Affiliation:
1. ISNI: 0000000107234123 University of KwaZulu-Natal
Abstract
Health communicators faced substantial challenges in effectively communicating COVID-19 among resource-limited communities due to the rapid changes of the pandemic. This article explores the possibility of communicating COVID-19 via community radio (CR) using entertainment education (EE) based strategies with host communities. A qualitative approach was adopted using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews to collect data, and reflexive thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the data. Guy Bessette’s ten-step participatory communication model was adopted as the theoretical framework to understand CR’s EE-oriented COVID-19 messages, if any. The study found that Radio Peace adopts EE-based messaging, which is often participatory, with listener involvement in the production and broadcast. The study highlights new possibilities for pandemic communication, specifically COVID-19, with CR adopting EE-based strategies among resource-limited communities.
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