Radio

     As common Americans wake up to start their morning, they pour a cup of coffee, pop a waffle in the toaster, and turn on the morning news. After getting ready and taking in their daily dose of morning news, they hop in the car and turn on the radio to hear more opinionated news from their local broadcasters. They then go on throughout their day, getting a steady stream of news updates and blasts straight to their phone. This constant stream of news is how information-hungry Americans survive. However, many countries are not as lucky. Countries like Burundi and Zambia in Africa rely strictly on the radio for most of their news.

    As our world evolves into the technology giant it is today; we find that more and more underdeveloped countries are left with simply a few radio stations to hear what is happening in their community and the world around them. Radio news can be defined as "a short, accurate, factual report about and event, whether a political, social, sporting, or business event." This is information is then presented to the public, usually in a calm and slow manner, where "the reader's own opinions are not hinted at by the way they speak." The way this information is compiled and delivered comes together to make up how a news broadcast, community, or even country conveys their news to the people. However, how often to underdeveloped countries such as Burundi and Zambia access timely and accurate information? Less than any information-hungry American would be okay with.

    Burundi is a small, landlocked country, found in east-central Africa. With a population of about 12 million, mostly farmers and pastoralists, their access to timely and accurate news dwindles. In 2015 President at the time, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, was announced as dismissed, and the countries people did not take it well. As riots and violence broke out amongst the capitol, the country's four most popular news outlets, Radio Publique Africaine, Radio Bonesha, Radio Isanganiro, and Radio Télévision Renaissance, were attacked by angry citizens. These attacks, and the suspension of the local newspaper, left almost the entire country without any information of what is going on within the capitol. Journalists that work hard to provide updates to the public are left with their hands tied as their one sure way to reach the public has been cut off. 

    In a country so small, the act of four radio stations going down cut off means of communication to the public. This goes to show how dependent Burundi is on the radio. However, when things are back up and running, their four major stations do an excellent job keeping the news flowing. Most of their reporting follows political and hard news-related topics, as they don't have the means to offer up every fun feature news story the country has to offer. In recent days, coverage has been focused almost entirely on their newly elected president and how the country is battling the coronavirus. While there may only be a few resources for the Burundians to get their news, these sources, mostly radio, work hard to keep their communities in the know.

    Zambia is another small African country facing similar feats, as "radio is the most accessible and used medium in Zambia." Located in the southern part of Africa ,with a population of about 17 million people, this small English-speaking country relies heavily on the radio as a form of communication with the public. Some of their most popular stations would include Phoenix FM, ZNBC, and Hot FM. Each of these stations follows a similar platform as most of the news they broadcast appears to be hard news. These stations don't mess around when it comes to what they are putting on the table. They want to get the information to the public that they need to know and do not seem to worry about the light and entertaining fluff that Americans often find themselves engorged in. When it comes to looking at the overall picture of both of these countries, we see that they are getting the information they need to know; it just may not be as accessible as it should be.

    News is, simply put, a necessity in today's world, and how we access it varies upon where we are. Countries such as Zambia and Burundi rely heavily on radio to spread news across their communities in a timely and accurate manner. While each of these countries has multiple broadcasts that offer every bit of information that the people "need" to know, the delivery method appears to be the issue. For example, if the radio stations go down in times of crisis, the people are left in the dark. All in all, radio as a primary means of communication has proven to be rather effective for these countries even if there are a few hitches in the delivery sometimes. Whether you're watching the television or listening to the radio, as long as the news is timely and accurate, you're in the know.