One of FRW’s Indian subscribers, Mahesh Acharya, thoughtfully referred us to a guide to community radio technology prepared by the United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2007. In late 2006, the government of India decided to allow community radio stations in the country. The technology guide was designed to answer the questions of prospective radio operators about the kind of equipment needed to set up a community station.
The following is adapted from the guide, describing factors to consider when selecting field recording equipment. You may also refer to the complete guide – CR: A user’s guide to the technology, online at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001561/156197e.pdf.
1) Ruggedness. Any equipment we move around with should be able to take some basic knocks and bumps without malfunctioning: climbing in and out of vehicles, travelling in crowded buses, and hiking some distances on foot are par for the course for community radio volunteers, and the equipment should be able to take that. You’ll find that modern solid state recorders, in particular, fulfill this condition well, as they have very few moving parts.
2) Resistance to humidity and dust. Many pieces of electronic equipment are so sensitive that they cannot withstand shifts in temperature – indoors to outdoors, for example, or from sunshine to shade. Others get easily fouled by the fine dust that pervades cities and rural areas and need multiple cleanings of their heads and other moving parts to stay in working order. Such pieces of equipment cannot be part of our field recording kit. While some maintenance is unavoidable, the ideal field equipment will not mind a bit of dust and will have a large operating temperature range.
3) Adaptability and portability. While we are in the field, we do not have the luxury of carrying large varieties of equipment to suit different situations. The recording equipment we carry has to give adequate or good results in all the situations and recording conditions we are likely to encounter. (This means the microphone has to be good for delicate as well as harsh sounds, voices as well as music, able to work in noisy conditions and in quiet.) Similarly, this will be equipment we will be carrying on our persons most of the time, so it has to be reasonably light, or we will be weighed down and tired out by just the effort of carrying it around.
4) Availability of spares and ancillaries. While most modern electronic equipment is too complex for us to expect that there will be people capable of repairing faults wherever we go, always plan on acquiring field recording equipment for which supplies are available easily in the areas you work in. For example, choose equipment that uses standard AA, AAA or D cells over fancy proprietary batteries that may not be easily available. Similarly, if the availability of recording media is an issue for you, it makes better sense to choose an audio cassette based recording device than a MiniDisc (MD) or DAT recorder. (Of course, this is not always a problem – MDs and DATs, for example, are highly reusable media, and can be erased and reused several times, thereby increasing the gap before fresh supplies are needed.)
The National Campus and Community Radio Association (http://www.ncra.ca/) has compiled the following list of journalism fellowships. They include academic and hands-on training opportunities for journalists at various stages of their careers, from beginners to experienced practitioners. Many of these fellowships are offered in the United States. Follow the links for details on each program, including how and where to apply.
Pambazuka News describes itself as “the authoritative electronic weekly newsletter and platform for social justice in Africa.” It provides commentary and analysis on politics and current affairs, development, human rights, refugees, gender issues, and culture in Africa. The current issue (Issue 392) focuses on African agriculture. Features include an analytical opinion piece on the World Trade Organization’s role in the current food crisis, a collection of first-hand accounts of how the food crisis is affecting people around the world, and a call for an African strategy for coping with the crisis. Pambazuka News Issue 392 can be viewed online, here: http://www.pambazuka.org/en/issue/392.
Media organizations take on a heavy responsibility when they report threats such as the H5N1 bird flu. It is important to keep people informed of the risk, but it is also important to keep the situation in perspective, so that the audience doesn’t panic. When a threat like bird flu persists for many years, effective communication becomes a greater challenge. If the audience has not experienced the threat first hand, they may dismiss it over time. Accurate reporting remains crucial and creative communication methods may be needed to keep the audience engaged and informed about what they can do to reduce their risk.
The Communication Initiative Network highlights many ways that communication groups around the world are working to raise awareness of avian flu and promote prevention. For example, in Indonesia, the country which has experienced the highest human death toll from bird flu (110 deaths), a cultural group travels from village to village, spreading awareness through traditional songs, dances, and drumming. In Latin America, a radio series called “Mas vale prevenir…” (”An ounce of prevention…”), tells the story of a long-time poultry farmer who decides to implement inexpensive biosafety measures. To learn more about what other media organizations are doing, visit: http://www.comminit.com/en/avianinfluenza.html.
