Defining Prisoners' Radio Is Not a Simple Undertaking
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Raising the Civil Dead: Prisoners' Radio in Australia and Canada Author Anderson, Heather Published 2008 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School School of Arts DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/1638 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367832 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Raising the Civil Dead: Prisoners’ radio in Australia and Canada By Heather Anderson Bachelor of Communications (Journalism and Indigenous Studies) Bachelor of Arts with Honours (First Class) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Arts Faculty of Arts Griffith University June 2008 ii Abstract This PhD dissertation considers prisoners’ radio in Australia and Canada as citizen’s media connecting directly to notions of civic responsibility. It focuses on the ways in which people produce media and how these activities transform those individuals. I will argue that there are two major, and complementary, roles of prisoners’ radio – the first relates to information, while the second is of a participatory nature. By circulating alternative information, prisoners’ programs contribute to an ongoing dialogue about criminalisation and prisons, while direct participation provides opportunities to contribute to this exchange of ideas. Truly democratic societies require that these opportunities exist. When prisoners engage in their own radio production they are participating in a form of meaningful community activity which benefits both prisoners and the wider audience (including family and friends). The loss of citizenship rights (either formally or informally) makes it even more vital that prisoners have access to opportunities that enact their citizenship through alternative means. Producing media and information is one way in which this may be achieved. Public sphere activity, via the media, promotes political participation and actively engages people as citizens in the radical sense of democracy. For people to fully exercise their citizenship rights they need access to a broad choice of perspectives that may assist them to understand particular issues, as well as opportunities to contribute to such representations. My research identified a number of levels of public sphere activity being fostered by prisoners’ radio. iii Declaration This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. Signed: Date: iv Acknowledgments I am eternally grateful to the presenters and producers of each of my case studies for their cooperation and patience during my research. Their willingness to allow me into their worlds made my research experience a “life experience”. Special thanks to Canadians Emily from Stark Raven, Gretchen from CKUT, and Mark from Youth Menace, who welcomed me into their homes as well as their radio shows. Best wishes to you all and your households and families. Thanks also to Melissa Kaestner at the National Community and Campus Radio Association for organising for me to speak at the 2005 NCRA Conference, introducing me to the Canadian campus and community radio sector and many of the contacts I have now. Closer to home, thanks to Juliet, Kutcha and Lisa (greatly missed) from 3CR for allowing me to accompany them during the Beyond the Bars broadcasts and to all the participants, who accepted my presence with warmth. Last, but certainly not least, the greatest of thanks goes to Blue, Charlie, Nicki and Zim at Locked In, 4ZzZ – your dedication to Locked In is amazing and I am proud to be a part of the team. Special credit to Nicki for actually reading my work, proof-reading and supporting me as only a good friend can. My thanks also to all of the regular Locked In listeners who responded to my calls for assistance, who took the time to write to me about their thoughts and feelings, and showed a genuine interest in the work I was doing. Thanks also to all of the other prisoners’ program producers who were interviewed for this research and to my beloved friends at Doing Time, Donna and Kirstyn. Associate Professor Michael Meadows has “supervised” and supported me throughout my PhD experience with faith and encouragement. Along with Dr Susan Forde and Dr v Jacqui Ewart, these mentors have given me an excellent introduction to the world of academia. My Canadian research trips would not have been possible without extensive financial assistance from both the Griffith University School of Arts’ Len Dingwell Travel Bursary, and the Centre for Public Culture and Ideas. Thanks also to the Asian Civic Rights Network who provided me with a scholarship to present my research in Nepal. Most importantly though, I would like to thank my friends and family for their never- ending encouragement over the past four and a half years of Phd madness, especially to Keller, Thomas and Kassie who have had to live with me during “the process” and kept