‘Put it on the radio’ – connecting with community media for diversity storytelling
When times are tough, tertiary educators need to get creative and look for opportunities beyond the ever-decreasing resources in faculty budgets.
This applied research project is a work in progress undertaken in collaboration with community partner, Free FM. It builds on ‘The New Wave’ (2015), a book of stories highlighting the growing diversity of Kirikiriroa. It was a terrific project, but nine years on, who sees it? In revisiting the original work, I consider how journalistic storytelling is moving from the page to our pockets, and whether audio platforms are the most effective way to capture and share subject-centred narratives with the wider community? I was motivated to see how this project could link to learning opportunities for students to engage with diverse communities, explore codes and conventions and create a structured media output.
I also aim to strengthen existing relationships and build an archive of stories that reflect our diverse population. This work-in-progress presentation explores our past engagement with Free FM for learning opportunities and explores the wider strategic and financial benefits of this collaboration. It also outlines the project background, work in progress and where to head next.