Empowering indigenous community through community radio: A case study from Nepal

Type Journal Article - The Qualitative Report
Title Empowering indigenous community through community radio: A case study from Nepal
Author(s)
Volume 18
Issue 41
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2013
Page numbers 1-26
URL http://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1456&context=tqr
Abstract
The recently won People’s Democracy ( Loktantra ) in Nepal has transpired a contested yet ever demanding
platform furthering rights and identity movements. The availability of alternative voices through community
radios is a space to emancipate the identity movement towards indigenous empowerment and asserting their
respectful and equitable entry in to “ New Nepal .” Within the theoretical framework of identity and
democracy this research is based on the study of community radios as “ case study organizations .” We have
used media ethnography and media text analysis including the observation to both corroborate and contradict
with the participants’ understandings and expressions in the research. We find that indigenous communities
can reflect their agenda of identity re - establishment towards empowerment through the active participation
in the production of media contents. Active participation of indigenous communities in local radio
production not only mandates acknowledgement of ethnic identity in the new nation building but also give an
opportunity of lesson learning on the potentiality of using community radios as one of the tools for
empowerment. In this context, reestablishment of identity through community radio deserves appreciation
because it facilitates the creation of discursive space which will ultimately help to establish pluralist democracy
by creating different public spheres.

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