the hearth fires burning strong during my many absences from home. Keller – I hope I haven’t put you off university for life! Thomas – thank you for always telling me I could do it, even when you weren’t quite sure what “it” really was! vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Declaration iii Acknowledgments iv Table of Contents vi List of Appendices ix INTRODUCTION 1 Introduction About the researcher What is Prisoners’ Radio? Theoretical framework development Outline of the thesis Section One CHAPTER ONE 12 Theorising community radio – citizens’ media and beyond 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Citizens’ media 1.3 Additional community radio frameworks 1.4 Studies of community radio 1.5 Access and participation — cornerstones of community radio 1.6 Representation of heterogenous communities 1.7 Alternative/supplement to the mainstream media 1.8 Demystifying the media 1.9 Summary CHAPTER TWO 36 The public sphere? Which public sphere? 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Habermas and the fledgling bourgeois public sphere 2.3 Defining contemporary public sphere activity. 2.4 Public sphere activity as an expression of active citizenship 2.5 The importance of rational-critical debate 2.6 Alternative public spheres 2.7 Summary CHAPTER THREE 62 Public sphere activity and the media 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Mass media and the imperfect public sphere vii 3.3 Community radio as public sphere activity 3.4 Summary CHAPTER FOUR 80 Prisoners and the public sphere 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Prisoners, voting and radical notions of citizenship 4.3 Mainstream media coverage of prison issues 4.4 Restrictions of communications from prisons 4.5 Isolation and reduced communications within prison 4.6 Prison media 4.7 Summary Section Two CHAPTER FIVE 110 A methodology for studying Prisoners’ Radio 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Qualitative research into community media 5.3 The Collective Case Study 5.4 Research methods 5.5 Summary CHAPTER SIX 130 Prisoners’ radio — an international inventory 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Canada 6.3 Australia 6.4 Prisoners’ radio beyond Canada and Australia 6.5 Internal radio stations 6.6 And finally … 6.7 Summary CHAPTER SEVEN 158 Locked In, 4ZzZ 102.1 FM, Brisbane, Queensland. 7.1 Introduction 7.2 4ZzZ 7.3 Locked In 7.4 Case Study Analysis 7.5 Summary CHAPTER EIGHT 182 Beyond the Bars, 3CR 855 AM, Melbourne, Victoria. 8.1 Introduction 8.2 3CR 8.3 Beyond the Bars 8.4 Case Study Analysis 8.5 Summary viii CHAPTER NINE 202 Stark Raven, Co-op Radio, CFRO 102.7 FM, Vancouver, British Columbia. 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Coop Radio 9.3 Stark Raven 9.4 Case Study Analysis 9.5 Summary CHAPTER TEN 220 Prisoners’ Justice Day programming, CKUT 90.3 FM, Montreal, Quebec. 10.1 Introduction 10.2 CKUT 10.3 Prisoners’ Justice Day 10.4 Case Study Analysis 10.5 Summary CHAPTER ELEVEN 242 Prisoners radio as citizens’ media 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Prisoners’ participation 11.3 Former prisoners on-the-air 11.4 Participation from the outside 11.5 The effects of participation 11.6 Summary CHAPTER TWELVE 272 Prisoners’ radio in the public sphere 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Who makes up “the public sphere” of prisoners’ radio? 12.3 Prisoners’ radio as counterpublic — contributions to the wider public sphere 12.4 The private/public world of prisoners’ radio — operating as enclave 12.5 Agitating wider public spheres 12.6 Exclusion 12.7 Summary CHAPTER THIRTEEN 302 Conclusions 13.1 Introduction 13.2 A recap of the collective case study 13.3 Prisoners’ radio as participation 13.4 Prisoners’ radio as alternative discourse 13.5 Implications of the research and future applications Appendices 312 References 354 ix List of Appendices Appendix A Locked In Program Content 2005 Appendix B Locked In Letter Content (May - June 2005) Appendix C Locked In Program Content 2007 Appendix D Locked In Letter Content (February – March 2007) Appendix E CD Content for Beyond the Bars 2 2005 Appendix F CD Content for Beyond the Bars 4 2007 Appendix G Stark Raven Program Content 2006 Appendix H Stark Raven Program Content 2007 Appendix I Prisoners’ Justice Day Program Content on CKUT 2006 Appendix J Prisoners’ Justice Day Program Content on CKUT 2007 Appendix K Comparison of content on CKUT’s Prisoners’ Justice Day programming 2006/2007 Appendix L Research Methods and Interviews x INTRODUCTION Prisoners’ radio in Australia and Canada Introduction Prejean: Who are the good people listening on the other end of this program? Interviewer: Who’s listening? Well, it’s the prisoners’ program, for people on the inside, prisoners. Prejean: It’s all prisoners? Interviewer: And anyone else who wants to listen, usually just prisoners and their loved ones on the outside and we sort of keep a connection between them.