“Radio – a century of infotainment and education” is the theme of the 2024 writing contest organized by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) in response to World Radio Day (WRD) 2024. The contest honours radio’s contributions to humanity, society and countries around the world.
Over two and a half months, from November 15, 2023 to January 30, 2024, the organising committee received hundreds of entries from listeners from all over Vietnam.
Nguyen Thuy Hoa, Head of VOV’s International Cooperation Department, said: “Contestants put in much effort to write emotional pages with lots of citation and suggestions on how radio should change to suit today’s life and to attract young people. Some essays praised the radio profession, its practitioners, and VOV’s programs. The forms of expression are diverse: writing, images, voice, sound, and even a real radio program, or a podcast. In particular, some young contestants created cartoons, video clips, or comics.”
“That is a good sign, showing that young people are interested in broadcasting and they have seen the good, the advantages of radio. Their perspectives on radio are very good, new, interesting, and very young.”
Contestant-listener Nguyen Huu Cong, in Ho Chi Minh City, submitted a comic titled “Radio Interview.”
“My family used to listen to the radio, but now we don’t listen to it anymore. When I learned that VOV organized this contest, I remembered the old days when my mother and father often turned on the radio, and I also often listened to radio programs. The contest evoked my memories. I want to tell my story in a different form. My strength is drawing, so I want to express my thought through drawings,” Cong said.
February 13 each year is designated by UNESCO as World Radio Day. The objectives are principally to raise awareness among the public and the media regarding the importance of radio as well as to encourage decision makers to establish and provide access to information through radio as well as to enhance networking and international cooperation among broadcasters.
This story first appeared on RadioInfo.asia