World Television Day

When you first saw the title of this post, you may have thought, why is there a “World TV Day”? How is it related to science and sustainable development?

Well, you’d be surprised to find out that this form of media, which is prevalent in many people’s lives, can be used for social good. 

In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 21 as World Television Day, “in recognition of the increasing impact television has on decision-making by alerting world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues.”

Organizations such as the Association of Commercial Television (ACT), the Association of TV and radio sales houses, and the European Broadcaster Union are promoting this day with a focus on a specific topic every year. To do so, they create a video clip highlighting the particular theme of the year and organize creative events around this unique day. For instance, they’ve done topical TV shows, specialized ad breaks, the launch of a new TV channel, brand activations for media agencies, and many more. To learn more, please visit

However, the TV topic extends to a larger theme of media and its role in the connected society we’re in today. The UN is working to bring the world closer by using various forms of media. UN Video, for example, reports on events from all over the world, ranging from footage from humanitarian crises, documentaries that put a face to crucial world issues (such as those pertaining to peace and security, human rights, and the SDGs), live coverage of the Security Council as it deals with numerous global crises, and of course, the annual General Assembly. This initiative was launched in 1947 and has been especially effective since. It has even won an Oscar for a short documentary on people with disabilities, an unprecedented Virtual Reality film on UN peacekeeping, and an urgent call for action on climate change by His Excellency Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres. To further its efforts, the UN has launched the “UN in Action”, “UNIFEED”, the “UN Web TV”, and various social media pages. 

Check out one of their productions here:

The question I have for all of you today is: in a world where media is very prevalent, what is the role of media in achieving equality in science and how could we implement this? Share some of your ideas in the comments below.