R29- Recording my show

Recording my show

On the 23rd of November, as part of my arts award I recorded the speech for which I planned to present in my final radio show. The show is about my favourite arts hero, our task was to create a 15-30 show including vox pops, jingles, 3 songs from my chosen arts hero as well as speech. I was able to familiarise myself with the radio technology in the studio room also speak into a microphone as if I'm on air. This enabled me to gain an in-depth understating of how pre-recorded radio shows are run.

After I finished my speech, I needed to edit my speech so that it may resemble to storyboard also so I can take out or add in any extra audio which is needed for the show. I used Adobe to edit my speech and create my overall radio show which R21 came in use as I learnt how to utilise certain features to my advantage.

This has taught me effective skills in delivering news/speech, also first hand experience at editing sound which will be useful for my own group newscast. I will make sure that I implement all these learned skills as it will be useful in creating a good radio newscast which will hopefully grab the attention of my target audience.  

R28- Weekly Magazine

Analysing articles about radio

Weekly Magazine, 11^th - 17^th 2007

I have analysed a newspaper article from the Weekly Magazine which implies that the rising issue for radio industries is that more and more people are becoming disengaged and uninterested in radio news, due to other platforms in which news is broadcasted.  Within the last 3/ 4 years the figures for radio news audience has dropped. A survey involving 2000 people who were asked which was their main source of media was conducted, they have found that up to 65% people use the television as their primary access to news. These figures have not changed since 2002.

The fact that this article was published in 2007 shows the lack of radio use, which suggests that due to new media emerging radio news will be given less and less preference to.   

I have learnt that as time and technology progresses radio news is becoming increasingly unpopular. 

R27- Defamation

What is Defamation?                     

 

''the action of damaging the good reputation of someone; slander or libel'' 
This takes place all the time in the media- companies get sued behind closed doors! 

One case I looked at is the Peter Cruddas VS The Sunday Times:
 

Mr Cruddas who is Chief Executive of CMC Markets and former Treasurer of the Conservative Party had filed a claim against the Sunday Times as he felt that journalists Jonathan Calvert and Heidi Blake were "untruthful, misleading, vindictive and malicious in its reporting of a meeting" 

The scandal that took place involved 2 journalists pretending to be international finances, who recoded and filmed the whole meeting hoping to get something negative out of it- ruining Mr Cruddas' reputation. On 25 March 2012, The Sunday Times published an article ‘Tory treasurer charges £250,000 to meet PM’ which was on the front headlines of their newspapers, including an extra 3 articles published inside that made negative accusations, suggesting that he was unreliable and the system in which he's working in is corrupt as its workers were supposedly willing to breech UK laws.     

 

Peter Cruddas, said, “The dark cloud that has hung over me and my family since The Sunday Times published its malicious lies about me 16 months ago has finally been lifted and justice has been done. My world was turned upside-down when that article was published. I remember vividly having to walk into my offices the day after the article was published and face 500 of my staff, many of whom had a clip of the Sunday Times interview on their video screens. It was humiliating. I was also embarrassed to accept invites to events which meant that my charities suffered".

 

The Sunday Times were charged and had to pay a staggering of £500,000 in legal costs in compensation to the personal humiliation and distress felt by Mr Cruddas. This case is known to be the highest libel awards in recent years which indicates its level of both seriousness and the personal damage caused.

 

Article published on 31st July 2013. 

Whilst conducting this research I have found that when collecting my news story I must make sure that all my information is verified also all that I say about a group of people/person is true. Also, I must not appear biased and present specific (likely hard news) negatively as this my cause hysteria among a group of people/person. 

Source:

http://www.slatergordon.co.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2013/07/peter-cruddas-wins-his-libel-and-malicious-falsehood-trial-against-sunday-times/  

R26- Sky News 10 am newscast analysis

Newscast analysis

The radio newscast that I have analysed is Sky News. Sky News update their radio channel with new and interesting stories every hour. The stories that I have listened to and analysed are the 10 am stories, which mean that the possible target audience could be working adults who are interested in politics and the current issues as majority of the stories were about current political affairs. However, the target audience may have also been parents who have young toddlers as the third story was about tooth decay and the parents’ responsibilities towards their child’s teeth. Also this newscast is aimed at everyone who is entitled to free service from the NHS. In addition, I know that the newscast was not aimed at young teenagers as this broadcast took place at 10 am which every young child (in London) is likely to be in education. The reason Sky News may have aired this newscast at 10 am is because their prime target audience may have been adults who are likely on their way to work, or at work on a break.

