ABSTRACT
While the capacity to address a national population simultaneously was highly regarded by governments of all kinds, this chapter argues that the global contest between democracy and dictatorship in the mid-twentieth century spurred more creative thought and practice about how radio could function democratically than is often remembered. This creativity included, but was not limited to, refining methods for direct leader-to-citizen talk, in intimate or charismatic mode. Considerable attention internationally was also given to modes and qualities of listening, including the organizing of group listening, and to broadcasts from national, provincial, and municipal legislative bodies. In the US, the work of the Office of Education’s Educational Radio Project producing dramatized documentaries for the networks on themes such as citizenship and public health exemplified the creativity of the period in thinking about the multiple ways that radio could enhance and sustain democracy.
