Diversifying Radio with Disabled Voices - Making Contact Radio - 0 views
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john roach on 02 Jun 24"Radio can be a familiar friend, source of knowledge, a marker of time and place. But as a cultural institution, what constitutes a "good voice" in radio reflects and transmits cultural norms and structures. When I started my Community Storytelling Radio Fellowship at Making Contact, I prepared by reading articles from Transom and AIR media about interviewing, storytelling, and production. I felt more intimidated as I read about advice on 'how to do radio,' especially since some parts were very physical (e.g., holding a microphone close to a person for a significant length of time). I wondered, "Where do disabled people like me fit in the radio community? Why don't articles about diversity in radio ever mention people with disabilities?" Al Letson's 2015 Transom manifesto explores the the default straight white male voice. It resonated with me immediately and I'd also add that the "default human being" on radio is able-bodied as well."