Participatory Communication

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Author: Thomas Tufte, Paolo Mefalopulos

The vision of using new technologies to pursue better lives for humankind has always existed, and i was reinforced throughout the 20th century with each new technological advancement. In 1927 the German author Bertolt Brecht formulated a "radio theory" in which he envisioned the new technology, the radio, as a dialogical instrument for change: "Change this apparatus over from distribution to communication... On this principle the radio should step out of the supply business and organize its listeners as suppliers" (Brecht 1927). It was many ways a precursor to the theory and practice of participatory communication, as well as of interactive media such as the internet.

In the years that followed Brecht's early vision, the radio lost its dialogic potential as it developed into mass mediated broadcasting instrument. However, today's rapid spread of community radio, as well as the growth of digital radio and interactive radio program formats, revives the participatory potential of radio technology.

Brecht's work contains the two core visions still inherent today in participatory communication: first, technologies possess the potential to improve the lives of many people by giving them a voice; second, his groundwork laid out the educational principles inherent in many of today's participatory communication models -- dialogical communication.

Brecht's educational principles have inspired many in innovative theatre, including Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal. Developed in 1970s, his ideas from Forum Theathre brought principles of participatory theathre a step further, and they are still spreading around the world (Boal 1974).

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