Broadcasting Stories of Racism on the Radio

Abstract

Throughout its history, radio in the US has reflected and reproduced dominant racial ideologies. This article highlights the experiences of individuals who shared their stories for the 2016 “Radical Listening” equity-focused podcasting project. As part of this project, participants recorded stories of racism and resistance from the larger Seattle area. Some participants chose to broadcast edited segments from their stories on the local public radio station. Their experience working with producers to broadcast their clips exposed the sonic centering of whiteness within public radio. The musical choices and stylistic norms of the station catered to the predominantly white listening audience, leaving contributors of color to accept these terms or keep their stories off the airwaves. Moments of suffering packaged and made public are inherently risky. Through mapping a particular instance of failed listening and its reverberations, this article traces the complicated ethical entanglements that can arise between storytellers and producers when editing audio for broadcast. How personal stories are disseminated and by whom impacts how these stories are then taken up and understood as meaningful by listeners. Listening occurs within gendered and raced bodies, and our positionality impacts how we understand the significance of the stories we hear. As their narratives traveled farther from the recording studio through radio and online spaces, participants contended with their inability to control the soundtrack of their experiences.