Introduction to the World of Radio - Essay Example

? Introduction to Radio WEEK During the first week we specialized on learning the history of radio, the various modes of funding stations in the British radio industry, as well as how to hear reverb and make judgments regarding recording locations. As far as the history of radio is concerned, radio developed as a result of Guglielmo Marconi’s development of the ‘telegraphy’ idea. His attempts to transmit messages over long distances using wireless telegraphy first and later by using wireless telephony saw the rise and growth of radio. Robert McLeash also asserts that the British radio is riven roughly 50/50 between radio stations owned and run by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and radio stations owned by commercial groups through license given by Ofcom. On the other hand, there are over two hundred stations owned and operated by the community, however, they are also licensed by Ofcom. MacLeash 2007 (14) also asserts that radio stations are characterized in the manner in which they are financed, and not by what they do. For instance, public service radio stations such as BBC operate under the terms of a Royal Charter and are funded by TV license fees. This fee is payable by people in the United Kingdom who watches live programming of television. The license fee is topped up by grants and revenues. On the other hand, commercial radio stations broadcasting in the United Kingdom are funded by payments made for advertisements. They broadcast on AM or FM via DTV, online and DAB (McLeish 2005, pp.13). The mode of funding influences what is aired on these radio stations. This is explicated in the pressure faced by BBC to educate, be impartial, inform, as well as entertain since they rely on license fees. The first week also enabled us to learn the basics that an individual should know before embarking on recording of for radio or interviews. This is attributed to the fact that some background sounds such as wind, music or people talking in close range to the recording device can bring problems during editing. This is because they are difficult to edit out. In order to prove this point, we visited various locations within the university to ascertain that different reverberations have different effects on recording (Fleming 2002, pp.67). For instance, we visited two indoor and two outdoor locations in order to come up with the best neutral location and the best location with a background noise for recording an interview for radio. WEEK 2 Vox pop, an abbreviation of the Latin words vox populi meaning ‘voice of the people’ is an extremely important source of news. In this type of news coverage, special researchers and news reporters go out into the streets with the intentions of seeking public views and opinions on matters of current public concern. They do this by asking thoughtful questions in order to: test public opinions and reactions, influence decision makers, stimulate public debate, forecast results of certain events, and promote a radio, newspaper or television station, among others (Crisell 1994, pp. 57). Vox pops have been used in the radio industry from the 1930s. It is also reported that in the initial decades of the 20th century, vox pops acted as a medium for the community to express their views. This is attributed to the fact that radio played an integral role in the community since it created a way for community members to provide, as well as receive opinion. In class we learnt how to make vox pop recordings. For instance, we were taught that questions should be asked with the recorder on pause; and that only responses given by the respondents’ should be recorded (Crisell 1994, pp. 69). Additionally, the responses should be put together in separate bands so that during compilation, the best answers should be at the beginning and at the end. In the middle of the vox pop, the responses should contain a mix up of opinions varying between female and male voices. WEEK 3 During this week we learnt how to edit the vox pops that we had made in the previous week. We went through the whole editing process with my classmates before we embarked on the process since we did not want to produce low quality work. Additionally, going through the instructions with other class members gave us an opportunity to discuss some of the problems we encountered during the vox pop recording process (Crisell 1994, pp.46). We realized that most of us faced similar challenges, and we discussed the manner in which such problems can be avoided or solved. We helped one another edit our audio files using ‘Audacity’ software, and it was a thrilling experience since we learnt a lot from one another as we explored the various features of the editing software. Personally, I did not fear making any mistake since I knew my classmates were there to help me out in case I went astray. WEEK 4 In class we learnt the manner in which listener’s imaginations interact with the radio. This is because the effectiveness of a radio broadcast is influenced by the editorial decisions and the sound effects incorporated in it. For instance, a ‘clip sequence’ plays an integral role in telling stories using sounds. A clip sequence contains clips from an interviewee, and they’re just sounds without words (‘Actuality’). Such sounds may be a bomb explosion or chants, and shouts from a crowd. Clips sequence are important in a radio broadcast since they tell stories of dramatic events or arguments, grab the attention of audience at the