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

Chapter One: Introduction to the Use of Radio Drama for Social Development 3
The use of radio drama for pro-social purposes is undergoing a
resurgence. In the early days of radio, it was not uncommon, especially in
young countries such as Australia, Canada, and South Africa, for helpful
messages on such topics as agriculture and wild fire control to be
incorporated into serial dramas. In Britain, The Archers, a serial about a farm
family, played a similar role and held national attention for decades. With
the advent of television, however, attention shifted to soap operas, featuring
highly exaggerated characters and emotions, and radio drama went into
decline.
Soap operas ruled the air waves until the mid-1970s when Miguel
Sabido, in Mexico, expressed his belief that television serials could “do more
than reinforce attitudes toward specific events and characters; they could also
stimulate behavior” (Nariman, 1993). Sabido recognized that, while
conventional soap operas presented values unconsciously and, therefore,
sometimes incoherently, it would be possible to create value-coherent serials
that encouraged pro-social behavior such as adult literacy or family planning
without being boring, pedantic, or moralistic.
What Sabido demonstrated on Latin American television with
“telenovelas” for social change has proved just as effective in radio serial
drama. Radio serial writers can create dramas that have a positive effect on
individual behavior and on social norms (Nariman, 1993).
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The Writers of Enter-Educate Drama
Who should write Enter-Educate drama There is no single answer to this
frequently asked question. Given a choice between an expert in the subject
matter of the message who lacks writing experience and an experienced
writer with little technical knowledge, the
experienced writer is the better choice. With an
adequate Writer’s Brief (see Chapter 2) to
provide the necessary technical information to
be contained in the scripts, experienced writers
usually can create an appealing story, even on an
unfamiliar subject.
Most writers have more experience with
pure entertainment pieces than with Enter-
Educate material. Even the most experienced
entertainment writers, therefore, usually need
some guidance and instruction before writing an
Enter-Educate script. Writers without
experience in writing radio drama should not be
deterred necessarily from attempting the task,
provided they can obtain adequate training.
When Does the Writer Become
Involved in the Project
In the P Process, which illustrates the steps in
the development of a communication project, Source: JHU/PCS, 1984