Abstract:

Community media have been used for empowering fragile or at-risk groups for decades. Radio has a long tradition in this field, precisely for its capabilities for overcoming distances and lack of instruction, as well as for its easiness of use. Participatory radios are produced exclusively by the community and for the community. Since the advent of web 2.0, it became extremely accessible to create personal media using only common consumption goods like a portable computer. Hence, the internet became a fertile ground to develop participatory radio projects. The explosion of podcast producers in the last decade is a clear sign that sound is a highly accessible and compelling way to deliver the message. This paper identifies and analyzes participatory radio projects in Portugal and discusses its characteristics as tools for the empowerment of different groups. This study collects consistent data that may support decision making when considering the use of participatory methodologies and sound in non-formal learning contexts.

Keywords:

Community media, online radio, participatory methodologies.