consented to without duress. Although the ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Peter Mhagama is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Language and Communication at the Polytechnic, a constituent of the University of Malawi. He holds a PhD in Media and Communication obtained in 2015 from the University of Leicester in the UK. His research interests include Media and Development; Communication for Development; Social and Behaviour Change Communication; Citizen Participation and Empowerment; Political Economy of Communication; Media Freedom; and Audience Studies. The research reported in the paper is part of the ongoing research being conducted in the department in the area of Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC). The paper is based on the work of my Master's student, Patrick Makono, whom I have co-authored with. PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision (VMMC) is one of the effective strategies for reducing new HIV/AIDS infections. The WHO and UNAIDS recommended the inclusion of male circumcision in HIV-prevention guidelines in countries in Southern Africa, including Malawi, with low circumcision rates and generalized epidemics. VMMC in Malawi was launched in 2012 with the government aiming to achieve 80% coverage among men aged 10-34 by 2020. Considering that there are more barriers than enablers of circumcision, this target of circumcising 80% of the eligible men was quite ambitious. The barriers include social and cultural factors and physical pain, whereas the benefits include improved sex, hygiene, and protection from HIV. However, when the VMMC campaign was scaled up across the country, uptake remained relatively low. It was from this background that the researchers examined the communication-related factors that influence men to uptake VMMC. The findings reported in this paper are part of ongoing studies in Behaviour Change communication being carried out by the department.
Community radio is one of the resources that can give ordinary or disenfranchised people a voice. This opportunity can be increased through the combination of community radio and mobile phones. Using focus group discussions, face-to-face interviews and observations, this article examines how this combination can improve ordinary people’s participation in media production and in public life in Malawi. It also examines the extent to which marginalized people are using mobile phones to voice their concerns through community radio in Malawi. I argue that the proliferation of mobile phones can accord community radio stations increased ability to give people a voice through use of text messaging and phone-in programmes. It can also expand the resources with which ordinary people have a voice. When people are accorded the right to voice their concerns and be heard, they can remove a major communication barrier that prevents them from enjoying the life they value.
Many people in rural areas in Malawi lack access to information due to illiteracy and the unavailability of reliable sources of information. There is also an absence of a proper forum where rural ordinary people can express their views and have their voices heard. However, in communities where there are community radio stations, the stations are helping create spaces for ordinary people to participate in public life by setting up radio listening clubs (RLCs). This article examines how RLCs offer ordinary people opportunities for mediated participation in public debate and for self-representation. Based on face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation, the article argues that the organization of listeners into RLCs by community radio stations enables ordinary people to receive and discuss crucial information and hold debate on issues of interest. As such, the RLCs possess some characteristics of the public sphere; hence the reference to them as alternative public spheres.
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