ABSTRACT
Discussion and debate has always been considered integral to democracy. Talk has been seen as constitutive of publics, with talk among citizens seen as fundamental to their participation (Dahlgren 2002). This talk, or discursive interaction among diverse individuals and groups, is what leads to the creation of a public. Media scholars have examined the role of independent mass media systems in Africa and argued that the primary role of the media in these societies is to inform citizens about public policy so that they become a more informed electorate (e.g. Sandbrook 1996). In this way, it is generally agreed that the mass media can promote democratization by making citizens more aware of their roles in a democracy (see for example Hyden and Okigbo 2002). Talk radio is particularly important in African democracies, which often struggle to escape the legacy of repressive regimes in which censorship, state victimization or imprisonment is most often the direct result of individuals publicly critiquing the state. In South Africa, and other African societies, open debate is often discouraged for a number of political and cultural reasons. With this in mind, this chapter argues that talk radio in Africa has the potential to make positive contributions towards democracy, channelling public opinion and offering a space for political discussion and debate. Radio broadcasting is usually considered the most prevalent medium in Africa, mostly because of high penetration compared to television and print; and because radio does not require literacy, can be broadcast in multiple languages and can reach large geographical areas. This chapter reflects on talk radio broadly, but draws largely on the practices of commercial talk radio in South Africa, arguing that it illuminates debates about the nature of the public sphere, despite its interpellation of citizens as consumers. The term talk radio is thus used in this chapter to refer primarily to commercial talk radio, although there is also reference to radio practices elsewhere on the continent, and to community or local radio. The chapter argues that public discursive arenas such as radio become important sites where social identities can be ‘constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed’ (Fraser 1990). Using the theoretical frameworks of Habermas’ public
sphere, Nancy Fraser’s counterpublics, and Bourdieu’s field theory and constructs of capital, this chapter argues that commercial talk radio becomes the unlikely site where public opinion is formed as individuals use the airwaves to participate in critical discussion and debate, and in doing so, organize themselves as a public. To some extent, commercial radio might be considered a form of ‘popular media’ as it attempts to draw larger audiences to satisfy a largely commercial imperative, with a fair amount of ‘frivolous’ or entertainment directed talk. But despite these limitations, the audience engages in more structured discussion and debate on socio-political issues, even when not prompted to do so. Drawing on Fraser’s (1990) conceptualization of a ‘public’, this chapter uses the term as it emphasizes discursive interaction directed by a plurality of perspectives; whereas ‘community’ suggests a degree of homogeneity.
