BEA’s Journal of Radio & Audio Media announced its “Outstanding Research Articles” from the 2020 editions: A Curriculum for Blackness: Podcasts as Discursive Cultural Guides, 2010-2020 and Fifty Years of Resistance and Representation: A Historical Account of Australian Community Radio.
A Curriculum for Blackness: Podcasts as Discursive Cultural Guides, 2010-2020 by Kim Fox, American University in Cairo; David Dowling, University of Iowa; and Kyle Miller, University of South Dakota was published in the Volume 27, Issue 2 (2020) edition of JRAM. African-American podcasting’s ascent marks a potent articulation of Black identity and experience in media history, one reaching an unprecedented range of audiences, dialogs, and online communities. This study examines how content, production practices, and digital audiences for Black podcasting generate a metaphorical curriculum for blackness, a set of discursive cultural guides for listeners. Case studies representative of major genres and publishing sectors where Black podcasting flourished from 2010 to 2020 include humorous commentary on popular entertainment in The Read (2013-), independent media’s exploration of Black life in The Nod (2014–2020), and legacy media’s in-depth cultural criticism and analysis in Still Processing (2016-). Co-author Kim Fox said, “It’s been refreshing to see our research receive such a positive reception especially in the emerging field of podcast studies research and more importantly in the under researched area of Black podcasters.”
Fifty Years of Resistance and Representation: A Historical Account of Australian Community Radio, written by co-authors Heather Anderson, Griffith University; Bridget Backhaus, Griffith University; Juliet Fox & Charlotte Bedford was also published in the Volume 27, Issue 2 (2020) edition of JRAM. The article outlines the early history of the Australian community radio sector. It focuses on three of the country’s oldest stations – Radio Adelaide, 4ZZZ and 3CR – to document the establishment and growth of the sector over the past 50 years. Two theoretical lenses are identified from the literature on Australian community broadcasting, loosely categorized as citizens’ media and empowerment media, and these are evident in the narratives of the case study stations. A third framework – social movement theory – is proposed for further understanding the value of community broadcasting and its contributions to the wider media landscape. “For me, collaborating with scholars who are also community radio practitioners was an invaluable process,” said co-author Heather Anderson. “This was a great opportunity for the writing team to bring together our individual experiences and knowledge to reflect on a broader history of community broadcasting in Australia, as well as identify future directions for research in the sector”.
At BEA’S virtual convention, Anne MacLennan, York University; Editor, Journal of Radio & Audio Media and Andy Curran, University of Cincinnati – Clermont College, Chair, BEA’s Radio & Audio Media Interest Division moderated a session featuring the authors and the importance of the award winning research to the study of radio broadcasting and audio media, and how the ideas and concepts in the article may be used in the context of a classroom lecture, activity, or assignment.
