#robwatson

The Covid-19 pandemic has seemed a long-haul for everyone, especially with the appalling news that over fifty thousand deaths have now been reported in the UK, putting us near the top of an ignominious

Yesterday I delivered an online training session about podcasting for the WOTBOX Heritage Project. It was really nice to be able to spend time with a group of young people who are keen to learn about and

Sarah Reilly is a disability rights advocate and researcher who advocates on behalf of disabled people in support of better access to legal and social protection. Sarah is the co-founder of the Leicester

The impact of the Covid-19 lockdown is not yet fully understood, but it will bring about change in many ways, not least the way that we communicate about public health and social cohesion issues. Joining

The public communications around the Covid-19 pandemic have been, by necessity, quickly produced and immediate in their aim. To encourage people to abide by the social distancing rules and to take immediate

In a report this week from the UK media regulator Ofcom, there is evidence that people are turning away from seeking news related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The report points out that "more than a

Ofcom’s latest research into news consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic suggests that up to thirty percent of the adult population are turning away from news because of the relentless coverage of the

In Leicester the public response to the lockdown of the economy is being met with a surge in support for community volunteering. The Leicester Covid-19 Mutual Aid group has quickly been established in

In this vlog I wanted to highlight a couple of reports and blogs that have come to my attention over the last couple of weeks. There's a documentary about the origins of local radio being broadcast on

What is the role and the benfit of using a social capital model of community development and engagement? I discussed this over the internet today with Russell Todd and Andy Green, as we shared our experiences

In this vlog I talk about the community media café that I attended earlier in the day, that was organised by BA Communication Arts students at De Montfort University. I discuss the new handbook from Power

This evening at the Documentary Media Centre, John and I chatted with Hannah and Josh from Cafe Orso in Leicester. We asked them about how they have developed their independent coffee shop in the centre

This week I've noted a couple of reports and events that I think are relevant to community media. First is the Arts Council report on arts, culture and older people. This report promotes the work that

I thought it would be useful to share some thoughts about what has come up on my radar this week. First was an article in the Guardian about Magic Radio, and what makes its format work. Next was the Ofcom

This evenings conversation with Carl Quinn at the Documentary Media Centre gave John and myself a chance to explore some ideas behind Carl's design ethos and principles at Solvers Studios. Carl shared

Tonight John Coster and I were joined in discussion at the Documentary Media Center by Jenny Hand the CEO of Reaching People and Kieran Breen CEO of Leicestershire Cares. We discussed the role of

In this vlog I talk about a couple of articles I've seen this week which examine social wealth and social capital, and how they are spread across the United Kingdom. Kieran Breen, the CEO of Leicestershire

Traditionally, the end of one year and the start of another, is a time for taking stock of what we have achieved and accomplished. It is a time for reflecting on what we have been doing, and asking if

In this second podcast recorded at the 2019 Community Media Association Conference in Salford, we continued to discuss what the essential approaches to community media are that will give it a sustainable

How can community media in the UK secure its future, and what do we need to champion and advocate about the work of community media so that policy-makers and funders understand what the social value of