World Radio Day celebration promotes Youth and Radio in Viet Nam

The celebration of the World Radio Day was co-organized by UNESCO and the National Broadcaster Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) on 10 February and highlighted the role of the media as a communicator, educator and entertainer as well as its unique value in generating love for the nation, pride in culture and tradition, and respect for diversity and national identity.

World Radio Day also serves a platform for communication and exchange, where young people can be empowered and given a greater voice to support their innovative ideas and viewpoints.

Viet Nam is experiencing a time where adolescents and young people between 10 to 30 years of age account for nearly 40 per cent of the general population. Young audiences are one of the most important target groups of radio broadcasting in Viet Nam, particularly for VOV.

Speaking at the celebration, Ms. Katherine Muller-Marin, Representative of UNESCO to Viet Nam, spoke of the unique power and role that radio has and urged media professionals to continue their work towards inclusive and quality communication over the airwaves. By using new technologies to attract more youth and general audiences, the UNESCO Representative noted, radio broadcasters nationwide can more actively involve youth in the major challenge of creating a learning society for all in Viet Nam.

In addition to airing the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s programmes, VOV has encouraged young people to become involved in producing age-appropriate, youth-style radio programmes on life skills, science and education, among other topics, in different formats such as talk shows, debates and interactive programmes in order to reach the over 40 million young people in Viet Nam.

For more information, please contact: Ms. Nguyet Hoang Minh, UNESCO Viet Nam Communication and Information Programme Coordinator, at hm.nguyet@unesco.org