Pheaktra marks radio’s role in peacebuilding, democracy post-war
MINISTER of Information Neth Pheaktra has highlighted the important role that radio stations play in the process of building peace and democracy in Cambodia, explaining that they remain a vital way of sharing information with the general public.
His comments came in a February 13 letter on the 13th World Radio Day.
The day was established to promote public awareness of the importance of radio in daily life. It is also an opportunity for the owners and operators of radio stations to exchange experiences about the evolution of digital technology.
Pheaktra explained that this year’s radio day is observed under the theme “Radio: A century of informing, entertaining, and educating”. The theme reflects the vital role radio plays in disseminating political, economic, cultural and traditional news, education and entertainment.
“Even now, radio media stations play an important role in managing the information space. They support social order by providing accurate information to people across the country, especially about the safe village-commune policy, increasing public trust,” he said.
He added that in light of the rapid development of digital technology, radio stations in Cambodia are now focusing on increasing their reach by adapting to a diverse media model which includes both pictures and sound.
The minister offered several recommendations to the owners of the Kingdom’s radio stations, whether terrestrial or digital. He advised them to develop the capacity of their executives so the stations would function as effective, efficient, proactive, information sources.
He also suggested that they focus on improving their ability to produce innovative, highquality content, and work closely with the information ministry to protect public order.
“We need to integrate traditional media with digital services, while strengthening the capacity of presenters and producers to create a better understanding of the Kingdom’s language, culture and traditions. It is crucial that they avoid making errors when broadcasting, especially when they are live on air,” he said.
“In addition, we must continue to support the fight against the trafficking of humans or drugs, road accidents and alcohol abuse, while also promoting the safe village-commune policy. More importantly, we must all work together to combat misinformation and undue interference from outside information sources,” he added.
Huy Vannak, president of the Union of Journalist Federations of Cambodia (UJFC), said on February 13 that many radio stations have now entered the digital age, thanks to widely available modern technology.
He noted that many oncetraditional radio stations now broadcast more than just audio, with images, text and video footage providing large parts of their content, both live and in social media posts.
“We need to be prepared to embrace the transformation from radio frequency broadcasts to an online format. This evolution is relentless and will continue until traditional broadcasts are lost,” he added.