Globalization, linguistic diversity, and information dissemination in Malawi

Abstract

In a linguistically heterogeneous country, one of the critical challenges is to make information accessible to all people. Various communication media can be used: television, radio, telephone, the Internet and others. Malawi needs to embrace Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in order to achieve development in all spheres of human life. Malawi’s use of ICTs ranks low. Th e critical challenge, therefore, is to promote an increased use of ICTs with the aim of improving people’s access to information. Given that only a minority of Malawians have access to ICTs, that television has not signifi cantly penetrated into rural areas where 80 % of the population lives, and that there is also a high illiteracy rate, the radio becomes the most accessible form of technology for information dissemination in Malawi.