Pavement radio

Pavement radio is the English translation of the French phrase radio trottoir, first popularised by historian Stephen Ellis.

Etymology

The term refers to the grassroots, informal communications networks that are used, primarily in urban African settings, to relay information that is deemed of sufficient interest. Particularly interesting to Ellis is the blurred distinction between broadcaster and listener, and the essentially democratic nature of the system (in that a how long-lasting a story is, and how widespread it becomes, are down to the popularity of the story). Pavement radio is mistrusted by a number of academics, journalists and politicians, citing its anonymous nature, and the propensity of the genre to include tales of witchcraft and other seemingly ludicrous notions. Ellis, however, argues that pavement radio is a modern continuation of the African oral tradition, and that such ostensibly inconceivable stories are metaphors or are indicative of historic or cultural beliefs.