Abstract:

The future leaders of the broadcast industry are in college reflecting on the opportunities and challenges facing them in a business that is constantly changing. Our programs on Civic Engagement offers our students the incentives to become engaged citizens and business leaders with values, motivation and commitment for using broadcasting, in this case specifically radio, in service to society. Our students are involved in creating exciting public service content for multiple media platforms offered free to broadcast outlets. This presentation will present insights on how civic engagement through service learning has a positive impact on the radio industry with enhanced student professional, creative and critical thinking skills. This creative process also presents positive effects for society including: facilitating cultural and racial understanding and encouraging a life long commitment of service to ones community using broadcast technologies. Our program is an innovative way to look at creating inspiring public service programming.This presentation focuses on how to educate students to become civically engaged citizens and leaders with values, motivation and commitment for using radio broadcasting in service to society. Civic engagement through service learning has a positive impact on such academic outcomes as enhanced student professional, creative and critical thinking skills and its positive effects for society include facilitating cultural and racial understanding and encouraging a life long commitment of service to ones community.

Most commercial radio broadcasting today, that reaches a substantial audience, falls short in its programming in the public interest. Students in a Radio Workshop: Public Service in the Media class, were surveyed as to their interest in creating radio programming opportunities for organized community-based activities that addressed community issues. These students also received academic credit for their efforts and had the opportunity to reflect on the experience to determine their enhanced sense of civic engagement and responsibility. Based on this sample, the study ascertained that a service learning curriculum component makes a positive difference in the student educational experience.

Finally, research also denotes that The Federal Communications Commission, the federal agency which regulates radio and television in America, introduced the Fairness Doctrine in 1949, and required all holders of broadcast licenses to present both sides of controversial issues of public importance in an honest, equitable and balanced manner - in 1987, during the Reagan Administration, the FCC abolished the Fairness Doctrine. The survey and research supports the importance of the Fairness Doctrine and why it needs to be reinstated.

As a result of these findings, this presentation will demonstrate evidence that civic engagement through service learning has a positive impact on such academic outcomes as enhanced student radio production skills student creative and critical thinking and cognitive development, and has positive effects for society such as (but not limited to): reducing stereotypes and facilitating cultural and racial understanding; encouraging a sense of social responsibility and a life long commitment of service to ones community; including the importance of changing the current government position on the Fairness Doctrine.

Keywords:

Service Learning, radio programming, community involvement.