Resistance and reality: exploring symbolic fracturing, reality construction, and democratic dialogue within the community radio form

Abstract

ABSTRACTGovernment and the private sector persistently prioritise the need to assess the impact of social and political processes against criteria based on capital production and economic efficiency. How valuable is this within media ecologies that seek to prioritise democratic contributions or counter-hegemonic practice? Community radio globally was established to promote participation and increase democratic communication. This study adopts a citizens’ media approach within a critical political economy of communication epistemology to investigate social change impacts related to symbolic fracturing, reality construction, and democratic dialogue within community radio practice. Based on a case study of 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne, Australia, this study identifies social discourse rupture, recoding, and critical participation as key themes that emerge through qualitative interviews with station founders, current practitioners, and listeners. While numerous studies have documented the Australian community radio sector’s contribution to media participation and diversity, this paper considers the counter-hegemonic outcomes of a station that seeks to resist and subvert social injustices and to deepen the democratisation of the media. Results reveal that listeners and practitioners engage in counter-hegemonic media practice through the community radio form.