Radio has become a source of communication, connection and security for aboriginals all over. After reading Daniel Fisher’s article as well as watching the movie CBQM in class, I can see how much radio has to offer. Through dedications, talk shows and information shared all over, communities that have been dispersed can find security and affection in one another once again.
In Australia, aboriginal groups have begun to connect through the shared communication on the radio. There are radio shows dedicated to song requests which play music that allows different members of the community to contact relatives or share emotions with their kin, no matter where they are. These programs are not generally subject to the confines of local broadcasting, and so can enable members from all different regions to connect with one another. (2009 296) Increased interaction between different Indigenous groups can be noted since the advent of these radio broadcasts.
Song choice and dedications on the radio often reflect cultural issues such as separation due to governmental attempts at assimilation. The music is indicative of problems that the entire communities of aboriginals are facing, despite their separation from one-another (2009 285). This commonality can bring aboriginals together, in a time that is more needed than ever. Radio has also reshaped the aboriginal communities by bringing non-indigenous culture into communities that were previously isolated from all media that was not reflective of their own culture.
A growth in the number of young aboriginals pursuing careers in broadcast journalism may be noted as a result of the increasing popularity of aboriginal media (2009 293). This is an inspiring trend as it demonstrates that indigenous groups are showing an interest in the continued growth of their influence on media. Though radio and other forms of mass media may have an effect on communities, the growth of Aboriginal presence in Australian media is testament to the fact that subjugated communities may have a large effect on the media.
Another source that reflects community is the movie, CBQM. CBQM CBC Radio One Inuvik - is based in the hamlet of Fort McPherson in Canada’s North West Territories. Fort McPherson has a population of approximately nine hundred. More than eighty percent of the population is of Gwich'in descent. CBQM is a multilingual radio station that broadcasts a wide variety of community and native based material as well as the regular news. The most notable trait of the radio station is the sense of kinship that is brought about between the listeners. Like the radio stations in Australia, CBQM station accepts phone-in dedications. In addition, it is quite common for local musicians and performers to give live performances for the listeners. Though the musicians are not always professional quality, it is all in the spirit of community, and it leaves CBQM as a distinct broadcasting anomaly. The radio station also welcomes a phone-in messaging system used by the community to broadcast a message to the listeners, or even to communicate directly with a certain friend or family member on a personal matter. CBQM is an unusual example of the broadcast journalism field that incorporates a heightened sense of community and belonging into the world of media.
Both CBQM and the radio stations in Australia offer support systems from afar, through personal song dedications, hearing familiar voices or being comforted from the sound of traditional cultural music. For these aboriginal cultures, radio has become a vital tool in keeping an otherwise dispersed community connected. Without it, the hope of these communities sticking together in
No comments:
Post a Comment