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Brief summary of activity

The participants talk about the aims of media in general, about the features of different media types, and about their media consumption habits.

Aim of the activity

The participants get acquainted with the media landscape and the specific characteristics and ethos of community media/community radio.

Expected Outcomes

The participants get to know the basic features of different media types and get acquainted with the essence / principles of community media.

Experience and skills required

No special experience required.

Infrastructure, setting, resources

No special infrastructure is needed, only a comfortable training room.

Length

40 minutes

Material

Different types of plastic figures (playmobil figures that represents different professions, social classes, gender) – 3-4 more figures than the number of participants.

How the activity should take place

The trainer brings a box full of figures – all participants take one out of the box.

The trainer ask them to introduce themselves through the figures – who they are, what do they do, what do they watch in the tv / listen to the radio?

When this introduction round is over (which is a good way also way to talk about the media consumption habits of the participants in an indirect way) the trainer asks the participants / figures (with different background) to find out a radio where all of them could participate. They have 10 minutes to get an agreement and find everyone’s place / role in the radio.

When the trainees – as a group now – explain who is doing what at the radio, the trainer has the opportunity to point out the differences between community media and other media types. At the end of the exercise they talk about these differences and the trainer highlights the principles of the community media movement.

Recommended max. number of participants and trainees to trainers ratio

1 trainer for 8 or 10 trainees.

Risk and possible adaptation

This exercise does not works with visually impaired participants since it is based on visual differences (the differences of the figures / stereotypes).

Tips for Trainers

Basically this exercise is a discussion mixed with a special role playing game – in this form (because it is based on visual appearances) does not work with visually impaired participants but work well with trainees with learning difficulties though the exercise duration may be longer.

Analysis and evaluation

The participants talk about media types, differences, specialties – by the end of the exercise the participants get closer to the idea and essence of community media / radio.

Scheduling

In the first phase of a training – after the introduction.