onset of a broadcast, change the direction of a debate, provide listeners with a variety of what to listen to in a long programme, as well as give a colorful explanation to a specialist interview. In as much as radio is a blind medium of interaction, journalists have a responsibility to make sure that the listeners’ imagination are in tandem with what is being broadcasted (Crisell 1994, pp.10). For this reason, clips sequences are used to ensure that listeners’ loyalty are developed in a coherent way. In order to develop this skill, we took an editorial stance and wrote a news bulletin script in which we tried to incorporate with clips sequences that best helped in understanding them. During this week, we also learnt about wraps and how they can be created. In as much as they are difficult to compile, they give two sides of an issue, as well as explanations of what is happening within a short time (Hendy 2000, pp.78). It also facilitates a fair and balanced representation of issues since areas deemed essential are used to make them. Wraps can also be created by mixing several participations, sound and music effects. These combined together enables the listeners’ imaginations to interact with the radio broadcast; thus, making the broadcast effective. We also learnt the importance of recording five minutes of wild-tracking. This involves recording the sound of the atmosphere at the interview’s location. It is necessary to do so since the wild tracking helps during editing to prevent sudden changes of quality. WEEK 5 During this week we practiced our editing skills by recording some of the scripts we wrote the previous week. Additionally, we mixed and edited our pieces together in order to create wraps. Practicing this skill was extremely fun since we interacted with other class mates asking their opinions whether our pieces were okay, or if something was wrong with them. In order to confirm whether we were doing the right thing, we went through some of the essays that were done in the previous years. Practicing editing as a class made us realized some of the flaws we may have overlooked, and we sought ways of making them better. During this week we also analyzed the various academic approaches to radio analysis. We aimed at finding out whether radio is a flow or it is made up individual texts. We also sought to understand the semiotic approach to radio, and how it applies radio broadcasting. Lastly, we looked deeply into the conventions that can be identified at work during radio broadcasts. WEEK 6 During this week, we explored the history of BBC in its radio broadcasting. It was interesting to focus on the manner in which BBC broadcasted the General Strike of 1926. This is attributed to the fact that it was its initial years of broadcasting after being formed four years earlier. At that time, BBC was controlled by the government, and it reported only issues that the government felt were not against it. For this reason, several people viewed BBC’s reporting to be biased since it did not broadcast what the masses wanted; instead it broadcasted what the government wanted. However, in the successive years BBC reclaimed its reputation as the national voice of the Britons and other people all over the world. In this way, it gave upcoming radio journalists an opportunity to test their skills and mold themselves into fully fledged journalists. It is in this session that we also learnt the hierarchy of creating news stories. We were taught that while broadcasting news, it is essential to begin with important news items and gradually descend to least important news items. This is important since imperative news items reach people when their interests are still aroused to listen to the radio broadcast (Crook 1998, pp.123). In order to practice this skill; together with my classmates, we sorted various news items that were mixed up and giving important news pieces the significance they deserved. WEEK 7 During the independent study week I spent most of my time going over what we had learnt in the previous weeks. I paid special attention to the various editing techniques so as to perfect my editing skills. I also read some of the books that are compulsory for this course. For instance, I read Crisell’s book, ‘Understanding Radio’ in order to get the historical growth and development that the radio industry has undergone. In preparation for the next class, I also read Siegel’s book, ‘Creative Radio Production,’ particularly the chapter titled, ‘Using Your Voice.’ From this chapter, I realized that one does not need an exceptional voice to communicate effectively (Siegel 1992, pp. 102). The most essential thing for an individual to be an effective communicator is correctly use the voice that he or she has. This is because the voice can be trained to perform several functions; from selling ideas or products to motivating people, just by practicing and mastering few skills, as well as realizing that the voice is unique in its own way (Siegel 1992, pp. 103). WEEK 8 During this week we explored the various types of voices that are related to radio broadcasting. They include; the presenter’s voice, the audiences’ voice, voice of the minorities, voice of the gender, voice of the nation, voice of the station, just to mention but a few. This week’s study enabled us to understand the significance of voice in a radio broadcast. Voice is something that cannot be changed whatsoever, an individual’s voice is innate, and the only thing that can be done is to improve and fine tune it to