The key conventions that I noticed were allowing members of the public (like the GP Elle Canon and activist Hannah) to have their own voice insert. Sky News has included a voice insert from a GP who opposes the changes to be made. They have provided a balanced argument to the NHS story which is effective because their viewers may also agree and have different opinions to PM David Cameron’s.  This is common as radio news casts tend to have interviews with people talking about the issue they have raised. Also one of the conventions followed was a brief introduction and conclusion to the radio newscast; this is very important as it engages the audience and maintains an order of professionalism.   

The lead story was about the possible changes in law regarding NHS service and also the conservatives, in particular PM David Cameron. I think this is the lead story because it affects almost everyone in London because it is a service used by the British public. Moreover, this story is interesting and applies to the current NHS system therefore more people will want to know more about it. This story impacts masses of people therefore it is another reason to be the lead story, another reason why this may be the lead story is because it includes a vital member of the public- the prime minister. The presenter(s) may have ranked the stories in order of importance, the Wonga scandal came second which is interesting, recent and will get people talking. The third story was of 11 year olds and the idea of being victims of revenge porn, this is also a crucial aspect which they have covered because as technology is advancing so are the young children which shows that Sky News are up to date which society. Also the fourth story was of the 3 year old which is the least important and lastly the weather which is of everyone’s concern but not newsworthy enough to be highlighted as the lead or follow up.

I have realised that the only sound effect used was silence, perhaps this was because they were all serious stories which needed a lot of attention and key focus. An unconventional aspect of this radio newscast is that I did not recall a jungle or theme song of sky news. Almost all radio/news corporations have a jingle throughout or a theme song which is widely recognised by their viewers. 

Overall, I think this was an appealing newscast bearing in mind that this was about serious topics rather than entertainment. I think it would have been better if there was a variety of sounds which will enhance the quality and make it appealing to listen to.

R25- Planning a radio show

Here is a plan of what I will be talking about in my radio show. My task was to make a script of all the things I wish to include about my arts hero, therefore I made a storyboard to clearly show what and when I will be saying and which songs I will be playing.

I have learnt that when producing a pre-recorded show you need to be organised in what you will be saying also the things you will include. Therefore when I am planning my newscast with my group I will need to draw a plan of all the things I will specifically be saying and which song/sound I will have as my bed and possible sound effects I wish to include. I have also learnt that when presenting a live show, it is better to not have a word for word plan as it can come across as monotone but you still need to be prepared in terms of ideas and things to be mentioned. 

R24- OFCOM

What is OFCOM?

Office of communications

OFCOM regulate the all: TV, Radio, line telecoms, postal services in the UK. 

OFCOM is an organisation which provides protection from scams and sharp practises for consumers, also they raise standards of these communications through competition. OFCOM work under Acts of Parliament as they are under strict duties and powers. OFCOM receives grant-in-aid from the government as well as gaining fees from the industries.

How do OFCOM regulate radio?

OFCOM can regulate various radios, one way they can enforce change upon radios is modifying the Broadcasting Code rules also a main source- finance by governing sponsorships it allows OFCOM to have more flexibility in regulated radio.  

In July 2009 OFCOM published a consultation (Radio: the implications of Digital Britain for localness regulation), which suggested how OFCOM can change regulation to address the current challenges. So another way regulation is carried out is by changing OFCOM’s motifs and what they are looking for in radio.

OFCOM also secure a variety and diversity of local commercial radio services also to ensure that local programming is provided.

Source:

 http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/radio/community/regulations/crregulation/

Preliminary task, audience feedback

A few of my peers have listened to my radio newscast in which they've provided feedback, here's what they said:

  

Overall, as a team we received positive feedback as my target audience (all aged 15-20) found it enjoyable to listen to because the content was interesting as it 'was very upbeat and full of gossip which the audience always love'. One peer had said that the bed (song in background) was catchy as it was from a famous music artist- Calvin Harris.

