Lesson: Community Radio

This lesson is designed to help participants learn how to plan, set up, and manage a community radio station serving a specific audience with a unique editorial proposition.

It’s based on the article ‘Setting up community radio‘, which we recommend trainers read before adapting the lesson outline below for your own purposes. We also recommend participants are sent the link so that they can study the content before participating in the lesson.

The lesson outline below is designed to guide participants through the essentials of launching and sustaining a successful community radio station. They will learn how to identify and serve their audience, create engaging and ethical programming, develop a sustainable business model, and master the art of radio storytelling and news production.

Through interactive sessions, practical exercises, and group discussions, attendees will leave equipped with actionable strategies and resources to empower their communities through radio.

Lesson details

09:00 – 09:30 | Welcome and Introduction

• Icebreaker: Ask participants to share their understanding of community radio along with any experiences of working with it or listening to it.
• Overview: Set out the day’s agenda.

09:30 – 10:15 | Session 1: Know your audience and community needs

• Audience identification: Why knowing your audience is critical.
• Methods: The use of surveys, community meetings, and social media.
• Editorial proposition: Identify a community radio station’s core editorial proposition.
• Group Activity: Get participants to draft a local audience research plan.
• Resources:
  • Know your audience and community needs
  • Core editorial proposition

10:15 – 10:30 | Break

10:30 – 11:15 | Session 2: Building a sustainable business model

• Requirements: Set out the steps required to define a business model.
• Knowing the audience: How to carry out audience research to understand audience behaviour.
• Sales strategy: How to develop a sales strategy that meets audience needs and generates revenue.
• Group activity: Build a business model for a community radio station.
• Resources:
  • Audience research
  • Audience behaviour
  • Sales strategy
  • Business model

11:15 – 12:00 | Session 3: Creating community-focused programming

• Participation: Set out community participation techniques.
• Interaction: Identify interactive segments, local talent, partnerships.
• Social media strategy: The use of social media for feedback and reach.
• Resources:
  • Creating a distinctive radio presence
  • Social media strategy for community radio

12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch

13:00 – 13:45 | Session 4: Editorial Ethics and Values in Community Radio

• Ethics: The importance of editorial ethics as the foundation for a community radio station.
• Values: The importance of brand values that build audience trust and loyalty
• Editorial scenarios: Looking at some practical editorial dilemmas and their solutions.
• Resources:
  • Accuracy
  • Fairness
  • Privacy
  • Offence
  • Impartiality
  • Unconscious and conscious bias
  • Integrity
  • Editorial scenarios

13:45 – 14:30 | Session 5: Crafting News Packages with Integrated Audio

• Sound: Using sound to tell stories.
• Structure: Structuring packages: scripting, audio clips, wild track.
• Group task: Outline a news package.
• Resources:
  • Packaging news for radio
  • Editing audio for radio news
  • Editing radio news bulletins
  • Lesson – Packaging news for radio

14:30 – 14:45 | Break

14:45 – 15:30 | Session 6: Producing and presenting radio news bulletins

• Bulletin format: The best way to structure a community radio news bulletin
• Style and content: Conversational style and local relevance.
• Group task: Prepare a community radio news bulletin.
• Resources:
  • Best practice for creating radio news bulletins
  • Fact-checking and adding context

15:30 – 16:15 | Session 7: Making documentaries and in-depth features

• Research: Research a story and detailed fact-checking
• In-depth: Story development
• Originality: Proactive journalism.
• Narrative: Structuring narratives and editing for impact.
• Documentaries: Creating radio documentaries
• Group task: Develop a local issue documentary pitch.
• Resources:
  • Radio documentaries
  • Proactive journalism
  • Story development
  • Beyond basic fact-checking
  • Lesson – creating radio documentaries

16:15 – 16:45 | Session 8: Wrap-up and next steps

• Recap: Go through what has been covered in the lesson.
• Action plan: Participants share action plans and next steps.
• Q&A: Questions and answer session to clarify any misunderstandings.
• Assignment: You might want to set the assignment that is included in the original article ‘Setting up community radio‘, and also copied below.

16:45 – 17:00 | Feedback forms and close

Optional lesson assignment

Below is an assignment which we have created for trainers to use when teaching students how to set up a community radio station. It’s based on the article ‘Setting up community radio‘ above.

Assignment: Planning and launching a community radio station

You have been selected as part of a team to plan, launch, and manage a new community radio station in your area. Your goal is to create a station that informs, inspires, and serves your local community by applying the principles and best practices outlined in the text above.

Part 1: Audience and editorial proposition (20 marks)

1. Audience research
   1. Describe your local community and identify your target audience.
   2. Explain how you would research their information needs (for example – surveys, meetings, social media).
   3. List three key topics or issues your audience cares about.
2. Editorial proposition
   1. Write a short editorial mission statement for your station (2-3 sentences).
   2. Explain what will make your station unique compared to other media in the area.

Part 2: Community programming plan (20 marks)

1. Participation
   1. Propose two interactive segments (for example – call-ins, questions and answers, contests) to encourage community involvement.
   2. Suggest one way to showcase local talent.
2. Partnerships
   1. Identify two local organisations or groups you could collaborate with and describe a potential joint project.
   2. Suggest how you would work together.

Part 3: Business model and sustainability (15 marks)

1. Outline a basic business model for your station.
   1. How will you generate income (for example – ads, sponsorship, fundraising)?
   2. How will you ensure your programming fits your audience’s habits and preferences?

Part 4: Ethics and editorial standards (15 marks)

1. List and explain three editorial ethics or values you will prioritise (for example – accuracy, fairness, privacy).
2. Describe a potential ethical dilemma you might face and how you would resolve it.

Part 5: News and documentary production (20 marks)

1. News package
   1. Outline the steps you would take to produce a two-minute radio news package on a local issue.
   2. Explain how you would use audio elements (interviews, ambient sound) to enhance your story.
2. Documentary feature
   1. Propose an idea for a short (10-minute) radio documentary about your community.
   2. Briefly describe how you would structure the narrative (introduction, development, climax, resolution).

Part 6: Reflection (10 marks)

1. In 150–200 words, reflect on the importance of community radio in building trust and giving a voice to local people.
2. Discuss one challenge you anticipate in setting up the station and how you would address it.

Submission guidelines

• Format your assignment clearly with headings for each section.
• Use examples from your own community where possible.
• Cite any additional sources if used.
• Submit your assignment as a PDF or Word document.

Total Marks: 100

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Setting up community radio

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