the station’s and audiences’ expectations. However, if the voice was never good in the first place, then there is nothing that can be done to make it better. During the session, we learnt that there are four variables that can help reporters use their voices effectively. They include: pitch, loudness, emphasis, and pace. These four variables direct the reporter on how to use the voice to appeal the audience and make them pay attention to what is being is broadcasted. It was also interesting to discuss the controversy that Neil Nunes, BBC Radio 4 reporter created with his Jamaican accent. Some people claim that his voice was not fit to be heard on BBC radio broadcast since his voice did not represent the intelligent and well-spoken speech associated with Radio 4 (Kirby 2006). To them, BBC was associated with the sophisticated and well-polished speech which lacked in Nunes’s voice. This clearly brought to my attention the significance of voice in radio. The voice training workshop conducted in this week was also an exciting experience. It gave me an opportunity to analyze my voice and know the extent to which I can go in terms of pitch and loudness. My peer also analyzed my voice as I also analyzed his, and from that we identified problems that can arise during voice recording. WEEK 9 In this week, we focused on the longer form of radio, ie the manner in which clips, voices, and sounds are combined together in order to create flows, programmes and packages. In class, we laid emphasis on speech packages. These pre-recorded speech packages inform listeners on the subject that a radio station may find exciting (Siegel 1992, pp. 39). They are normally used in bulletins of short durations. For instance, those that ranges between three and four minutes. Packages can also be created to entertain or to educate depending on the context of its creation. This implies that packages tell true stories and not fictional ideas, and they deal with issues to a greater depth and in great detail (Starkey 2005, pp.36). We also analyzed the process that must be followed for its creation, and we realized that packages require lots of shaping and editing. It is worth noting that the editing can result into manipulation of what was recorded from the interview thus distorting the information as it was from the material source. WEEK 10 During this week we studied the theory of the fourth estate and the concept of the public sphere. The public sphere concept gives members of the public an opportunity to discuss issues of national concern. The radio industry facilitates this allowing ‘phone-ins’, listeners to make calls to the stations to give their opinions and thoughts regarding the issues being discussed. Public members can either participate by listening or contributing by making calls to the radio station (Crisell 1994, pp.103). In order to ensure that the content aired is in tandem with the radio station’s missions, not all callers will be put through. The presenter in the station has the authority to choose which caller to speak, and when he or she feels like the caller is going overboard, he or she can disconnect the caller. In another session, we learnt about the fourth estate. This is an extremely important concept since it asserts that the democratic process relies on the media. It is said that the power and value bestowed on the press has made it a fourth estate; thus, as an upcoming journalist, I am challenged to present news that is objective and truthful so that I enforce this democracy (Hendy 2000, pp.93). WEEK 11 In this week, we learnt and discussed the future of the radio. We laid emphasis on the technological advancements that are altering the way we watch and listen to the media. In our group discussions, we also deliberated the way radio has evolved from analogue to the 21st century podcasts (Menduni 2007, pp.34). It was extremely interesting discussing with my classmates the way the invention of digital sounds transformed the radio industry (Briggs 1961, pp.47). As future journalists in a world that is constantly evolving and new technologies coming up, we enjoyed the discussion as we kept guessing how future advancements in radio would affect our careers. WEEK 12 After several thoughts, I decided to take ‘route B’ assessment, and I am creating a radio package. During this week, I have taken my quality time researching on my topic of choice, “Tibetan refugees in India.” I have arranged an interview with one of the refugees, as well as spoke to several others on the challenges that they are facing as refugees. Bibliography Crisell, Andrew, 1994. Understanding Radio, London: Routledge. Briggs, A., 1961. The History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom. The Birth of Broadcasting, 1, pp.25–36. Crook, T., 1998. International Radio Journalism: History, Theory and Practice, London: Routledge. Fleming, C., 2002. The Radio Handbook 2nd ed., London: Routledge. Hendy, D., 2000. Radio in The Global Age, Cambridge, England: Polity Press. Kirby, T., 2006. Voice from Jamaica divides Radio 4 listeners. The Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/voice-from-jamaica-divides-radio-4-listeners-472301.html. McLeish, R., 2005. Radio Production, London: Focal Press. Menduni, E., 2007. Four steps in innovative radio broadcasting: From QuickTime to podcasting. The Radio Journal, 5(1), pp.9–18. Siegel, B., 1992. Creative Radio Production, London: Focal Press. Starkey, G., 2005. Radio in Context, New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More