mediadev library

"In 2020 Internews launched the Rooted in Trust project to counter rumors and misinformation about COVID-19. They commissioned Translators without Borders (TWB) to map community radio stations and investigate the language and translation challenges community radio broadcasters face when relaying off ... icial COVID-19 risk communication to their audience. To better understand these challenges, TWB conducted a survey and interviews with 65 community radio broadcasters, representing a quarter of all community radio stations across Afghanistan. Based on our survey, we mapped community radio stations and the reach of each radio signal to estimate overall radio coverage across the country. Where possible, we triangulated our findings with data from Internews’ Information Ecosystem Assessment in Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat. Community radio stations remain an important source of information, especially for rural populations, less literate individuals, and in remote provinces. During public health emergencies, broadcasters can turn into health communicators and support the relay of risk communication, but they face several challenges. • Radio signals don’t cover all provinces: Based on the radio signals we were able to map, radio coverage doesn’t reach people equally across the country. Speakers of marginalized languages have especially limited access to radio broadcasts. Relative to population density, speakers of Turkmeni, Brahui, Balochi, and Uzbeki have especially limited access to radio broadcasts. • Few broadcasts are in languages other than Dari and Pashto: Dari and Pashto are the main broadcasting languages, but not everyone understands them. Broadcasts in other languages are largely limited to adverts, short audio clips, and sporadic language mixing in talk shows and call-in shows. Dedicated programs providing in-depth information in another language are rare. • Language barriers reduce the quality and timeliness of broadcasts: Community radio stations lack resources and translation capacity to broadcast in languages other than Dari or Pashto. As a result, some important information is delayed, and some is never broadcast at all. The quality and level of detail of broadcasts in other languages is also reduced. • Broadcasters face difficulties accessing available information: Most community radio stations have limited access to the internet and experience electricity failures. This makes accessing and validating available information on COVID 19 extremely difficult. Also, background information is often passed to broadcasters in English, but with limited internet access this information can’t readily be translated. • Information needs to be provided in plain language: Broadcasters don’t relay information that uses complicated language or technical and medical terms. New terms and complex new information around medical issues need to be rewritten and presented in plain language for a general audience. Yet community radio stations often can’t provide plain-language editing, so don’t relay more complex information." (Overview, page 1) more

"Women, the elderly, adolescents, youth, and children, persons with disabilities, indigenous populations, refugees, migrants, and minorities experience the highest degree of socio-economic marginalization. Marginalized people become even more vulnerable in emergencies. This is due to factors such as ... more

"Internews, Translators without Borders, and BBC Media Action collaborated to track and analyse rumours and misinformation circulating on social media in a range of languages. At the same time, Evidence Aid produced plain-language summaries of existing high-quality research to inform the decisions o ... more

"Interviews with health communicators and residents in September 2019 found that language barriers impede understanding of critical information on Ebola. Information in French and Swahili does not reach everyone. People misunderstand seemingly simple medical words in French. Swahili is best understo ... more

Slowing Transmission: Language Challenges in Community Radio Relay of COVID-19 Risk Communication in Afghanistan

COVID-19: How to Include Marginalized and Vulnerable People in Risk Communication and Community Engagement

Responding to the COVID-19 Info-Demic: Lessons from Quick, Collective, and Localised Action. A Policy Brief by the H2H Network on What Worked and What We Need to Do Next

We Need to Talk: Effective Ebola Risk Communication Requires Respect and Transparency and Remains as Vital as Ever. An Assessment of Changing Communication Needs and Preferences in Beni, North Kivu

Il faut qu’on parle : La communication efficace sur les risques liés au virus Ebola nécessite à la fois du respect et de la transparence et demeure plus vitale que jamais. Évaluation des besoins et des préférences de communication changeants à Beni, Nord-Kivu

The Language Lesson: What We've Learned About Communicating with Rohingya Refugees