The Viability of Radio in the Art of Story-Telling and Creativity

Abstract

Radio is conventionally described as an auditory, non-visual medium, yet its creative programmes invite listeners to construct images through imagination, making it in effect a 'visual' medium of the mind's eye. Its ubiquity and affordability make it well-suited to storytelling that can reach a mass audience simultaneously and drive social change. Analysing storytelling programmes on two widely followed radio stations, the paper argues that radio equips a heterogeneous audience to creatively form its own mise-en-scène from what is heard, and remains a powerful vehicle for cultural transmission and creativity, particularly in developing societies.