Radio Journal:International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media - Current Issue

During the Spanish Civil War, radio went from being a simple musical loudspeaker to being used as a combat weapon. Through radio broadcasts both sides confronted each other to persuade public opinion or to increase the morale of their troops and allies. In this context, Salazar’s Portugal, to legitimize the coup d’état in Spain, used all its diplomatic and media resources, among them the National Broadcasting Service (the Emissora Nacional; EN), which during the war came under the dictator’s cabinet. Simulating an apparent neutrality in its national broadcasts, the EN disseminated an intense propaganda against the Madrid government abroad. This work aims to delve into the less known aspects of EN during the conflict, such as the strategy of its international broadcasts or its collaboration with European anti-communist organizations in the service of General Franco’s interests.

This article explores how The Listener, a journal launched in 1929 by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), established itself as a site for serious radio criticism in the United Kingdom. However, such coverage did not appear fully formed, but developed and changed over time, depending on the critic(s) and the industrial and cultural contexts within which they worked. By looking at coverage from three periods – the mid-1930s, mid-1950s and mid-1970s – I propose that there have been different distinct phases taken by the radio criticism found within its pages. One important factor shaping the form taken has been the question of intermediality that, in this case, existed between radio and the printed form. Namely, the problem of developing a means of reviewing and critiquing an aural form within a printed medium dominated by traditional visual and literary criticism. Such an insight and understanding, of the way the radio discourse changed over time in The Listener, is vital as this journal has become, especially with its digitalization, an increasingly important resource for scholars working in the field of broadcasting.

This study delves into the critically uncharted world of edutainment podcasts, specifically those that turn to historical narratives for their content. Through analysis of two case studies, a pair of topics covered by four edutainment podcasts, it explores the ways in which educational or informational aims may be shaped, for good or bad, by an entertainment mission. The topics are drawn from the often disturbing field of medical history, a common choice for edutainment podcasts but a source of content that repels as much as it attracts, presenting a challenge to creators attempting to balance learning and diversion. The study finds that the audio format is both a help and a hindrance to this process, but the most important factor in these podcasts’ structure and relative success or failure may be their dialogic nature.

The March 2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States created an immediate need for news, information and interaction. Public health communication scholars recommended media strategies that emphasized accurate information about the virus and mitigation measures, providing access to experts, and using opinion leaders to relay recommendations to the public. Local radio is a critical medium during a crisis because it can inform the public while comforting listeners with reminders of community pride. This study analysed programming on four local talk radio stations in New Jersey, Minnesota and Rhode Island, documenting how the stations and their announcers served the public during those chaotic early days. Despite notable exceptions, these stations properly kept listeners informed about what their leaders were doing about the pandemic, while also calling upon local symbols and aspects of culture, comforting and reassuring listeners, and giving them a space to share their stories.

Community language radio is known to provide information and social connection for community members. This article examines the role of community language radio in Australia during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Drawing on data from interviews with four presenters at a community language radio station in Melbourne, this case study explores the station’s operation during the pandemic and presenter perceptions of the station’s contributions to supporting listeners’ well-being. To situate our study more globally, the case study was preceded by an examination of press reporting on the role of radio during the pandemic. Overall, our findings indicate that community language radio has played a vital role in promoting listener well-being by communicating information about COVID-19 and by providing a sense of comfort, entertainment and companionship through regular broadcasting. Results are discussed considering crisis communication and resilience theory to highlight the vital role community language radio plays for migrant communities during crises.

Review of: Radio Modernisms: Features, Cultures and the BBC, Aasiya Lodhi and Amanda Wrigley (eds)

London and New York: Routledge, 144 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-36736-765-7, h/bk, £120

ISBN 978-0-42935-129-7, e-book, £44.99