However, the implications we need to make is the projection of our voices and not sounding monotone, ensuring that our words are flowing rather than it sounding scripted. We need to make this improvement because the majority thought that the projection and speech did not match the quality of the overall newscast.

To make sure we modify and learn from our mistakes when presenting next time we will make sure that we prepare thoroughly in terms of speech. Also we will make sure that when we make a mistake we need to carry on rather than pausing. My personal target is to have more confidence in what I am saying which will enhance the radio newscast quality.

R23- Is radio outdated?

Is radio still useful in the 21st Century?

Whilst being outside and observing society in general, I have found that there are many types of media used in our everyday life. Radio in the 20th century was one of the biggest craze in America and then globally, now however, there are many of other forms of getting information across such as billboards on buses, advertisements near public notices.

I think that radio has lost its value to a certain extent because businesses and marketing companies no longer or use less of radio as a form of marketing as there are other platforms. The growth in the industrialisation has lead to technology developing so the internet is the most common place for accessing information.

There are many radio stations broadcasting different news stories, music, and entertainment news which keeps the radio industry going. I also think that, there are more opportunities for young people in radio.

 

From this I have learnt that whilst targeting my audience I will need to ensure that I am using a variety of media and persuade my audience to listen to my radio show through social media as it seems to be popular amongst my audience.

R22- My target audience

There are many useful things that I have found whilst researching. I have found that my target audience aged 16/17 enjoy listening to entertainment and gossip news therefore whilst planning my news stories I will need to consider my younger audience. Moreover, there are a few members who enjoy listening to political news as they enjoy being updated with current affairs, from this I learnt that I need to include politics when planning my news stories. Lastly, I have also found that my target audience enjoy listening to football news (all of whom were men) therefore to appeal to my male audience I need to include some stories on football and footballers social life.  

R21- Vox pop- Arts Award

Arts Award- Vox pop, Victoria 

This experience has taught me how to conduct an effective vox pop.

I learnt that in order to gain useful information that is needed for research, I first need to draw up a plan about what it is that I want to find out and then list a set of open ended questions which will allow my audience to articulate their thoughts about the subject. Moreover, I learnt useful, professional skills on how to approach my audience, I always needed to be smiling. Additionally, I learnt that when a person refuses to answer, I should always remain positive and still greet them in a professional and friendly manner. 

Preliminary task

Here is the draft which me and my group came up with, at first we wanted to have 1 host and 2 different interviewees however, we thought it would be more effective if there was 2 hosts as this is what often happens in radio interviews- there's one guest, therefore reflecting reality.

This is the final draft which we followed and recorded then edited using audacity.

We used audacity to add special effects to make our radio newscast more interesting also create a little suspense. We decided to add a bed to catch the audience's attention immediately, also the use of a famous song will attract many people. 

Audacity is a great software to edit audio as it is made specifically for audio, importing was easy as audacity accepts a variety of formats, also you can add as many sounds to one audio piece which is effective.

Here is our final preliminary product:

R20- Pirate radio stations

Pirate radio stations

 

Pirate radio stations are made by broadcasters who are not legally recognised due to not purchasing a license under section 1 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949. Moreover, independent broadcasters must also comply with the legislation and have a broadcasting licence issued by the Radio Authority.

Many people see pirate radio as harmless fun, they assume that the Acts put in place are unnecessary; however, this is not the case mainly because it is seen as an anti-social and criminal act. Pirate radio stations can cause more damage because they cause interference with the legal radio stations- depriving their audience of effective broadcasting. An unlicensed radio station means that the owners will have to 'steal' frequencies of other radio stations and space on the radio spectrum. In addition, owners of pirate radio stations do not give back to their community (by not paying TAX, VAT) rather they are stealing and taking from the community therefore, pirate radio stations are of no benefit to the community. 

Here are some pirate radio stations within London:

Click to enlarge

 

The consequences of owning a pirate radio stations could lead to fines and possible jail sentences. Due to OFCOM rising in power, there are now lesser pirate radio stations than there have been in the past, as the methods of regulating and monitoring radio stations more closely have improved thus raising the standards of radio stations.   

