Publication: Social Accountability and Public Voice through Community Radio Programming
Date
2003-04
ISSN
Published
2003-04
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Empowerment of the poor and social
accountability have become core values of decentralization
and democratization processes around the world, and are key
to effective poverty reduction. Access to information and
means to report and comment on issues of local interest are
recognized as critical enablers for empowerment and social
accountability. Mechanisms that promote accountability on
the part of public institutions (supply side in terms of
horizontal accountability) as well as mechanisms that
promote governments being held accountable by civil society
(demand side in terms of social and vertical accountability)
are both essential for achieving effective sustainable
development outcomes. Most communications initiatives
supported by the World Bank and other donors have focused
primarily on the supply side of accountability and not on
strengthening the demand side through actions that enable
the poor and civil society organizations (CSOs) to create
and effectively utilize spaces for public voice and
community mobilization. The poor have limited influence in
the production of information and limited access to channels
of communication in most countries borrowing from the World
Bank. This condition is reflected in two areas: the
concentration on ownership of key media institutions and
asymmetric access to mediums of communication.
Citation
“World Bank. 2003. Social Accountability and Public Voice through Community Radio Programming. Social Development Notes; No.76. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/f9db8ca6-1b7b-55c6-a8bd-e31f3783467b License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”