Role of News on Radio - Term Paper Example

Radio Introduction Broadcasting is the practice of creating audio and video program contents and their distribution to the mass audiences through media such as radio, television and internet amongst other media (Eastman, Ferguson and Eastman, 2002, p. 4). Therefore, to broadcast is to send information and entertainment through a one-way electronic media to the general public and is usually intended for recreation, enlightenment, education, experimentation or messaging in instances of emergency (Dayan and Katz 2009, p.246). The radio and television are the primary means in which broadcasting is carried out throughout the world and involves the airborne transmission of electromagnetic audio signals in the case of radio and audio and visual signals in case of televisions that can generally be accessed by a wide population through receivers (Biagi 2014, p.131). Broadcasting plays a crucial role in ideology, news values, social and cultural context as well as the political context as most people use them to address and tackle the issues affecting a country. The major reason for the use of broadcasting is its capacity to reach a large number of people or masses in the passing of information as well as entertainment. Broadcasting emerged as a remedy to the traditional or conventional means of sending information that was used previously. Role of News on Radio Radio developed as an improvement of the telegraph as an instantaneous system of information to address the desire of humans for a mode of communication free from the obstacles of long-distance transportation (Timmons 2005, p.53).  The first system developed by Guglielmo Marconi transmitted information which was picked about 3km away by a receiving device that had no connection to the transmitting device that demonstrated that electronic signals could be cast broadly through space and could be captured by receivers. As already stated, the radio transmits news through sounds also known as audio medium that is played on the radio for the audience. Radio broadcasts may range from as little as a few seconds to lengthy minutes and may include local or international news as well as entertainment that may be incorporated in the program to encourage a flow in the broadcasts. News plays an important role on radio such as contribution of flow and a source of content that may be social or cultural as well as other contexts. News plays a major role in radio that may be grouped in such criteria as enabling citizenship, helping us know the world around us, facilitating the exchange of ideas and information, revealing our creations and entertainment. All these may be carried out in either a political, social or a cultural context in the society in which the radio is played. This is so because news media usually convey various and composed variety of cultural, political and economic views of the society. In enabling citizenship, news carried out on radio helps us create a community, providing public safety information as well as check the power of the government. Under this, radio news also facilitates business, commerce and industry, and through the distribution of information, there is need to participate as citizens in a democracy. Radio news also helps us know the world around us by keeping the masses informed thus satisfying their curiosity and giving helpful and practical information. An important function of news on radio is the facilitation of the exchange of ideas and information as it expedites the exchange of personal information and raise awareness of social and cultural differences. Through news carried out in the radio, we are able to understand such important phenomena in society enabling the establishment of an opportunity for the exchange of views and development of consensus amongst members of the society. The radio helps in revealing creations through entertaining the citizens through either music or other audio means of entertainment. Strengths and Weakness of Radio Broadcasting as Compared to Television Broadcasting Although radio broadcasting is a powerful medium of broadcast thereby increasing its potential for communication, the outcome may be little as compared to other media of broadcast such as the television. To the consumer, the radio may look appropriate and just adequate for purposes of relay of information and entertainment. However, it has its strengths and weaknesses and it is these qualities that determine the success of the medium as compared to other media such as televisions and newspapers. A major strength of the radio is that it is pervasive in that radios can be found almost everywhere, playing in homes, stores, vehicles and places of recreation meaning it reaches a wider audience. According to Bijsterveld et al (2014, p.131) most cars have radios while drivers or most persons in vehicles with radio listen to them meaning that the radio has a wider outreach (Regal 2005, p.122). This is added to the fact that people who do not watch televisions or other media for information and entertainment still listen to a radio. The radio therefore has the potential to reach large numbers of people by informing them, educating, persuading and entertaining them. Closely related to wider reach of the radio is the fact that it is portable and its easy reach people on the go giving the radio a competitive advantage over other forms of media that may have a difficulty in reaching the masses in those areas. For example, it is difficult to watch the television or read the newspaper while driving or engaged in other activities. Radio broadcasts have an advantage of considering demographics of the listeners due to its wide reach, which is quite wide as compared to the television. Specific radio stations and shows on radios only appeal to narrower demographics and therefore a person who intends to use the radio to reach a particular target market on such basis as age, ethnicity, gender or income may tailor the radio information or advertisement to the shows the customers are likely listen to. This enables advertisers to know which radio stations to use for their broadcasts and at what time as compared to the television, which at times has fixed programming that may not address such factors as the demographics of the target audience. Radio broadcasts are also usually less costly as compared to the television as buying 30 seconds of radio time usually costs less than 30 seconds of television (Weyland 2008, p.163). This is because the radio is strictly an audio medium and producing broadcasts is less as compared to production in television, which is both audio and