This article describes the activities of formalised and informal grassroots movements within the local community of Lewków (Greater Poland) and their impact on the revitalisation of the town’s socio-cultural life. Furthermore, it illustrates how these activities bring residents together on a day-to-day basis. To this end, examples of several of the most active grassroots groups are discussed, primarily the Lewków Rural Women’s Association. The text is based on material from ethnographic research conducted for the purposes of a bachelor’s thesis. This research drew on classical methods of empirical research, in particular semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The text characterises the community-building and integration activities undertaken by grassroots groups that are most important to the local community of Lewków, including the organisation of cultural events popular in the village, which bring together the entire population. These events have a significant impact on the everyday life of the local population, and the description of the preparation process provides a clear picture of the distinctive character of the local community in question.

The podcast has become one of the most important forms of digital culture in the 21st century, operating at the intersection of traditional radio, the internet, streaming platforms and social media. The aim of this article is to present it as a complex medium of communication and culture by analysing its definition, origins, relationship with radio and its place in today’s media convergence landscape. The first section clarifies the basic concepts associated with podcasts and videocasts and outlines the history of podcasting’s development. It then discusses the state of research, highlighting the most significant strands of media and cultural studies. The subsequent sections of the article are devoted to the relationship between podcasts and radio, an analysis of the podcast as a product of remediation, and an example of technological, structural and cultural media convergence. The podcast has also been presented as a form of communication that fulfils informational, educational, entertainment, identity-forming and phatic functions, as well as a space for building audiences and para-social relationships. The analytical section presents three case studies: State of the World Report (Raport o stanie świata), Kryminatorium and The Diary of a CEO, representing different genres and communication strategies within podcasting. The analysis indicates that the podcast is not merely a technological evolution of radio, but has developed its own forms of narrative, distribution and cultural participation. It serves as a medium for information, education and community-building, and is one of the most distinctive features of the digital media landscape.