Martin Jansen from Workers World Media Productions addressed the Community Media Reflection Conference on international good practice and examining the possibilities for community media.  He started off his presentation by asking the questions ‘how community are we as community media?’ and ‘is there a place in SA for a radical media?’ as these questions enable a shift in the framework for discussion and the bulk of his  presentation looked at two case studies in Latin America to address the purpose of community media.

If the purpose of alternative progressive media is to challenge the status quo, then the question becomes hw many community radio stations are involved in community struggles? If community media is community, it should be biased towards the community and yet there are not many examples, if any, of a community station that is at the centre of campaigning for the community. Is community radio a tool for change? And if not, what is it?

He then gave the example of Bolivia - one of the poorest countries in the world despite its rich natural resources which make it very  similar to SA and Africa. It is part of the imperial USA network in Latin America and is highly indebted to the World Bank and the IMF. In the 1952 Revolution, there was huge nationalisation of mines which threatened USA and UK interests.

Indigenous people in Bolivia are highly politicised – like SA was between 1976 and 1992 – and so 25 community radio stations were started by mineworkers in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Workers paid dues and this money was used to start the radio stations.  From the outset, poverty was the focus and community radio was seen as a tool for liberation and to represent the interests of the working class.

In the 1980’s many jobs were lost as a result of neo-liberal policies and 14 stations remained active. Five are still functioning today as a result of the resilience of mineworkers who give half a day’s wages to support the stations.

In South Africa, he argues, community radio was started in the context of political compromise and it focused on supporting the status quo rather than on consciousness raising. As part of an academic study he undertook, he asked community radio stations if they had considered alternative strategies to generating revenue – like asking for an contribution of R10.00 from community members – and none had. His view was that community contributions can enhance community ownership and control.

Another example he cited was from Oaxaca, Mexico where community radio became the lifeblood of a teachers strike. As a result of the uprising, the radio was closed down but then mainstream media was invaded and a commercial radio station was taken over. The government clamped down and the army was sent in.

These examples demonstrate how community radio not only served as a voice but also a tool to mobilise and organise. In South Africa, youth in Sakhile  are taking to the streets in violent protest which begs the question of whether communities are being organised and given a voice. Community radio is an important tool for democracy but democracy is hollow without social and economic democracy. What role can community media play in creating real transformation?  In SA, communities have become passive – leaving to political parties and government to provide but this is changing as people are becoming more impatient with government.

The main ingredient for community media he put forward was to be collectively concerned with community issues and to be prepared to mobilise and struggle to address these problems so as to create a better world.

READ THE FULL CONFERENCE REPORT HERE