Farm Radio partner PROTEGE QV, in partnership with the Commonwealth Connects Program, has developed a resource kit to assist radio organizations in preparing programs about women in micro-enterprises. The Multi Media Resource Kit includes detailed information on how to start and operate a micro-enterprise, as well as tips on how to use radio programming to reinforce the capacities of women in micro-enterprises. A range of topics related to starting and managing a small business are covered, including: choosing what kind of business to start and identifying necessary resources, book keeping and stock control, and pricing and marketing.
Suggested uses for the resources include:
-Reading text on the air “as is”
-Translating the text into a local language
-Using information to augment existing programs
-Using information to draft questions for an interview or round table discussion with one or more local resource persons.
Is your organization interested in providing audio content online? Online audio allows your organization to share programs with a wider audience and increases your organization’s profile. ItrainOnline provides links to a series of guides, tip sheets, and tutorials that can help prepare you to provide online audio or improve the quality of your online audio offerings. The guides cover producing and editing audio content, as well as various methods of audio streaming and podcasting. Links to all of the guides can be found on ItrainOnline’s website: http://www.itrainonline.org/itrainonline/english/radio.shtml#Web%20Radio%20-%20General.
Journalists know the power of personal accounts. The story of one person, well told, can reveal the complexities of a problem, provide inspiration to overcome it, and remind us of our common humanity. The NGO Panos London aims to promote “dialogue, debate, and change.” Its ongoing series of interviews called “Illuminating Voices” brings forward the stories of individuals on the forefront of major social issues. Topics covered by these interviews include living with extreme poverty, desertification, and HIV and AIDS.
Illuminating Voices is told through written and audio stories. You may find audio stories that you want to air directly, or you may find inspiration for a local story. To view all available audio stories, go to: http://www.panos.org.uk/?lid=20785.
Audio stories are available for free download by registered users of Panos London’s website. To register, go to: http://www.panos.org.uk/register.
The Network of Climate Journalists of the Greater Horn of Africa (NECJOGHA) was created following a series of discussions between journalists and climate scientists at the Climate Outlook Forum of 2002. The group realized that the general public was limited in their ability to use climate information and prediction services because information was produced in technical, jargony language.
The network’s goal is to enhance the interaction between climate scientists and journalists and, in so doing, to disseminate climate information in ways that are easily understood by all, including policymakers and the general public in the Greater Horn of Africa. There are 10 countries in the network: Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
NECJOGHA provides many resources on its website, including:
-News stories about climate, posted by members on the homepage: http://www.necjogha.org/
-A forum to discuss reporting and recent news, or debate issues surrounding climate change, natural disasters, and government policy: http://www.necjogha.org/forum
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting has produced this extensive guide to radio journalism, which includes discussion on the role of journalism and practical information on preparing and airing new stories. The full handbook is available online at: http://iwpr.net/pdf/LiveFromAfricaPart1.pdf
Some of the most dramatic environmental changes to take place on the African continent, from the shrinking of Mount Kilimanjaro’s glaciers to the drying up of Lake Chad, have been well publicized – but what do they actually look like? Satellite images documenting these changes, and dozens of other shifts in Africa’s landscape, have been compiled in Africa: Atlas of Our Changing Environment, which was recently published by the United Nation’s Environment Programme. The atlas features “before and after” satellite images taken in 100 locations in every country in Africa, over 35 years. The pictures document environmental degradation, such as disappearing glaciers in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains and widening corridors of deforestation in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The positive results of environmental initiatives, such as the expansion of wetlands resulting from a restoration project in Diawling National Park, Mauritania, and the protection of forests in Liberia’s Sapo National Park, are also graphically illustrated.
Audacity is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder. Audacity allows you to:
• Record live audio;
• Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs;
• Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV, or AIFF sound files;
• Cut, copy, splice, or mix sounds together;
• Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
In the help section of the Audacity website (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/), you will find links to a complete user manual and the Audacity Wiki, which provides step-by-step tutorials on how to use audacity. (A wiki is a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content.)
To download your free copy of Audacity, go to the following website: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/. On this page, you can choose to download Audacity 1.2 (this is a stable version made for all users) or Audacity 1.3 (this is a beta version, which means it is a newer version that’s still being tested. It is only recommended for advanced users of Audacity.)
