Radio journalism

News broadcast on the radio.

Radio journalism is a form of social communication that makes it possible to publicize and analyze events of public interest over the airwaves.

Radio journalism requires that information be disseminated in a clear and concise manner. For this, it is necessary that the text used as a script is well organized and that it facilitates a smooth reading and is easy to express aloud. Reading on the radio requires a careful and appropriate writing for this medium, which must be done in a simple way, through the use of words and sentences that are understandable from the conceptual and phonic point of view. It is convenient to resort to the reiteration of ideas, that is, to publicize a content and repeat it with the aim that the receiver's memory retains it since the radio message is ephemeral.

Radio journalism is summed up in the premise: tell all the things that happen, at the very moment of the events, with all the informative or emotional load and in the shortest possible time.

Radio message

They are the linguistic and sound codes located in the radio language (words, voice, music, noise and silence effects) that the listener receives through the radio.

The radio medium has a series of advantages over television and the written press:

• immediate monitoring of the news;
• ease of conveying ideas, and facilitating the exchange of views;
• stimulates imagination, not giving images.

Its limitations are:

• is unisensorial: its only support is sound;
• demands more clarity and concision, not having images, and need the listener's attention.

Radio is a technology that enables the transmission of signals through the modulation of electromagnetic waves. These waves do not require a physical means of transport, so they can propagate through both air and empty space. "Radio is the theater of the mind," according to David Ogilvy.

The sound resources that make up radio language are:

• the spoken word;
• music;
• the noises;
• silence.

Radio journalist

The radio journalist must meet the requirements of criteria and intuition. He must know how to search, select, value and elaborate information. In addition, he must have some basic conditions to translate informative facts into voice and sounds. He has to equip himself with elements of creativity to integrate in a single communicative act all the expressive elements of radio technique.

The radio announcer is characterized by magnificent mental agility, since in this medium the element of immediacy prevails, without forgetting the ability to self-control on certain occasions. Versatility turns the radio journalist into a communicator of information that performs multiple tasks such as writing, producing, editing, presenting, collaborating with productions of different formats such as news, gatherings, debates, interviews, direct, indirect.

Journalistic genres on the radio

Radio is the medium in which some genres of classic journalism reach their maximum expression. Some examples are the interview, the debate and the social gathering. The adaptation of journalistic genres to the radio is characterized by the expressive richness and the personal character that is incorporated into the message transmitted. The keys to good communication are concise, clear and direct content. In this way, a greater attraction effect will be produced on the audience.

The radio genres could be classified as follows:

• the report
• Chronicle
• Criticism
• the commentary
• the editorial
• the interview
• the tertulia
• the debate
• Radiophonic magic
• dramatic gender
• sport locution

The genres of opinion on the radio, according to M. García (2010; p. 176) are: editorial, commentary and criticism. These genres are distinguished by asking for opinion, trying to generate comments in radio listeners through arguments with which the audience can identify. There are no clear characteristics for this type of genre, since they are constantly evolving, which prevents their classification.

Ángel Faus points out two informative modalities: The radio in the news can be summarized in the premise: tell all the things that happen, at the very moment of the events, with all the informative or emotional load and in the shortest possible time. (García 1886)

• Pure (flash, timetable, summary newsletter)
• The mix of information, such as the spoken newspaper and the magazín, in which several journalistic genres can coexist, both informative and interpretative.

Arturo Merayo Pérez distinguishes:

• monologists
  • If it's about spreading facts:
    • the news
    • report
  • To facilitate facts and opinions indistinctly:
    • continuity
    • Chronic
  • To serve opinions:
    • the editorial
    • the commentary
• gender dialogue:
  • Mix opinion and information.
    • dialogued news: "cryonic of scope"
    • certain reports
  • the opinion
    • the interview
    • the colloquium
    • participation

Only the feature, interview and report can, in principle, use a structured script. The rest, generally, are nothing more than variants of the structure of the news itself. However, sometimes the editorial (nothing else is, sometimes, a lead) and the commentary (the microspace often takes that form) are also scripted, especially in news magazine programs.

The report

The report is an informative genre used to provide data that develops and explains the central argument of a piece of news or an event analyzed in a radio program, for its better understanding by the listener.

