Laboratory Radio and Community Communication initiatives

Abstract

The research analyzes practices from the Community Communication Project (www.comcom.fac.unb.br), through the Community Communication Laboratory Radio (Ralacoco). Created in 2001, Ralacoco has had a history of community experiences with radio broadcast. Since then, it has sought to carry out activities over the internet through workshops and content production. Within this process, it is important to emphasize the use of Dissonante server that provides on-line audio streaming service for more than 600 web radios, Ralacoco among them. In addition to publishing interviews and radio programs on the Internet, Community Communication Project members have designed content planned for social media websites (Facebook, Twitter and Youtube) that work on a weekly basis. The initiative has explored media convergence tools (audio, video, text and social networking sites) to promote communication experiences with and for diverse audiences. Students from different fields of knowledge (among others, communication, information science, and social service) carry out these activities, and their initial contact with the Project usually occurs in a Community Communication course. Sixty students are enrolled in this course every year; and — after learning about social mobilization, the right to communicate and field work. The analysis is based on participatory research, aiming at bringing theory and action closer together, stimulating the reflection on the activities developed by the Ralacoco and other initiatives of the Community Communication Project. The research has shown that the production and distribution of content needs technological adaptation to optimize the use of resources and to create interaction channels for an even larger audience.The outcomes have revealed that the use of a wide range of forms to communicate contributes to social mobilization to the extent that they become instruments to promote experimentation, communication and scientific dissemination, which is so necessary in times of infodemia.