Radio Canada International (RCI) is a radio service that produces and shares international and Canadian news in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, and Ukrainian. It carries programming aimed at connecting new immigrants to Canada and Canada to the world. Over many years, RCI has forged cooperative relationships with partner radio stations around the world. Its programs and reports can be heard on over 400 stations in 60 countries. The organization provides this description of what it can offer its partners:
1) On Compact Disc:
-Canada à la carte: a monthly collection of reports and/or interviews on a variety of topics. You can incorporate these 4- to 10-minute items into your own programming at your convenience. Produced monthly.
-Reports and interviews targeting your market.
-English-language courses for children, using Canadian legends and nursery rhymes.
2) MP3 audio files:
-Daily and weekly programs available in MP3 format via Internet on our Audio Bank.
-Canada à la carte (each month).
3) Daily programs can be received via satellite:
-In Europe, in North Africa, and in the Middle East on the Eutelsat Hotbird-6 satellite, channels RCI1, RCI2, and RCI3.
-In Africa, on the Atlantic Bird 3 satellite.
4) Daily programs can be received via the World Radio Network (WRN) where the service is available.
While radio is by far the most accessible and available form of information and communication technology (ICT) for the majority of people in rural Africa, new ICTs present an opportunity to extend the reach and interactivity of broadcasts. This article presents some new ICTs that could be of use to broadcasters.Text messaging (SMS)
The overwhelming popularity of mobile phones in Africa offers a direct link between broadcasters and their audience, which can enhance interactivity. Short message service (SMS), also known as “text messaging,” can be a very useful tool to build two-way communication with an audience. Similar to phone-in shows, texts can be used by farmers to ask questions about previous broadcast topics. Broadcasters in some countries can even make use of internet-based bulk text message services (http://bulksms.2way.co.za/, http://www.eztexting.com/) to send information about radio broadcasts to the listening audience. Imagine sending out alerts about market prices for crops or warning audiences of severe weather events!
Wikipedia and Blogs
Wikipedia has been taking the world by storm, showing what is possible when people collaborate to post and edit information on the web. A wiki-based webpage offers opportunities to learn from and adapt the wealth of information held by farmers and radio broadcasters. Blogs can be used to keep listeners updated on information already broadcast, and provide access to radio scripts used on air. To see an example of a blog with local agricultural content, visit: http://celac.wordpress.com/.
Digital Broadcasting Technologies
Airing a digital audio file such as an MP3 is technically straightforward and allows broadcasters to use radio broadcasts that are available online. Similarly, portable MP3 players with voice recording capabilities allow the production of in-the-field interviews, which can be easily transferred to computer and broadcast on FM channels. “Pod-casting,” downloading, and audio streaming have become popular ways of creating lasting content for the listening audience by making radio programs available online. The following organizations have audio files on various topics on their websites:
1) Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA)
2) West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR)
3) CTA – Rural Radio Resource Packs
We know that there are many, many news stories that deal with the rising price of staple foods and we know that it can be daunting to look for information. Below, we’ve compiled a few links to resources that we think might help. If you have more resources to suggest, please share them with the FRW community by posting a comment in the Radio Resource Bank section of the FRW website.
Do you know the media rights (and restrictions) provided under law in your country? Do you know how press freedom in your country compares to other African countries? A team of African scholars working through the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, undertook a study of press legislation in ten multi-party democratic countries.
The study includes an overview of existing media legislation in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, as well as a comparative analysis. It also aims to verofy legislation in these countries against regional and international standards and best-practices in the area of media law conducive to freedom of expression. To view the full study online, visit: http://portal.unesco.org/ci/fr/files/25479/11915762761medialegislationinafrica_web.pdf/medialegislationinafrica_web.pdf.
This checklist is an excerpt from a handbook on conflict sensitive journalism published by the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society and International Media Support. The handbook is designed to be both a practical everyday guide for those already familiar with the subject, and an introduction for those unfamiliar with such practices. For more tips on conflict sensitive reporting, as well as comparisons between traditional and conflict sensitive reporting, you can find the full handbook online at: http://www.radiopeaceafrica.org/assets/texts/pdf/Handbook_conflict_sensitive_en.pdf
-Avoid reporting a conflict as consisting of two opposing sides. Find other affected interests and include their stories, opinions and goals. Interview merchants affected by the general strike, workers who are unable to work, refugees from the countryside who want an end to violence, etc.
