Feminist Interventions in Participatory Media by Lauren Berliner

Author:Lauren Berliner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2018-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

Participatory process works

The Pop-Up Public design process, anchored in feminist participatory pedagogies, generated different outcomes among community leaders, radio staff, and students. For neighborhood leaders, it helped them articulate both the need for Pop-Up Public and how to make it a success. They grounded the project in community aspirations and made us aware of possible pitfalls. Along the way, they conveyed an appreciation for CapRadio focusing attention on their less-advantaged communities. The new relationships built through the process resulted in a core group of grassroots leaders committed to helping implement the project.

The CapRadio staff got excited about Pop-Up Public as a “listening post” where we could hear and share diverse stories and become a presence in communities that are underrepresented in our reporting. They saw the value of creating new ways to make good on our public service mission, especially now when audiences want a more active role in sharing their stories. Reporters did, however, wonder how their daily demands would mesh with a community storytelling initiative that requires them to leave the newsroom for extended periods of time.

Students learned how to combine community-based design and participatory media through a feminist perspective, although they did not describe their learning in those exact terms. Their initial fieldwork revealed disparities among neighborhoods that caused them to consider the systems that produce inequality. Engaging with community residents created a space for them to access and empathize with stories they might not otherwise hear. Collaborating with neighborhood leaders also improved their prototypes, reinforcing the value of community participation in the design process. Learning about public radio in the context of neighborhood storytelling pushed them to think about the power media wields to shape people’s knowledge and worldviews. Prior to this class, students were unfamiliar with Capital Public Radio and none associated it with community building. Their feedback helped us to feel confident that the station could garner interest and support from millennials, a much sought-after audience.

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