Grocott’s Mail is now available in audio form. LISTEN is a newly-launched weekly podcast (audio recording) series of Grocott’s Mail news stories that are originally used in a newspaper produced for the blind community of Grahamstown.
Grocott’s Mail is now available in audio form. LISTEN is a newly-launched weekly podcast (audio recording) series of Grocott’s Mail news stories that are originally used in a newspaper produced for the blind community of Grahamstown.
These podcasts are meant to allow for the blind community – and anyone else – to be able to access Grocott’s Mail in audio form on Grocott’s Mail Online.
LISTEN is a collaboration between Grocott’s Mail, the South African Library for the Blind (SALB) and the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University.
It is spearheaded by journalism student Lisa Brigham, who also founded and edits the Braille newspaper. “I came up with an idea to cater to the blind citizens of Grahamstown by re-purposing pre-existing media Grocott’s Mail content into a format that would be conducive to a Braille paper version of Grocott’s Mail,” says Brigham.
This content now forms the basis of the Listen episodes. “Podcasting is great because I can listen to the news at my own convenience, and it reminds me of my radio days too!” says Steven Lang, editor of Grocott’s Mail. Brigham is working on a proposal whereby various towns/areas in South Africa can use their own local media to produce newspapers and podcasts for the blind, as the SALB is available in most towns to help liaise with the blind community and convert publications into Braille.
“The entire thing is non-profit and will eventually run on government funding if I can get a grant,” says
Brigham. LISTEN can be accessed at www. grocotts.co.za/listen
