Community Radio in Colombia: Civil Conflict, Popular Media and the Construction of a Public Sphere

Abstract

This essay explores the phenomenon of community radio in Colombia in light of the ongoing internal conflict. Combining a review of the written materials about Colombia's social-political conflict and the history of its radio industry, both in English and Spanish, with first-hand research on the ground in Colombia, I try to demonstrate how community radio is part of a broader movement to democratize society in the face of extreme violence, political repression, and economic dislocation. By using one youth-led radio station in southern Colombia as a case study, I argue that notwithstanding the many problems and drawbacks they face, community radio is playing a role in creating a public sphere.