Community Radio And Social Change: Exploring How Community Radio Amplifies Marginalised Voices In Local Governance

Abstract

Community radio has long been recognised as a participatory medium with the potential to promote inclusive communication and democratic engagement at the grassroots level. This study examined the role of community radio in amplifying marginalised voices within local governance, using Latenu Radio in the Labadi community of Ghana as a case study. Anchored in Participatory Communication Theory and Development Media Theory, the study adopted a qualitative, interpretivist approach to explore how community radio facilitates citizen participation, shapes governance agendas, and influences accountability and responsiveness by local authorities. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with twenty participants comprising community members, radio practitioners, and local governance actors. The data were analysed using manual thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns, meanings, and relationships across the dataset. The findings revealed that community radio provides accessible and trusted participation pathways through interactive programme formats such as call-ins, studio discussions, and community dialogue programmes. These platforms enabled marginalised groups to articulate concerns, increase civic awareness, and engage local authorities on governance issues. The study further found that radio-mediated discussions enhanced public accountability by increasing issue visibility and compelling local leaders to respond publicly to citizen concerns. However, the translation of citizen voice into concrete governance action was uneven and constrained by institutional capacity, resource limitations, socio-cultural norms, and technical barriers such as limited phone lines. The study concludes that while community radio plays a significant role in fostering participatory local governance and social change, its effectiveness depends on sustained institutional responsiveness, inclusive programming practices, and supportive policy and resource environments. The study contributes to scholarship on participatory communication by demonstrating how community radio operates as a complementary communicative infrastructure for democratic inclusion at the local level.