A community radio in West Nile: Story of solutions journalism and relevance

On November 7, 2012, this newspaper published a story about Dr Emma Naluyima, a veterinary doctor, who shared her experience about rearing Camborough pigs Camborough Pigs: A breed that is worth the cost. It was a functional story in which she took readers through her farming journey, including challenges, triumphs and guidance on how to navigate bumpy terrains. It resonated deeply with the public.

The story generated one of the biggest public engagements. As the Op-Ed Editor at this publication then, I was in charge of reader feedback and even five years after its initial publication, we continued to receive requests from people seeking Dr Naluyima’s contact information – a demonstration of impactful storytelling. In a follow-up story, Dr Naluyima said the article had provided opportunities for her, and also inspired others to venture into a similar business. The enduring relevance of this story demonstrates the power of journalism.

A recent training organised by SIGNIS-Africa, an organisation dedicated to communication within the Catholic community, reminded me about Ms Naluyima’s story. The training focused on effective reporting on migrants, refugees, and vulnerable groups. It was a constructive engagement that discussed covering stories with a strong emphasis on humanity, positive narratives that instill hope, reporting that highlights the processes as much as the events, and solutions journalism.

The aim is to develop a more comprehensive and compassionate approach to storytelling that aligns with social values, and to communicate with greater depth, exploring possible solutions and equipping journalists to contribute meaningfully to public discourse.

It was during this training that I learned more about the work of Radio Pacis from Mr Noel Ayikobua, their programmes manager. Pacis is a community radio station founded by the Catholic Church in Arua Diocese, with programming that is dedicated to promoting the integral development of their audience.

One of the remarkable things is their candidate-mentor programme, which aims to attract and train aspiring radio journalists. Additionally, the station has established partnerships that provide its staff with capacity-building initiatives, including on-site mentorship, training on audience research, and enhancing financial sustainability. No wonder Radio Pacis has won an impressive number of awards in recognition of their contribution to journalism.

Pacis has also done commendable work in peace-building and service delivery among communities in West Nile through their “Voice of the Voiceless” dialogue programmes, which draw a diverse group – refugees, host community and their respective leaderships, humanitarian organisations and other entities operating in the camps – to discuss pertinent issues.

The dialogue topics are sourced from the communities and moderators use English, Arabic, and other local languages, ensuring inclusiveness.

In addition, Radio Pacis presents The Refugee Hour programme, where partners from refugee settlements discuss and seek solutions to the issues raised during the dialogues.

Why pay attention to Radio Pacis?

Because it strives to make a positive impact in communities through informative and solutions-oriented programming, which gives optimism for the future of journalism. A great reference point here is the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN), which spearheads “[a shift] in how people understand and shape the world by focusing reporting on responses to problems and what we can learn from their successes and failures”.

According to SJN, research shows that “…when news reveals what’s working (or promising), it elevates the tone of public discourse, making it less divisive and more constructive, allows communities to see better options, and builds [hope]. This leads to meaningful change.”

This is why organisations like SIGNIS are making significant contributions to addressing what many newsrooms are grappling with, by training Catholic communicators to become agents for positive transformation in journalism. It is the reason Radio Pacis is driving solutions-focused stories, which makes it relevant to audiences. In journalism, if your content isn’t relevant, you become irrelevant.                                                     

 Ms Vuchiri is a journalist and media consultant with keen interest in media development. [email protected]