Community Media: how it preserves culture and promotes pride

When beginning this radio concentration endeavor, I initially wanted to focus on the differences and characteristics of both public and privately funded radio stations in Venezuela, analyzing the role they played on shaping Venezuelan politics and culture. Of course, I am still striving to do that, but during my research, I have discovered another type of media that breaks away from both of these categories that is very prevalent in Venezuelan radio: community media. 

Community media by definition is media that is "community oriented, non profit, non commercial, citizen and volunteer run". This is a crucial aspect to the democratization of any modern country, where freedom of expression equates to having access to means of communications that one can interact with. Well put, political analyst Diana Ray states, "the technology of communications has to be made accessible to all, not merely as consumers but as participants and creators." 

So what constitutes as community media in terms of a radio station? The main requirements according to the Organic Telecommunications law (passed in June 2000) are that at least 70% of programming must be produced within the community, there must be a separation between the station and the programmer (leaving only 15% of media to be produced by the station itself), and the station should provide training for its community in order to ensure that they are able to create their own work. Additionally, no government officials should contribute to the media making process. 

This all sounds beautiful in theory, but the reality is a different one. Many community radio stations are government funded, such as ECOS (for Barrio Pueblo Nuevo in Mérida), and because of this financial aid, the news and political stories they release tend to be heavily biased. If one adds the fact that the majority of the Venezuelan people are uneducated and were brainwashed into glorifying the Chávez regime, then most likely all hope of accurate political accounts are lost. 

However, there is another interesting prospect community radio has delved into, and that is cultural pride and awareness. For example, there is a community radio station titled Paraguaipoa, and it was the first indigenous radio station created in Venezuela. Due to its success, there are now nine total indigenous radio stations in the country. All the programming on this radio station is in Wayuu, the native language of the people in the area, and many other indigenous radio stations broadcast in their native languages or have bilingual programming, which helps preserve and promote native languages. 

Paraguaipoa has even begun working with a nearby primary school, creating programming that embraces the traditions and cultures of the area with two weekly radio shows run by students of the school. 

"Our children turn on the radio, and they hear their aunt, their friend's mother, their older sister and her friends. They hear stories from the mouths of those who know the community and what we need. And they hear our language. All of this makes the children proud and eager to participate, and it gives our own community some of the power we lost to the lies of the media stations.", says Ángela, a citizen who works on the radio station.

In all, community radio streaming from the midst of a corrupt regime may not be entirely accurate politically, but it still holds tremendous value. By allowing citizens to be on the producing side of programming, meaningful cultural pride flourishes and a sense of political efficacy is embedded unto younger generations.

Here is a very short documentary on the Paraguaipoa radio station: 

SOURCES: http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4678