‘We don't do politics’: theorizing climate change communication on Australian community radio through radical eco-communicative democracy

In times of disaster and in grappling with the slower, more insidious changes to daily life, community radio has a vital yet undervalued role to play in supporting community resilience to climate change. However, approaches across Australia's large and diverse community broadcasting sector are as varied as the stations themselves. While there are stations actively engaging with climate change and leading their communities’ responses, there are even more stations hesitant to start. Drawing on research conducted with 12 community radio stations across two Australian states, this article explores the reluctance of some community radio stations to get involved in what they see as the ‘political’ issue of climate change. By viewing these findings and the broader work of Australia's community radio sector through a framework of radical eco-communicative democracy, it is possible to chart a path that moves beyond politicization and towards meaningful community-led conversations about climate change.