From The New Yorker · Jordan Salama · · 1m 40s
The First Social Network
A radio program in rural Argentina connects isolated communities through handwritten messages.
In brief
A radio program in rural Argentina connects isolated communities through handwritten messages. Rural Argentinians use radio broadcasts to share personal messages across vast distances. Originally reported by The New Yorker.
Jorge Elías Pereyra
A gaucho in Patagonia listens to radio messages for family updates.
Mensajes al Poblador Rural
Argentina’s radio program shares handwritten messages for remote communities.
Radio Messages in Patagonia
Residents send messages via radio to stay connected without internet.
The First Messages
Early radio messages were sent by workers to communicate with distant family members.
The Falklands War Message
A radio message saved lives during the Falklands War.
“Attention Gómez Roca, we’re waiting for you in Puerto Deseado”
The Signal
People use radio to send messages across vast distances without internet.
The Radio Host
Karina López has been a radio host for nearly twenty years.
The Last Message
A radio message reunites a family after years of separation.
“The woman at the station called me to say that he’d got in touch”
The Message for Pereyra
A radio message helps reconnect with a distant family member.
“For Jorge Pereyra, wherever he is: Jordan Salama, the American he met at Estancia La Adela, in Caleta Valdés, communicates that he wants to find him, if it’s possible to get in touch with the radio station”
Pereyra’s New Life
Pereyra moved to the city after the pandemic to study and build a family.
“I wanted to study and build a family while I was still young, things you can’t do in the campo”
The Radio’s Enduring Role
Rural communities continue using radio messages even with satellite internet.
The Future of Radio
The radio remains a vital communication tool for isolated communities.
“If 'Mensajes al Poblador Rural' does end, I want to be the voice that reads the last messages”
The Last Broadcast
The radio program ends with a message for the community.
The Community
The radio program connects people in remote areas.
“For Nicolás López, in Estancia La Elenita: his nephew Martín communicates that the four-wheel drive of the van is broken”
The Message for the Family
A radio message helps a family reunite after years of separation.
“The day her death notice was read out, the family listened to it on three consecutive broadcasts”
The Last Message
The radio program continues to play a vital role in rural communities.
“The messages continue to play a very important role as a social organizer for the communities”
The bottom line
Rural Argentinians use radio broadcasts to share personal messages across vast distances.