-Avoid defining the conflict by always quoting the leaders who make familiar demands. Go beyond the elites. Report the words of ordinary people who may voice the opinions shared by many.
-Avoid only reporting what divides the sides in conflict. Ask the opposing sides questions which may reveal common ground. Report on interests or goals which they may share.
-Avoid always focusing on the suffering and fear of only one side. Treat all sides’ suffering as equally newsworthy.
-Avoid words like devastated, tragedy and terrorized to describe what has been done to one group. These kinds of words put the reporter on one side. Do not use them yourself. Only quote someone else who uses these words.
-Avoid emotional and imprecise words. Assassination is the murder of a head of state and no one else. Massacre is the deliberate killing of innocent, unarmed civilians. Soldiers and policemen are not massacred. Genocide means killing an entire people. Do not minimize suffering, but use strong language carefully.
-Avoid words like terrorist, extremist or fanatic. These words take sides; make the other side seem impossible to negotiate with. Call people what they call themselves.
-Avoid making an opinion into a fact. If someone claims something, state their name, so it is their opinion and not your fact.
-Avoid waiting for leaders on one side to offer solutions. Explore peace ideas wherever they come from. Put these ideas to the leaders and report their response.
-As journalists, our most powerful tools are the words we use. And the pictures and sounds. We can use our tools to build understanding instead of fears and myths.
Interviewing is one of those skills that can always be improved upon. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, or just starting out in radio broadcasting, you may be interested in this online course offered on the BBC’s website. Through modules presented in both audio and text, you can review the basics of traditional radio interviews – the role of research, getting the best out of your interviewee, and dealing with the unexpected – as well as some tips for vox pops (audio clips from average people, usually commenting on some event or government decision.) Be sure to check out Module 4 on “Interviews from Hell,” in which a radio presenter looks back on some of his worst on-air moments and offers tips to stay on track during an interview. You can find the course online, here: http://www.bbctraining.com/onlineCourse.asp?tID=2555&cat=2772.
All radio broadcasters face the challenge of creating programs that are interesting and entertaining. In your work to fill the airwaves with interesting programs, you may be familiar with the production of radio dramas – or maybe you have come across a radio drama script but were unsure of how to use it.DCFRN sometimes offers drama scripts intended to be both educational and entertaining. Drama provides a framework to help listeners understand how attitudes and behaviours shape everyday events. Through drama, listeners connect with characters and their struggles – and become involved in finding solutions to the characters’ conflicts and challenges. This week’s Script of the Week is a two-part drama. It deals with maternal health and gender issues through the story of a fictional couple preparing for the birth of their first child.
If you choose to produce this short series, remember that there is much more to producing a radio drama than reading from a script. Here are some important things to consider when bringing radio dramas to life (adapted from the March 2003 Voices newsletter). If you have produced a drama at your organization and have other tips to offer, please share them by posting a comment to this article!
Find the right actors. You don’t need professional or experienced actors to produce a successful radio drama. Try to find willing volunteers through theatre groups in your area, or at local schools and community centres. Also, consider casting people you know who are natural speakers and would be willing to participate. When casting roles, it is important that you find voices that are clearly distinct from one another to provide texture in the production and to avoid confusion for the audience. Avoid casting based on what you see and pay attention to the actors’ ability to convey action and emotion through what you hear.
Practice, practice, practice. It is important for your actors and studio technicians to feel comfortable with their cues, and to develop appropriate timing and pacing for the drama. When you have chosen your actors, ask them to read through the script together, in advance, so that everyone will be comfortable with their lines. Discuss with them ways to adapt the script to suit their needs and change awkward wording. The cast should have additional rehearsals to develop natural conversational tones and timing. When you feel everyone is ready, assemble them together to rehearse in the recording studio. This will help you plan how equipment such as microphones will be shared, and how to limit unnecessary noise (such as ruffling of script pages).
Plan sound effects. Though radio drama scripts such as the one provided below usually contain cues for sound effects, you may wish to adapt these cues for your audience and local situation. While you can add a lot to a drama script by using sound effects to set the sce
