Fandom and The Archers audio book Chapter 9, Caroline Birks

Teaching The Archers – creating new fans or turning them off?

Caroline Birks

In September 2016, Media Magazine published an article that I had written about The Archers and fandom.  In 2017, The Archers became a set text and my article became the go-to resource. I wondered how the students responded to The Archers. I asked the media teaching community on Facebook for classroom anecdotes. Common themes from the results were: students struggled with focused listening; teachers had been asked to ‘show’ the episodes; teachers used lollipops and ‘mindful colouring’ to help students focus; little or no knowledge of the soap opera genre, limited understanding and enjoyment; enjoyment of The Archers varied according to gender and class including whether their parents were already Radio 4 listeners; practical activities engaged students; bringing in an Archers fan to talk to students helped them create an audience profile; and students thought that dramatic episodes were exciting but that average episodes were boring. In summary, very few GCSE Media students actually go on to listen to more episodes of The Archers. Very few students hated the programme but plenty of them were indifferent. However, The Archers may have gained listeners through teachers (and their children).

Caroline Birks has been teaching Media and Film for around 20 years. After graduating from Bath Spa with a 2:1 in Sociology and English, Caroline went on to study for a PGCE in Secondary English and later an MA in Media, Culture and Communication. As an Archers fan and educator Caroline has written two published articles on The Archers and recorded a YouTube analysis, 5 Things you should know about The Archers, which has had over 300 views. Caroline has worked as an examiner for Media Studies GCSE and A-level and is one half of Like Maria, an online resources company for teachers and students. Caroline writes a personal blog called mrsbirksblogs.blogspot.com and lives in Norfolk with her two children and naughty dog, Robin.