Farm Radio International focused on improving rural African communities offers resources and training for radio broadcasters.
What is Farm Radio International?
Farm Radio International is a Canadian international non-governmental organization uniquely focused on improving rural African communities through the world’s most accessible communications tool: radio.
We produce radio resources that support thousands of broadcasters across sub-Saharan Africa improve their programs for farmers; run radio projects that help millions of people achieve better livelihoods and health outcomes; and pioneer radio innovations that feature the latest technologies to make rural radio more powerful than ever before.
Farm Radio works in partnership with more than 850 radio stations across 40 sub-Saharan African countries and has offices in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, Senegal, and Uganda. Together, we reach tens of millions of small-scale farmers with life-changing information and opportunities to have a stronger voice in their own development.
How does FRI support journalists?
Our resources for radio broadcasters are one of the key pillars of our work. We share original agricultural news, radio scripts, information resources and online learning opportunities at farmradio.fm. Our Farm Radio Resource Packs contain a range of resources including scripts and information documents that provide broadcasters with an overview of farming-related topics. These resources are published several times a year, but each month we share a theme pack of resources on one topic related to agriculture, health, nutrition, climate change, gender issues and much, much more.
We offer resources like drama scripts, which can be read by local actors or broadcasters themselves; interview scripts, which can be translated to serve as a model for farmer programs on similar topics; and two-host presentations, which are scripted conversations that can present the benefits and challenges of two perspectives. We also produce information documents including issue packs, which offer a wealth of information on key agricultural topics; and backgrounders, which are a one-stop-shop to provide broadcasters with a brief introduction to the most important facts, challenges and solutions to farming topics.
Farm Radio also produces online broadcaster training guides on important skill-building topics including interview techniques, audio editing, journalism standards and more. Finally, we publish a bi-weekly news wire service called Barza Wire which features stories relevant to small-scale African farmers and their communities. We work with freelance journalists across the continent to write stories on a range of topics that are relevant to smallholder farmers and their families. Each new issue of Barza Wire is sent via email and Whatsapp to all of our broadcasting partners for use in their radio programming.
How can I get involved?
If you are a journalist currently working at a radio station in Nigeria, please visit https://farmradio.fm/ to explore Barza Wire, scripts, training and online learning opportunities. If you are interested in becoming a broadcasting partner, please download the partnership agreement form from the website and send it to radio@farmradio.org. Broadcasting partners have access to all of our training and information resources for free, as well as the opportunity to participate in future online and in-person trainings.
For more information please visit our website at https://farmradio.org/