It is a genre of explanation, a linear narrative that expands the news. The author's opinions are not expressed in it, although sound testimonies of people who, in one way or another, are the protagonists of the news may appear. It requires a simple script with an aesthetic treatment that can be similar to that of a news item with in-voice commentary; or illustrated with ambient sound or musical bursts.

The report

The report is the richest genre used in radio information. In the script of the radio report, the narration and sound resources are usually combined to set the information: testimonies, ambient sound of the events, music, etc.

The interview

The interview is one of the journalistic genres that best adapts to the radio medium and one of the most effective for disseminating information.

It is a genre widely used on the radio, since, through montage, it offers multiple expressive possibilities. From the point of view of the script we will differentiate three interview formats:

• Live interview: there is no script as such, although it is common for the interviewer to have, as an instrument of realization, a scale with a possible question battery. In this case, the control of internal rhythm and expressive frequencies, as well as the control of time, must be taken into account by the journalist.
• Interview in deferred: it allows us to polish small mistakes, entertain the statements that are most interesting, modify the order of the interview, etc. during the assembly. The use of a mounting script is frequent, which will serve as a guide to both the interviewer and the sound assembler.
• Interview of character: interview in which it matters to reflect the personality of the interviewee. The screenwriter or interviewer should take into account should create a climate communicative to expressivity and spontaneity, especially to control its final duration.

It is essential for the scriptwriter a good preparation and documentation about the character before starting the interview.

Special programs

Special programs are those made for a specific purpose (monographs outside the usual programming, commemorative programs, programs intended to compete for prizes, etc.). They do not really fall into any of the sections reviewed so far, but they may have common characteristics. Some examples are dramatic, informative, magazines, less frequently musical, etc.

They tend to be much more careful in their presentation and content. As they are isolated programs, they cover many more aspects, somewhat exhausting the subject they deal with. This allows the use of very elaborate masks and wedges, the repetition of which would end up being unbearable. Especially in those destined for international or national awards, the director uses new information technologies as an expressive resource. It is common to use new sound equipment in the field of radio production, such as the sampler (sampler) or the delay (retarder).

They are usually commissioned to professionals of proven solvency and constitute the heavy weapons of a station. They are essentially based on the script, even when they are nourished by interviews, testimonials and direct sound, which the script orders and structures into a coherent and attractive whole.

Dramatic genre

The dramatic genre seduces the public because it brings about conflict, but at the same time it represents the reality of our public that identifies with the problem raised, with the characters, protagonist or antagonist.

On the radio, the drama genre can be represented in various ways, from stories, songs, poems, socio-dramas, to radio soap operas.

The plot schemes are generally the following:

• There's a fault and several suspects.
• There is a wish and several seekers.
• There is a danger and few escapes.
• There's a mystery and no key.

It is necessary to use music, sound effects and technical aspects so that when the radio soap opera or radio drama is publicized, it has the success that is sought. For this, it is necessary to use music and that it contrasts with the actions and situations, as well as effects that allude to the actions and that our narrator or character does not necessarily name them before.

Sports announcement

Sports locution is the way of speaking professionally about topics completely linked to events in sport. Some technical and relevant points are met in terms of voice, such as: articulation, diction, fluency, intonation, tone, timbre, vocalization, voice projection and silences.

Over time, sports announcements have added a series of characteristics that transform sports broadcasts in the field of football into their own radio genre, with singularities different from those of the rest of the genres. Sports narrators have been stimulating a series of properties in their level of diction within the broadcasts that have been oriented so that the established locution has special properties, which are very attractive to the listener.

Technology

The creation of a radio program is a complex activity that involves a series of technical resources. The first thing that the radio scriptwriter should keep in mind is the availability and possibilities of the technical resources in the production studio. The conventional radio studio is divided into two independent areas, located opposite each other, both soundproofed from each other and from the outside and separated by glass. One of them, the booth, is the place where the microphones are located; and from where both the presenter and the announcers, actors, guests or any other participant before the micro intervene. In the other, the control – in charge of one or more sound specialists; filmmaker, sometimes; musical editors, special effects technicians–, there are the rest of the essential technical elements for recording or broadcasting the program. In control is also located, as a general rule, the production team, when it is required. It is called self-monitoring when booth and control are in the same room.

