Brett Davidson. 2004

One of the things community radio stations in South Africa are supposed to do, is help support democracy. At Idasa’s Democracy Radio project, we work with community radio stations, helping them to fulfil this function. In doing our work, and in evaluating our ongoing role, we have had to do some thinking about what exactly radio’s role is, in participatory democracy. In sharing some of our  insights, we hope they will provide a better idea of what we are all about, as well as perhaps contribute to others’ thinking around this area. Broadly, we see radio playing three roles in relation to democratic participation…

1. Radio’s role as informer and educator.
This is how we are accustomed to thinking of radio, and other media for that matter. The media play an important role in informing and educating citizens in order to empower them to participate in democratic life, to make intelligent choices, and hold the powerful to account. Radio is especially important, as it reaches more South Africans than any other medium, and operates locally and regionally, in a variety of languages. News, documentaries, educational programmes and talk shows are all important when it comes to fulfilling this role. At Democracy Radio we help stations play this role by providing ready-made programmes on various issues linked to democracy. We encourage them to use the programmes as the basis for local talk shows on the issues involved.

2. Radio’s role in encouraging political participation. 
In addition to simply providing information and education, radio can actively encourage citizens to participate in democratic life. This happens both directly and indirectly. It happens directly when programme hosts or studio guests make direct personal appeals to listeners to go out and vote, or take some other form of action. Researchers in the USA have found that interpersonal communication is by far the best way of motivating people to participate in democratic life, and research also tells us there that audiences experience certain forms of communication via radio and TV, as interpersonal communication. As an example, there is strong anecdotal evidence that personal appeals by talk show hosts in the USA played a big role in getting young African Americans to vote in the 2000 presidential elections.

This motivation to participation can also happen indirectly. Firstly, there is some research evidence to suggest that participation in talk shows can act as a mobilising influence in political life. For example, participants in one study in Britain reported that the process of calling in to ask a question on a talk show made them feel a little less disconnected from the political process. Secondly, the media (and in this case, radio) can influence participation by  shaping the public identity. Through its programming and talk – even through the kind of research it does – a radio station can treat its listeners as isolated individuals, as relatively passive ‘target markets’ for campaigns (advertising or educational), as consumers (whose role is simply to demand products, services, or ‘delivery’), or as responsible, active, connected citizens. It is by no means guaranteed that  community and public service radio will treat their listeners as citizens. In order to sustain themselves financially, many stations increasingly think of their audiences in consumer terms as they compete for advertising rands. One of our concerns is to look at ways in which stations might be equipped and empowered to treat their listeners as empowered citizens. For example, during a Democracy Radio training workshop last year, producers at Greater Lebowakgomo Community Radio made a programme looking at ‘delivery’, by asking “Who’s Got the Power?” The idea was that instead of just complaining, community members should realise that they also had the power to start changing things. The producers interviewed community leaders presented examples of successful community projects that were creating jobs, teaching useful skills, and educating people about AIDS. The producers realised that they needed to continue to encourage residents to think of themselves as actors in civic and political life.

3. Radio as political participation in itself. 
Radio’s roles as informer/educator and mobiliser are oriented towards participation in non-radio contexts, such as voting, contacting councillors and so on, but radio also provides a public space in which political participation can take place on the radio. This is where the talk show really comes into its own. In fact, some political researchers include calling in to a radio or TV talk show as one of their measures of political participation. Thanks to talk shows and call-in features, ordinary people can bring their complaints, concerns and viewpoints into the public sphere. Political leaders and decision-makers can thus be made aware of public sentiment, and can get an idea of the extent to which people are accurately informed on various issues. By calling in when a councillor or MP is in the studio as a guest, ordinary people can speak directly to their representatives. Sometimes participation in radio in these ways can change government policy. The author Benjamin Page recounts how in the USA, Bill Clinton’s nomination of Zoe Baird as attorney general was derailed radio talk shows made it clear that popular sentiment was overwhelmingly against her – in sharp contrast to the elite consensus in favour of Baird. Here at home, callers to SAfm’s AM Live, “Tips for Trevor” feature have received special mention in the Budget speech.

In addition to holding to account those who have power over them, citizens also have generative power – the power to act among themselves, to change and improve their lives. Radio has the potential here to open avenues to participation for the marginalised. Community participation via radio demands far fewer commitments of time and money than many other activities do. For women who are homebound, for instance, radio can be an important and accessible link to the wider community. If it’s done right, talk radio can also play a valuable role in this horizontal process of citizen participation in public life. Think of the talk radio programme as a kind of ‘town square’ in which the citizens can gather to discuss matters of common concern and perhaps decide on forms of collective action. This is something more than talk radio used, as it often is, as a forum for individuals to complain, make demands, or share gossip. The kind of talk radio I mean is created by a host who acts as a facilitator, rather than an opinionated performer. It takes a host who challenges participants to grapple with the contradictions in their opinions, to weigh costs and consequences of their demands, and to consider issues in terms of what might be best for the common good as well as in terms of personal prejudices and perspectives. This kind of talk show also requires that special efforts be made to include the perspectives of the marginalised – those who may not be very articulate, may not have a phone or money to spend on calling in, or who may simply be unused to airing their opinions. For example, one Western Cape station is trying to understand why listeners flood the switchboard to make requests, but hardly ever call in when issues are being discussed. Stations need to be equipped to research the nature of their communities, and need ideas about how to include those left out. At Democracy Radio our work has mainly been linked to the first two roles of radio in political participation, but we are starting to turn our attention to this third aspect, as an important area for future work.

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