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The massive outpouring of support by community volunteers during the coronavirus lockdown has been a reminder that people value their social and community connections. It tells us that the vast majority of people are still prepared to roll their sleeves up and help out where they can. But what can community radio do to help share the stories about volunteering at a local level? How can community media facilitate the conversations that will help people, in otherwise hard-to reach parts of society, understand what’s happening in their local neighbourhood or community? What is the social value of community reporting? This is the question I put to Dr Siobhan Stevenson, an oral history producer based in Birmingham, and Richard Berry, senior lecturer at the University of Sunderland, as we attempt to figure out what the additional dimension is that community media offers in response to the lockdown.
