Interactive Radio! Toolkit for Stations

This toolkit was published to help radio stations produce interactive programming that encourages audience participation through call-ins, while also managing associated risks involved. As stated in the guide, "Audience participation shows are not only the most popular radio format, they are also the most risky as callers can take over and derail the conversation, or even incite hatred." The toolkit is meant to help presenters become trusted talk show hosts who will attract audiences, deal effectively with a range of topics, as well as tricky callers. The toolkit is available in an interactive PDF format, that allows for efficient navigation and quick links to online resources.
The toolkit was produced by the Internews Center for Innovation and Learning, as part of a collaboration with the Politics and Interactive Media in Africa (PIMA) research team. It combines the knowledge and experience of Internews with insights from research conducted by the University of Cambridge’s Centre of Governance and Human Rights and partners in PiMA research project. According to the author, the kit is a how-to guide for a variety of real life situations that talk show hosts face when they are providing a platform for citizens to connect with powerful people and with each other.
The toolkit includes of the following sections:

• The host with the most: This section provides radio hosts with resources and tips to produce captivating interactive shows.
• The audience is the show: This section is designed to help hosts build relationships with audiences by listening to them, making them feel important, and also setting standards and limits for behaviour.
• Let's talk money: This section helps producers connect call-in shows with cash for suatainability, while not leaning too much towards commercialism.
• Let's get technical: This section talks about how to master call-ins (for example, connecting the caller to the programme via a telephone hybrid), SMS messages (to hear other voices and collect trends from a crowd), and social media (extending the conversation online).
• Because it matters: This section reminds publishers how powerful radio can be to inform people of their rights and help hold leaders accountable. "Working in radio comes with a responsibility to ensure people’s voices are heard. "