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After "Youth" Radio
Generation PRX: How did you get into radio? How old were you?
Dulce Mora: I joined Radio Arte's free youth radio broadcasting training program in the summer of 2004. The program is for youth between the ages of 15 and 21; I barely made the cut as I was turning 22 in September.
GPRX: What kept radio interesting and challenging for you?
DM: There's always something to new to learn and opportunities to perfect your skills as a producer. I got a real kick out of meeting so many diverse and exciting youth radio and media groups at the Third Coast Festival and the NFCB conference. I genuinely thought we were the only ones youth doing radio! It was a real eye (ear) opener to learn about their experiences and their production styles.
GPRX: How did you make the transition from being a "youth producer" to an "adult producer?" Is there a real difference between the two?
DM: I was hired by Radio Arte to coordinate a committee of youth producers in creating a weekly public affairs show. The biggest difference is that as an “adult producer” you get paid. Many (youth producers included) believe that because we're youth we don't take radio seriously or that we're not responsible or that it's just a hobby. Nothing could be farther from the truth. On the other hand I would say that youth have fewer restrictions and pre-conceived ideas of what we're supposed to do and therefore we inadvertently create original and fresh radio productions.
GPRX: Many groups express how hard it is for youth radio producers to stay in radio once they're no longer teens. They're saddened that older public radio doesn't usually have the same diversity, vibrancy and risk-taking that youth radio often does. Why do you think so many teens drop out of youth radio?
DM: I've seen youth drop put of radio because they simply don't have the time to volunteer. Radio Arte's students either come from low-income families, are immigrants or both. Money plays a big part in how much time they can devote to radio. When it comes to choosing between radio and a job the priority usually goes to earning much needed money. On the other hand some of the immigrant students are discouraged from pursuing radio because they feel that farther down the line doors will be closed to them. So what's the point? Finally, for Spanish speaking youth there are hardly any public radio stations where they can continue to practice radio. The commercial talk radio stations that do exist are (in my opinion and some of my students) of low journalistic quality.
GPRX: 60 thousand dollar question: in your experience, what's the key to getting youth to STAY involved with radio as a career? How do you think radio would be different if they did?
DM: Radio will benefit greatly from having youth. We bring much needed energy and eagerness. Youth radio projects are usually very diverse and so to bring this diversity to radio would help it live up to its mission of being inclusive (and would attract a more varied audience). I haven't forgotten the 60 thousand (wasn’t it million?) dollar question. I think that their needs to be more collaboration between the youth projects that exist and radio outlets. But at the same time youth need to be empowered so that they create their own outlets when none are open to them. Knowing that radio can be a passion and a real career option will help them stay in radio and continue to share their stories and their talents.
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