I learnt that in order to run a radio station there are many technical rules that need to be applied, moreover it must be recognised by the government through the license. There are many other ways of getting into the radio industry as there are many of jobs available which include radio broadcasting therefore people do not have to resort to creating pirate radio stations. 

 

Source: 

http://www.laughingpoliceman.com/court_pirates.htm 

R19- popular radio stations

Popular radio stations- audience poll

I asked 25 people what their favourite radio stations are, it seems that the most popular radio station is Capital FM, I think the reason may be because Capital FM include a range of entertainment and gossip newscasts in which the youth of today enjoy listening to.

R18- News Ethhics

News Ethics

Provide accurate news

Accuracy is very important as the confidence and knowledge of the general public in the hands of news, therefore the origins of the source is very important because sometimes there may be fabricated or corrupt sources which are used for information. A reporter must always be able to provide verification of sources.

Treat replies generously

When someone says something the reporter must make obvious that the information is appreciated also if there is a mistake in someone’s reply then it should be corrected if necessary.  

Respect individual privacy

Any information released must always be approved of by the institutions or individuals, it should not affect ones privacy. Be aware of any ethical issues affecting anonymity- for example not mentioning individuals’ names from surveys/events unless they've given their approval.   

Listen to both sides

When presenting news it is highly crucial to give a balanced argument of any controversial topics/events. Allow those who are accused to voice their own opinions. Trying to remember that everyone is innocent until proven guilty therefore the group/institution should not feel marginalised.

Be cautious in publishing names

Do not state any names or mention names unless it is in the interest of the public to know the information. If the person wishes to remain unknown then no information should be released about them or anything associated with the person.

From this I have learnt that I need to consider many factors before publishing my work- it is more than just writing and informing, it is about many people relying upon news presenters and journalists to provide them with the truth of what's happening in society.

Source:
http://ethicnet.uta.fi/sweden/code_of_ethics_for_the_press_radio_and_television

R17- Rajar

What is Rajar and what do they do?

RAJAR Ltd are a joint audience research company. Their purpose is the operate the audience measurement system for UK radios which both offer a service to the BBC and other licensed commercial stations. The company are jointly owned by the BBC as well as the RadioCentre- which are a trade body that represent the majority of commercial radio. 

Listeners in London 

Whilst conducting my research I  found that specific newscasts reach people in their thousands, this did not come as a surprise because BBC seemed to be leading in terms of listeners which could possibly be due to their success in TV news. The BBC often reach at least 10 thousands, BBC news offer a wide range of genres of news which may attract a mass audience whereas other radio stations such as Gold London who only reach up to 345 people the fact that this radio station isn't known in my local area (London) could be a result to only reaching to a niche audience. 

Moreover, the highest percentage for the average listener is 15.7 which belongs to the BBC, again comes as no surprise as this is expected of BBC due to being publicly funded by the British citizens. All commercial radio have an average of 13.1 hours per listener, the high hours of listening time could be because of the budget which could be used for marketing.     

Source:
http://www.rajar.co.uk/content.php?page=about_organisation 

R16- Profesional ethical journalists standards

Ethical journalists standards

Being a journalist is not as easy as a lot think, it's more than just writing a few words in a limited amount of space.

There are invisible strict guidelines in which journalists must comply to, these are set so that journalists are  exercising their freedom of speech in a correct way.

Here are a few expectations:

Professional status

Being a journalist means that journalists must not abuse their power, despite the fact that taking up journalism sometimes may not always benefit the journalist themselves they may not be accredited or receive benefits for their hard work, still they must keep producing quality newscasts because the public are dependant on journalists for information about the world.Very importantly, a journalist should observe professional practise, the origins of the source must always be stated and given credit to the producer of a third party if the information is not primary. 

 The rights of interviewer and interviewee

Informed consent is always a crucial aspect of a journalists' ethics, because people are entitled to privacy which must not be exploited. The interviewee must have full knowledge about the information given and how it will potentially be used in the media. The interviewee must always know what their information will be used for. Moreover, the interviewee must have full rights (access) to their information if they wish to view their statement(s) then they should be given rights to do so.    

