Q&A: Podcasting and agricultural information
Susie Emmett
What are the advantages of podcasts over radio broadcasts?
The big advantage of podcasts is that they can be listened to at any time or anywhere that is convenient. Producers of radio programmes who are trying to target farmers no longer have to worry about when the best time to broadcast is – at 4 am when the farmer has just got up, or at lunchtime when he or she finally has a moment to sit down?
Podcasts are different because listeners can play them back at any time. They can be paused, repeated, shared and stored, and that is really something special. People don’t have to remember exactly what the presenter said in that fleeting moment on radio. Those who are confused or feel that they don’t fully understand the information can simply replay the broadcast as many times as they need.
For many people it is great to listen to the radio with other people, with the family for example, especially the soaps. But you don’t often get professionals, such as farmers, who sit down and listen to a radio programme together. For one thing, where would they go to do that? The audio medium tends to be much more personal. If you can listen to a podcast on your own, and access it whenever you like, as often as you like, even take a break and come back to it then that’s a great thing.
Could podcasting be applied to agricultural extension?
Definitely. Farmers and agricultural extension workers are a niche audience due to their locations, how they work and the seasonal demands on their time. Reaching them using conventional media, particularly conventional FM broadcasting, is quite a challenge. Because of this they are especially in need of up-to-date technical information or even inspirational advice. Agricultural researchers also tend to work in far-flung, often under-resourced institutions, so any low-cost medium that potentially can carry high-impact information has great possibilities. Podcasting can also be international, as the cost is the same no matter whether the content is delivered to someone in the next office, or the next regional research station, or to a rural extension office on another continent.
Is podcasting technology easily available to people in the rural areas of developing countries? Or will it take some time before they have access?
Slow and expensive Internet connections will remain a problem until we resolve the issue of who will pay for the improvements to ultimately make the Internet more accessible. But the price of mp3 players is falling dramatically, and that could make a big difference. It is almost getting to the point where they could be given away with information already on them. However, the short life of batteries remains a problem, especially if they have to be recharged from the mains or by being linked to a computer. But on the whole, mp3 players are small, durable and robust, which is very important, especially compared with the big cumbersome cassette players used by farmer listening groups in many countries. Mp3 players are so much smaller and are becoming just as affordable.
Some podcasts are very professionally produced, with music and voice-overs. Can individuals also use podcasting to make their voices heard?
What is very interesting is the amateur ‘lone voice’ podcasts. They can be more popular than the slick, professionally produced ones. The big companies will always be in the top ten due to the amount of marketing they put into it, but there are some very quirky, individual podcasts that make it up through the ratings just because someone has got something interesting to say.
I certainly see podcasting as a way of sharing information. It doesn’t always have to be about people in rural areas receiving information; they should be able to get their own message out too. But at the core of all this is that fact that the spoken word is what makes this planet tick. Visuals are good, but we don’t talk in pictures, we talk in words. So as long as we remain an oral planet, then good podcasting will have a place. But it does have to be good.
What makes a good podcast?
It’s often the simple things, like humour or real life stories. People like listening to others talking about their own lives and situations. If they’ve got a good idea or something has worked, then people want to hear about it. If something has gone wrong then they like to hear about that too. And that often gets lost in a lot of agricultural and development speak – it’s the life story that gets people involved. By the time it goes through policy, research and extension work, the soul has disappeared from the message. Podcasting can help put that back.
The need remains to offer information, ideas and inspiration to farmers, those helping farmers, and to rural communities to overcome their problems. It’s not the medium that’s important, it’s the message. Use whatever technology you like, but if the message isn’t relevant or interesting, then forget it. But if you believe that information and communication can contribute to the process of development, then podcasts must be included as part of the ICT portfolio.
Susie Emmett is a communication specialist in radio and new media, working with WRENmedia in Suffolk, UK.
WRENmedia publishes the New Agriculturalist, an online magazine and podcast featuring agricultural news for the research and development community.