Just imagine the following situation:

You listen to a programme on family planning - a high ranking official delivers a long list of statistics on population growth; development planners outline the socio-economic impact; scientists add the historical background - and somewhere in the programme, an ordinary women with seven children tells of her daily worries and problems, of her difficulties in feeding her children, keeping them healthy and giving them a meaningful start in life.
When you think back some hours later and reflect on what part of the programme had captured your imagination most, you will probably be surprised to find out that it is the woman's voice which you remember most clearly. For it was her story which had moved you most and which you had listened to most attentively. There is nothing unusual in this observation. On the contrary, it reflects an age-old, simple fact: people are interested in other people, and most of all they are interested in people like themselves, people who speak the same language and share the same thoughts, people with whom they can identify and whom they feel they can trust. What does that mean for radio? It simply means that if we want to capture the interest of our listeners, we need to give more air time to the voices of ordinary citizens. If we want to reach out to our listeners and make sure your programmes are as relevant and attractive to them as possible, the best way to achieve this is through more audience participation and the increased use of Vox Pop recordings.

Vox Pop - What is it?

"Vox Pop" - taken from the Latin "Vox Populi" which means ,the voice of the people" - is an element in broadcasting that has been sadly neglected for a long time. It usually refers to the recording of public opinion on a certain event or development, for example the introduction of a new Act of Parliament or the launching of a health campaign. In such cases, a good cross section of Vox Pop provides a lively and authentic first hand reaction.
But how often do we use Vox Pop in our daily programmes? How much air time do we give to the voice of a farmer or a factory worker, of a housewife or a shop keeper?
Anyone who listens to radio knows the answer. The situation may vary slightly from station to station, but in general, the pattern is more or less the same: it is not the farmer talking about the effects of the drought but the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture; it's not the village women telling about her daily struggle, but the president of the women's organization; it's not the old man recalling ancient customs and traditions but the young history professor from the university. Life, it seems, happens without the ordinary citizen. Does he have nothing to say?
Of course, he does - and anyone who mixes with people knows that ordinary citizens do indeed have their own opinions, feelings and experiences which would be worth sharing with other people in the country. But Vox Pop still doesn't have much of a place in radio. Why not?

Vox Pop and our concept of radio

There is a whole list of reasons, but a major one seems to be our concept of what radio is or ought to be. For most of us, radio is still a territory reserved for journalists and politicians, scientists and celebrities - in short, the professionals, the elite. Many of us still believe that radio programmes carry weight and authority only if there's a specialist or a famous person talking. The polished voice, the perfect manuscript, the well-balanced information and the unemotional statement still seem to be the hallmark of professional radio. Of course, all that is part of the job of a seasoned broadcaster. But is it enough to attract listeners today and in the future`? Let's be honest: how often have we been bored by scientific discussions, monotonous interviews and endless monologues? And how much more fascination do we sometimes derive from listening to the excited voice of a market woman or a child crying or an old man telling the story of his life. The problem is that most broadcasters still believe that whatever is not considered sensational, topical or prominent, is not worth putting on the air. Yet, the portrait of a village chief or the tales of a traditional doctor can sometimes be far more captivating than the official report of a civil servant.
That does not mean that we can do without the expert altogether. In many programmes his or her knowledge and experience will be indispensable. But there are a lot of cases where we could double the attention of the listener by just combining the expert's view with that of an ordi-nary man or woman. Admittedly, it is easier to interview the politician who is used to the microphone, or the scientist who is a fluent speaker. Talking to ordinary villagers and recording their voices often takes patience, flexibi-lity and a lot of editing in the studio afterwards. But the effort is worthwhile. Because Vox Pop relates a lot more to the thoughts and feelings of the average listener and thus makes our programme more appealing. We always believe that an ordinary person by definition does not have much extraordinary about him. I think we ought to revise this attitude. In fact, almost everyone has some interesting ideas or some valid experience which he could share with others- provided we have the imagination and creativity to make him talk about it.

Vox Pop - Difficulties and constraints

Of course, advocating the use of Vox Pop material would be naive if we ignored the difficulties arising in many stations when introducing innovative types of programmes. Let's face it: almost everywhere in Africa and Asia, radio is a sensitive instrument in the hands of government. Individual initiative is frequently restricted, and new ideas are likely to arouse
suspicion, especially when it comes to the use of Vox Pop recordings. After all, Vox Pop thrives on the spontaneity and frankness of its voices - therein lies the appeal, but also an element of risk.
Yet, even these risks can be minimized, provided we approach the matter with intuition and discretion. Here just as in administering a medicine, everything depends on finding the proper dosage. Starting off with an opinion poll on some unpopular government action is certainly not a very promising way of introducing Vox Pop into the programme schedule.
Indeed, in most cases, it may mean the end of the career of the producer and that of Vox Pop programmes altogether. So why not begin slowly and in a small way, with Vox Pop recordings on non-political topics? Why not have Vox Pop on subjects like "what do old people think about the young generation?" or "how do women feel about family planning?" All depends on the imagination and resourcefulness of the producer, on his or her experience and judgement in carefully selecting the appropriate issues.

The role of Vox Pop in future broadcasting

Broadcasters are often confronted with the question:
"Whom ar we actually working for? For our listeners? For our station? Or for our government?"
The use of Vox Pop presents an ideal instrument to resolve this conflict as it serves the interest of all parties concerned: it makes programmes more authentic and attractive for the listener, it adds credibility to the station and provides governments with a useful insight into the thoughts and feelings of their citizens.
For a long time, communication has been seen and practised as a top-bottom process with the audiences expected to receive instruction and guidance from above. What we need to develop, however, is a two-way-communication utilizing the knowledge and experience of ordinary people as a feed-back to the top. Give listeners the feeling that their participation in radio programming is welcome and wanted - and they will gain confidence in themselves, their radio and their government. Listeners need to understand that they can trust radio as an instruments of information, education and social change. More than any other medium, radio is able to bridge the gap between the people and the decision makers - by carrying Vox Pop - the voice of the people - to every corner of the country.

Barbara Skerath