In addition to the open-tape tape recorders, turntables, compact disc players, cassette players –already known–, there are other elements such as cartridge cases: the cartridge, like the reel, is a magnetic tape sound support. An impulse recording system marks on it the precise place where each recorded cut begins and ends. After use, the cartridge automatically advances to the next pulse. The cartridge belt allows a series of very short recordings or those frequently used in programming –indicatives, bursts or sound effects– to be broadcast very quickly, without having to search for and position each of the cuts. In certain stations the cartridges are used, for their convenience, as a support to reproduce the advertising spots and even complete discs, in the radio-formula programming. The DAT is a digital recorder player that has been incorporated into the market in recent years. The digital technology it uses allows an infinite number of copies to be made without any degradation of sound; something that traditional analog tape recorders cannot achieve, which generate background noise or breath in each copy. They also provide localization and start-up facilities; and they are used above all for recordings that require high quality. Its use in live studios is still not frequent.

Each of the sound sources to which we have alluded, as well as the studio microphones, the telephone lines, etc., are connected to each other through the mixer, which collects, differentiated, the signals that the sources generate. Through the console, all sounds can be combined and mixed.

In addition to these elements, there will also be mobile units, radiotelephones and other systems for capturing sound and testimonials that can enrich the programming. There is a general trend towards the implementation of computer-assisted digital equipment in radio studios, as well as computer systems for storing and broadcasting sound.

The teams

There are four teams:

• Technical equipment, consisting of:
  • The Sound Control. They are the professionals concerned that each element is integrated into the program harmoniously and in order, with the required duration, qualities and plans of presence. The technical part is in charge: the table, the dishes, compact, magnetophones, etc. They depend ultimately on failure or success.
  • Realizer. It deals with the entire program. That the rhythm, the sound, the environments are the right ones. That everything works; and right now. To rule the ship during the recording or direct. While one or the other is being produced, it is the highest authority, which will only be held accountable, if claimed for it.
  • Musical rodents. Musically love the program. They can themselves shoot the dishes, the compacts, etc.
  • Special Effects Officers. They deal with non-musical environments, whether in control already in the locutory. In the Control, by means of recordings; in the Locutory, they create them themselves, using their voices and the instruments ready for that purpose.
• Discussion equipment, which consists of:
  • Presenters. They are responsible for the presentation and conduct of the program, on written or improvised texts when the time or program requires it.
  • Locutores. Read the texts of locution.
  • Actress and actors. They interpret the dramatic papers.
  • And how many members of the team intervene to the microphone.
• Production equipment, consisting of:
  • Producers. They seek and suggest agenda items. Make contact with the guests. They coordinate the various elements. Sometimes he's the only member of the team.
  • Secretaries. They deal with bureaucracy, correspondence, paperwork...
  • Phone callers. They make and receive, especially live phone calls.
  • Receptionists. They take care of collecting, accompanying, dismissing the guests.
• Drafting equipment, whose activity ends at the time of the launch of the broadcast or recording of the program, which consists of:
  • Guionists, who write the script or its sections.
  • Music programmers, who select, on paper, the music.
  • Reporters, who are responsible for information research, surveys, interviews, reports, etc.
  • Table editors. They are responsible for drafting the information part.
  • Collaborators. They have fixed or eventual sections, which may – or may not – present to the microphone.
  • Documentaries. Your mission is to suggest, locate, provide the necessary or appropriate documentation. They are usually the ones who prepare the questionnaires for interviews.

The Director of the program usually belongs to any of these four teams –it is frequent that he appears in the first (as Producer) or in the second (as Presenter)–, simultaneously several of these functions (and even all) or appear separately.

The keys to teamwork are:

• Common conception.
• Division and assignment of tasks.
• Refund of the work of all in the final product.

Now the scriptwriter's job begins. Counting on all the elements (knowledge of technical and human means...) and respecting certain requirements, it will be necessary to:

• Planning the program (time guide and control).
• Write the script (guionist).
• Ambient it.
• Document it.
• Prepare the recording or the direct.

Related links

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