Community Media Participatory Learning Manual

This manual was created by NEAR FM as part of a series of participatory workshops specifically for community radio stations to work through a range of issues with volunteers and others. According to the publication, the participatory learning method can be used to introduce a wide range of topics considered necessary to community media training. It can be used to explore how to produce media, including the standard, mainstream-type training which covers technical proficiency, journalism and production issues. Participatory learning can also be used to introduce why to do community media, dealing with media literacy, capacity building and empowerment. This manual is made up of five modules with sample exercises, trainers notes, and a handout. It aims to help encourage participants to move beyond media theory, to a more practical approach, where they can make sense of media products and learn how to manipulate them to tell a different story.

The manual provides an introduction to media literacy, including, media functionalism and advertising as ideology. It also explores programming information such as writing and reporting skills, ethics, gender, and defamation issues. Other modules discuss administration and technical issues. The final module focuses on empowerment.