visual. Radio enjoys the advantage of flexibility as compared to the television as compared to other forms of broadcasting as news or commercials can be created quickly without the production and delays of the television. Connected to this is the strong call-to-action that means that news or advertisements can be selectively programmed depending on the time allowing messages to be conveyed close to acquisition. The radio has a weakness because it is not visual in nature and therefore lacks sight and motion that is associated with television that makes it less persuasive in terms of advertisement and entertainment (Larson, 2013, p.25). The information relayed through radios is not retrievable meaning that it is difficult to go back on what has already been advertised or run and also difficult to get the information again unless it is rerun. This disadvantage is associated with it as compared to media such as newspapers where it is easy to keep the information for future reference. The radio may have a weakness in the sense that the audience may at times be fragmented and listeners may be easily be distracted as well the disadvantage of clutter of news, commercials and entertainment. Compared to the television, the radio is less persuasive as it fails to demonstrate products as the television does and is not intrusive, neither does it have a universal appeal as the television is currently. Commercials broadcast by radio are not as memorable as that of consumers and therefore does not have a strong impact on consumers of the products or services advertised. Impact of Radio’s Character as an Aural Medium on News Aural communication involves hearing ad speaking as a means of relaying news and the radio makes use of this mode of communication for effective relaying of news (Vancour, 2008, p. 28). The aural character stimulates interest as well as stimulating creative thinking and imagination in the listeners thus making the radio have immense impact on how news is absorbed. As already mentioned, the aural character of the radio as a medium of transmitting news relies on the sound character of the radio and how it’s utilized to pass information and comes mostly through interview clips, voice-overs, natural sounds and ambient sounds to pass information or news. This unique character of the radio makes it the only medium that people are able to consume as intended while involved in other activities such as driving, which has been proven that recall of news is high when a person is engaged to an activity related to what has been advertised. The audio character of the radio offers a competitive advantage over other forms of media such as newspapers in that it creates a presence through a higher share of voice than other forms of advertisement. Danesi (2012, p.114) acknowledges that the impact of radio on human beings is even broader than that of newspapers. The use of radio in entertainment is revolutionary; most music artists have had their impact on the general populace as result of their content being heard on radio, though presently music videos have dominated this entertainment segment (Gilfillan, 2009, p.45). Compared to television, radio is less prone to saturation within individual advertiser categories meaning that advertisers can easily achieve a larger share of voice in radio (Ingram and Barber 2005, p.38). The unique nature of radio listening affects how the masses feel and interact with the medium in question and radios play this important role as there is a positive impact on the lives of the listeners. The person watching the television does this through giving the masses information and keeping them company as opposed to visual means that require constant viewership. Therefore, generally, people have always been more optimistic with radio and that radio station do not taken advantage of them and they benefit more from the audio messages relayed by the radio station. In addition, audio advertising is positive to the listeners as it gives them time to comprehend and interpret the news or manner that is relevant or favourable to them. Radio is therefore more benign and inclusive as it allows the persons relaying the news or advertisers to have a certain connection with the consumers of the message. For example, an advertisement about a brand of chocolate on the radio may make persons who may even be blind to make an attempt of buying it if it is presented to the audience as the sweetest chocolate around. Conclusion Of all the major inventions of today, the radio has played an important role with profound impacts on the lives of people as compared to other media such as newspapers and televisions. The advent of television and the proliferation of the use of the internet as methods of information and communication relay might have been herald as the decline of radio, but against these expectations radio and it use have increased several folds over the years. Broadcasting through radio has played a serious role in reshaping the politics, economy and cultures of societies the world over as it has exposed listeners to an unprecedented amount of news and information as well as entertainment. Radio especially the technology that involves reception of radio signals in vehicles has widened listeners beyond comprehension. The idea that people continue to follow their favourite channels for news and other programmes at the comfort has driven radio coverage, particularly in the United States of America. Another piece of technology that has enabled easier availability of radio is the advent of earpiece speakers. This piece of technology has enabled those who are participating in activities such as evening and morning jogs to easily follow their favourite channels without breaking off from such engagements. Advertisers who have helped to accelerate and consolidate the audience that provide the market for the advertisements accompanying the news have driven the uptake of radio as a mode of broadcasting. The development and uptake of broadcasting has been wrought by technology and the different wants of the consumers of information and entertainment from these media. References Biagi, S. 2014. Media impact: an introduction to mass media. Stamford, CT, Cengage Learning. Bijsterveld, K., Cleophas, E., Krebs, S., & Mom, G. 2014. Sound and safe: a history of listening behind the wheel. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Danesi, M. 2012. Popular culture: introductory perspectives. Lanham, Md, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Dayan, D., & Katz, E. 2009. Media events: the live broadcasting of history. 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