Embedded in this modern fast-paced society … can we hear silence? Analysing the presence of silence in a radio programme

ABSTRACT

This article examines the notion of silence in the context of the current fast-paced society. The exploratory research project draws on observations relevant to every one of us, surrounded by the constant noise (information, traffic, sounds) as well as on existing literature reporting the suppression of silence in favour of words in the media. In this article, we argue that silence is an element of communication which offers additional forms of meaning-making within social contexts. Using ‘The Archers’, one of the most iconic radio drama programmes in the United Kingdom, this article investigates the use of silence in comparison with the use of other verbal and nonverbal elements of communication through content analysis. The findings illustrate that silence is an integral part of communication and silence is associated with the field of psychology. The article recommends further research on the ‘understanding’ of silence, identifying additional psychological interactions between media and society, as well as its influence and the control that media has over society.

KEYWORDS:

• Silence
• communication
• radio
• consciousness
• emotion

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my friend Dr Carrie Birch for her interest, her time and her challenging thoughts which have developed this article further. I also would like to express my gratitude to my friend and colleague Dr Sara Young for her input in preparation for this submission.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Author’s contribution statement

LMGM is the only author of this manuscript.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the author.

Ethical approval statement

Ethics approval was not required for this study. However, ethics approval was granted by the University College London.

Notes

1. See also Vipassana (BBC Sounds 2020)

2. See Robinson (2020) for more understanding of the concept of ‘critical listening positionality’, that is, personal background affects the way we hear sound, music (2020) and silence.

3. Bindeman (2017) studies the concept of silence from fields such as phenomenology, theology, art, and music among others.

4. Poyatos (2002) defined ‘paralanguage’: ‘The nonverbal voice qualities, voice modifiers and independent utterances produced or conditioned in the areas covered by the supraglottal cavities.’ (p. 2).

5. See further discrepancies regarding silence in linguistics (Gutiérrez-Menéndez 2019)

6. Kurzon (1998) studies the interpretation of silence in different contexts.

7. Ephratt (2022) offers an extensive scholarship on verbal silence (form and functions).

8. Barker (2002) explains political persuasion in American talk shows and mentions Noelle‐Neumann’s (1974) spiral of silence in radio.

9. See Chapter 11 (Truax 2001) to examine how radio programming formats integrate foreground and background listening habits.

10. BBC Radio 3 was not considered because of its format and the substantial amount of silence.

11. Poyatos (2002) includes qualifiers (breathing control is one of them), differentiators and silence as part of paralanguage. However, Bruneau (1973) offers a detailed article on the forms and functions of silence.

Additional information

Funding

The author received no financial support for the research.