Voices of Poverty: Radio Journalism and Training

Short Synopsis

Media Mobilizing Project seeks support to expand our radio journalism initiative, Voices of Poverty. VoP trains individuals living in poverty to become radio journalists and works to support these leaders in producing media about their own issues and struggles, as well as those of other anti-poverty groups across the city.

Description/Treatment

Voices of Poverty trains individuals living in poverty to become radio journalists and works to support these leaders in producing media about their own issues and struggles, as well as those of other anti-poverty groups across the city. Through Voices of Poverty we offer: 1) capacity-building workshops in radio journalism, 2) creation and production of weekly radio programs on 88.1 FM, WPEB, and 3) basic computer and Web skills as well as hardware (computers, routers) and access to the Internet.

MMP believes offering people the skills and platform to tell their stories is a strong basis for building leadership. Through this project we aim to strengthen a growing network of groups fighting poverty across the city, while shedding light on this central issue of the 21st century. This project is innovative in that it both provides the skills and tools for low-income communities to document their lives, while using media as an organizing tool to reach across the dispersed movements working for justice across the city.

With support of the Ben and Jerry's Foundation, and the Media Justice Fund, the program has been in operation for six months and in that time we have trained over 20 youth and low-wage workers in audio production, radio journalism and media literacy. The Voices of Poverty (VoP) campaign will continue to train members from across the network and create regular, collaboratively producedradio shows.

Thus far VoP has developed three radio programs, which broadcast on WPEB: OnBlast (youth radio programming), Labor Justice Radio and All for the Taking (focused on housing and gentrification).

Specifically, in the coming year we would like to train 30 new people in radio journalism, and start at least 2 new programs while supporting the people and programs already created. In the training program, our curriculum offers learners the skills needed to tell their communities' stories. The series explores: 1) Community news reporting techniques, 2) Investigative research methods, 3) Oral history interviewing & documentation techniques, 4)Media and media literacy skills.

After completing the workshops, participants will receive support in developing ongoing, regularly scheduled radio shows. Each program will be collectively produced by a team of journalists, and will be assembled during the course of the workshop series. These teams of 4-8 people will determine the particular focus of their shows’ content.