News

• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has addressed the main challenges of communication between administrations and rural communities
• The initiative focused on adapting messages to local contexts, working with trusted channels and agents, and fostering dialogue with the rural population.
• The OECD proposes evaluating communication not only by its reach, but also by its level of understanding, participation, and capacity to drive action

Communication plays a key role in bringing public policies closer to rural communities. However, the mere availability of information does not necessarily mean that it reaches, is understood, or generates trust among those who live and work in these areas. To analyze how to improve this relationship, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) held a series of three meetings dedicated to rural communication between March and April 2026, developed within the framework of its Rural Principles .

The initiative has brought together policymakers, public authorities, rural organizations, and other stakeholders connected to rural areas to reflect on how to improve the relationship between government and the communities their policies target. Through shared experiences and knowledge, the series of meetings presents communication as a tool for aligning public decisions with the specific characteristics of each region.

When communication does not reach rural areas

The first meeting , held on March 4, focused on identifying where and why communication breakdowns occur between governments and rural communities. The OECD points out that these difficulties can be related to structural or systemic barriers, but also to the gap between how administrations frame their messages and how these messages are received and interpreted in the field.

The issues analyzed include:

• Common patterns of communication failure in public administrations.

• The difficulties in incorporating rural perspectives into policy communication.

• The role of the media as intermediaries between institutions and the rural population.

• The experience of communities at the local level and the difference between what administrations intend to communicate and what their recipients ultimately receive and understand.

The session also highlighted the importance of using channels tailored to the specific characteristics of each region and combining digital and in-person tools when necessary. Furthermore, it emphasized the role of local stakeholders and established communication networks as ways to build trust.

What characterizes good rural communication

The second meeting , held on March 18, shifted the focus to experiences that are working . In this case, the OECD analyzed how to adapt communication to the specific characteristics of rural communities and how to build an ecosystem capable of connecting public policy objectives with local realities. The examples discussed during the session demonstrated the importance of:

• Use clear and simple language that facilitates understanding of the messages.

• Take into account the characteristics and needs of each audience.

• Incorporate dialogue as part of communication with rural communities.

• Building relationships based on trust .

• Tell stories and experiences of people instead of focusing messages exclusively on institutions.

• Working with local messengers and trusted channels to encourage community involvement.

The session also raised the need to adapt working methods, create new alliances, and review how communication actions are evaluated to better respond to the particularities of rural territories.

To measure whether communication actually works

The third and final meeting , held on April 15, addressed a fundamental question: how to know if a message has been understood and if the appropriate channels were used to transmit it. The OECD argues that evaluating communication solely by the number of people reached or by its visibility offers a limited view of its results. The evaluation should allow for understanding aspects such as:

• The reach of the messages and which audience they are reaching.

• The level of understanding of the information.

• Community participation and response.

• The contribution of communication to decision-making and action.

• The differences between the results obtained and the objectives initially set.

To this end, the OECD emphasizes the importance of establishing evaluation and feedback processes that allow for adjusting strategies when messages fail to reach communities or are not properly understood. Among the tools and approaches proposed are the combined use of digital channels, radio, and social media; collaboration with trusted intermediaries; and the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data.

Communication adapted to rural realities

The three meetings all point to a common theme: communicating more effectively in rural areas is not simply about conveying information, but about adapting the communication method to the people, territories, and contexts in which that information is to be received. To this end, the OECD emphasizes the need to understand local realities, use appropriate channels, and collaborate with individuals and organizations that already have established relationships of trust within communities. It also stresses the importance of incorporating mechanisms to evaluate results and adjust approaches as needed.

Recordings of the three meetings are available online here , along with materials and reflections contributed by experts and professionals working in communication with rural communities.