Private and public

Anonymity- every individual must be respected, if they wish to not be identifiable in the media then journalists must find ways to comply to this demand by not mentioning: ethnic origin, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, convictions or other similar personal characteristics. They can do this by not mentioning the name or by giving the person a false name. This is important because in cases of serious personal issues such as domestic violence a person may not want to be identified.

Obtaining and publishing information

Journalists must always have a target to bring forth information which is accurate and truthful.

Journalists are often encouraged to make clear of their profession during the course of an assignment. Information should be gained openly and not discreetly.


From this I have learnt that when I go to find my stories I need to consider informed consent, anonymity as there could always be people who have issues with their words/work being published. Moreover, in order to create an effective newscast I need to always be on board: making sure I am up to date with all my work and following up recent stories otherwise I will lose my audience's attention also the people I wish to interview. I must comply to these guidelines because this is what will help me produce quality work for my viewers.

Source:

http://ethicnet.uta.fi/finland/guidelines_for_journalists

R15- A good journalist

A good journalist

1. A good journalist is a person who is curious! Always wanting to the 5 ws, having a passion for always want to know more will ensure that you do your job properly because everyone works well when motivated.

2. Being resilient, this always gives a person the ability to always find a way out of a pickle- if there's a problem regarding their profession then they'd know how to find a solution.

3. Sacrifices- these are things in which a journalist must sacrifice- personal time in order to get the job done efficiently and to a good standard. Commitment is always key.

4. A good journalist knows how to deal with negative feedback from the readers- there will always be people who call you nasty names and sometimes (in rare occasion) threaten you and your personal life. 

5. You must 'have an eye' for what is newsworthy, a good journalist knows what is important and what would appeal to the audience in regards to time and society. Although, there are editors a journalist must be able to take the initiative, making snap decisions to focus on a good story.  

6. Lastly! A journalist always turns in a relatively good quality story in terms of grammar and any typing errors made, being a good journalist means they are not dependent on the editors to catch them out. 

When working on my news stories I need to make sure that the stories I go out to find interest myself because it will keep me curious and always wanting to know more therefore my target audience will also enjoy the stories. I need to make sure that I am able to make snappy decisions on behalf of my group so that our newscast is to its best standards. Additionally, I need to make sure that I am prepared to sacrifice a lot of time to do through research into my newscast before presenting it. Also, think critically, any errors that my viewers my audience will notice- I will need to rectify before presenting. I must also know the news values so that my story attracts many people as possible. I will use my skills of punctuality to make sure that my newscast is done on time for my audience. Lastly I have learnt that I need to enjoy myself!  

Source:

http://www.universalbyline.com/whatmakesagoodjournalist.php  

R14- How to edit sound

Editing with audacity:



Editing with adobe audition:




I learnt many techniques on editing. I leant how to import audio in audacity. There are many features such as 'cut' 'fade' 'amplify' these are all useful features because my audio is likely to be very long containing a lot of unnecessary audio which is not needed. Audacity will help my audio sound professional as there will not be any sounds that I do not want and therefore relevant to the set task.

Moreover, from the adobe audition I learnt that sometimes when compressing files you need to reduce the background noise this is because there will be a lot of unnecessary background noise which will not sound nice therefore you need to regulate noise. This can be done by selecting the area which needs to reduce unwanted noise and then changing output noise levels. This is very important for me, because when recording my stories I know I will not always be in a quiet room as I will be outside therefore I will need to edit my audio and get rid of background noises.

In addition, a feature that I am now aware of is selecting specific audio and raise the volume without raising the volume of all the audio. This is also very important because due to limited devices I will need to adjust the volume of certain audio such as my voice or the interviewee.

Lastly, another feature of the adobe audition is the use of the 'noise gate' this s a very important feature because it allows me to silence many things I do not wish to have in the audio all together. I know that when I am recording the audio will not be perfect as I will make mistakes, cough, take long pauses (in which you can hear me or team member breathing) therefore this feature will help me make my audio perfect.

Overall, there are many software applications at my disposal each which bring unique features. There is no reason why I cannot use 2 software apps, bringing together the features will ensure that my audio is of a good quality and standard.