How to Write a Radio Serial Drama for Social Development- PDF

Chapter Nine: Interactivity and Enter-Educate Drama 135
1. Parasocial interaction. One of the real advantages of a well-written radio
serial drama is its ability to stimulate listeners to think of the fictional
characters as real people. Indeed, listeners often find themselves talking
back to characters on the radio, offering them sympathy or advice out
loud. Listeners sometimes also write letters addressed personally to one of
the characters in the story. This type of interaction is enormously
powerful in strengthening listeners' interest in the behavior change
promoted by the drama. (See the section on “Social Learning Theory” in
the Prologue for more on parasocial interaction.)
2. Thoughtful interaction. A radio program that stimulates responsive
thought in the listeners is interactive. As listeners ponder the relevance of
the program's message to their own lives, they are actively and
meaningfully interacting with the program.
3. Emotional interaction. When listeners become emotionally involved
with the lives of a drama's characters, they think about them, talk about
them, and empathize with them even after the broadcast ends. There can
be little doubt that listeners, at the same time, are learning from the
characters’ experiences.
4. Physical activity. Listeners can be invited to take part in physical
activities related to the topic of the program. At the end of an episode
featuring a child dangerously ill with diarrhea, for example, the host
might ask listeners to collect—before the next program—the necessary
ingredients for mixing an oral rehydration solution. At the opening of
the next episode, the host reminds the listeners what is needed and gives
them an extra minute (during which music is played) to assemble the
ingredients. During one of the scenes, a character gives the recipe for the
oral rehydration solution which, happily, saves the child’s life. After the
drama, the host invites listeners to make the solution for themselves
following her clear, simple directions.
5. Songs. In many parts of the world, songs and music are an important
part of the culture. If catchy songs related to the message are included by
characters in the program and repeated regularly, listeners will soon learn
to sing along even if they are not specifically invited to do so. As they
sing and enjoy the song with the characters in the drama, the song’s
message will become embedded in their minds.
6. Use of support materials. Some social development projects produce
special support materials to distribute to the audience of an Enter-
Educate radio serial. These might consist of a booklet that repeats the
information given by the drama or provides additional details. To ensure
that listeners know how to use the support materials, the host can ask
listeners to refer to them during the program or to look up something
after the program.
Support items for a distance education program might also include
sample materials, such as a packet of oral contraceptive pills. During the
radio program, the host can invite the listeners to practice holding and
displaying the packet in the correct way, following her instructions.
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