A theoretical-conceptual framework for South African community radio as participatory media

Abstract

This thesis aims to develop a theoretical-conceptual framework for South African community radio as participatory media. Community radio stations, unlike commercial and public services media outlets, are endorsed by scholars in participatory communication in development communication as an ideal platform for individuals and communities to address development challenges and concerns as experienced on a local level. Scholars in community media studies concur that community radio holds unique value and objectives in the larger media landscape. Equally, the legislation on community broadcasting in South Africa has differentiated community radio from other types of traditional broadcasting. It describes it as an accessible media that serves the public interest at a community level as stipulated through several key acts. All the above frames of community radio assert that it promotes people's direct, active and meaningful participation in problem identification and finding solutions. Despite these encouraging suppositions, community radio's participatory features cannot be successfully enacted if it is not thoroughly theorised from the foundational paradigm in which it is embedded: the participatory paradigm. This paradigm is considered the normative approach to examining and enacting development and social change initiatives. However, it is widely criticised for its theoretical and conceptual fluidity and requires thorough theoretical and metatheoretical interrogation to present a more cohesive framework. This study thus examines it to present a unified metatheory of participatory communication to interrogate community radio's potential as participatory media. An integrative, semi-systematic literature study identified four major assumptions that underpin this paradigm: participation, dialogue, culture, and empowerment. This study also uses the rhizomatic approach of community media to conceptualise community radio and enhance the latter metatheory from a media studies perspective. Five South African community broadcasting acts were examined using these two frameworks. The main findings of this study indicate that while there are overlaps between the metatheory of participatory communication and the rhizomatic approach, several shortcomings, as found in the community broadcasting legislation, must be addressed for community radio to function fully as participatory media. This study thus formulated five normative assumptions to overcome these gaps and presented a final, synthesised theoretical-conceptual framework of community radio as participatory media. These assumptions relate to an increased emphasis on indigenous knowledge, subjective empowerment initiatives, fostering external partnerships, encouraging cross-organisational collaborations, and the increased use of dialogic praxis methods in ensuring that community radio empowers its internships and the wider community. This theoretical conceptual framework will enhance the existing participatory ethos of South African community radio.