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The Role of the Media in Influencing Public Attitudes Towards Environmental Sustainability in Uganda: A Case Study of Radio Campaigns on Waste Management in Kampala City

Namugabi Ritah, Freeman Chrispus


Abstract

This study examined the role of the media in influencing public attitudes towards environmental sustainability in Uganda, with reference to radio campaigns on waste management in Kampala City. The media, and radio in particular, are widely regarded as powerful shapers of public attitudes and behaviour, yet their influence on environmental attitudes in the Ugandan context remains under-examined. The study investigated how message frequency, message content quality, audience reach, and interactive engagement relate to public attitudes towards environmental sustainability. A cross-sectional survey design with a mixed-methods approach was adopted, and data were collected from 185 respondents comprising radio listeners, campaign producers, and environmental officials using structured questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and structural (path) analysis were used. Factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of the campaign dimensions, which loaded onto coherent factors and explained 68.3% of the variance. The results revealed a strong positive and significant relationship between radio campaigns and public attitudes (r = 0.67, p < 0.01), with the campaign dimensions jointly explaining 65.0% of the variance in public attitudes (R² = 0.650). Message content quality (β = 0.32) and message frequency (β = 0.30) emerged as the strongest path predictors. The study concludes that radio campaigns significantly shape public attitudes towards environmental sustainability and recommends strengthening message content quality, frequency, and interactive engagement.

Keywords

media radio campaigns public attitudes environmental sustainability waste management
Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research

Cite This Article

Namugabi Ritah & Freeman Chrispus (2026). The Role of the Media in Influencing Public Attitudes Towards Environmental Sustainability in Uganda: A Case Study of Radio Campaigns on Waste Management in Kampala City. Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research, 5(8). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=755

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