Participatory Radio and the Public Sphere – The Case of Climate Change Communication in Malawi

Despite its impact on people’s livelihood in Malawi, climate change communication has not been prioritised. Resources for climate change communication are directed towards improving the capacity of journalists and the media houses. As a result, the communication process remains top-down with the public being recipients of information. This has led to Community Based Initiatives failure because there is no or less strategic investment in effective communication (climate change media partnership). Where communication has been bottom up, participatory video (PV) have been used for knowledge transferring amongst communities. This dissertation acknowledges the use of PV but argues that it is not sustainable in communicating climate change in Malawi. The paper argues that radio listening clubs are sustainable because they do not only empower communities with technical production skills, but they can provide a public space for community dialogue in climate change.

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