Two more books have been released of interest to radio people: Radio in Africa: Publics, Cultures, Communities, edited by Liz Gunner, Dina Ligaga and Dumisani Moyo and a new edition of The Power of Global Community Media edited by Linda K. Fuller.
Radio in Africa: Publics, Cultures, Communities
Radio has been called ‘Africa’s medium’. Its wide accessibility is a result of a number of factors, including the liberalisation policies of the ‘third wave’ of democracy and its ability to transcend the barriers of cost, geographical boundaries, the colonial linguistic heritage and low literacy levels. This sets it apart from other media platforms in facilitating political debate, shaping identities and assisting listeners as they negotiate the challenges of everyday life on the continent.
Radio in Africa breaks new ground by bringing together essays on the multiple roles of radio in the lives of listeners in Anglophone, Lusophone and Francophone Africa. Some essays turn to the history of radio and its part in the culture and politics of countries such as Angola and South Africa. Others – such as the essay on Mali, gender and religion – show how radio throws up new tensions yet endorses social innovation and the making of new publics.
A number of essays look to radio’s current role in creating listening communities that radically shift the nature of the public sphere. Essays on the genre of the talk show in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa point to radio’s role in creating a robust public sphere. Radio’s central role in the emergence of informed publics in fragile national spaces is covered in essays on the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. The book also highlights radio’s links to the new media, its role in resistance to oppressive regimes such as Zimbabwe.
The Power of Global Community Media
Drawing on both theoretical and practical case studies, Community Media moves from developing attempts at local media to case studies and on to cyber-examples. Alphabetically, its more than two dozen cases include reports on the Asian Pacific region, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Ghana, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Latin America, Lebanon, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, as well as a number of other perspectives and (virtual) visions.
The contributors, all distinguished international communications scholars, present a range of perspectives on the ever-burgeoning area of grassroots, local media by the people, for the people, their research representing participant observation, hands-on community involvement, serving on international boards of directors, content analysis, and ethical inquiries.
It will appeal to a range of academic disciplines, community media groups, and the thousands of people who work in their local cable television centers to provide an alternative voice to mainstream media.
‘For years, Fuller has been researching community media. Her collection of studies in Community Media draws on top researchers from across the globe to present cutting-edge analyses of what various communities and activists are doing with a wide range of community media. The collection is a valuable research tool that will be of use to all of us involved in community media and social change.’ – Douglas Kellner, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA