Interactive Use of Radio in Promoting Prevention Activities on HIV/AID and Harmful Traditional Practices: The Case of "Yechalal" Radio Program in Gondar Educational Media Center
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Date
2010-06
Authors
Mekonnen, Tigist
Journal Title
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Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
GondaI' Educational Media Center (GEMC) is one of the four educational media centers in
Amhara Regional State. This study conducted on one of the programs in the station, named
'Yechalal' ; literary means 'everything is possible' which targets students to create awareness and
strengthen prevention activities towards HIV/AIDs and harmful trad itional practices. The study
aimed to examine the type of communication strategies implementing in the program and more
specifically to analyze the appropriateness of communication strategies and to identify factors
that could probably promote or/and hinder the communication process.
The study adopted qualitative methodology. Data was gathered from focus group discussions
involving listeners of the radio program and from interviews administered to producers,
teachers/coordinator of target li steners and the head of the station. Documents; implementation
strategies of the program and manual of the radio program was consulted as well. Convenience
sampling technique was used to select the places, and purposive sampling technique to select the
participants. Theme analysis technique was used to ana lyze the data.
It was found that' Yechalal' radio program is utilizing an implementation strategy adopted
from participatory communication approach by empowering students. The results implied also
the designing stage of those communicat ion strategies did not involve listeners; this in turn
caused a problem on exploiting the communication strategies properly and effectively.
Another result showed the participation of listeners is controlled by preconceived criterion
and there was a problem of access ibility in using the media.
The principal conclusion was that 'Yechalal' radio program applied participatory comn:lUnication
approach to pursue its objectives. Despite the fact that the communication strategies have an
impact on the process of communication in terms of achieving the program 's objectives, the
pract ice implied by the data showed the domination of planner's idea in decid ing target li steners'
participation in the program.
Description
Keywords
HIV/AID, Harmful Traditional Practices