Last Monday’s lecture was conducted online through podcast, which was fitting, as the session was titled: “Telling Factual Stories with Audio”. It was a very interesting lecture, featuring Richard Fidler and Steve Austin, who both present on ABC Radio.
As I’ve never really thought about radio as a form of media, I found several points, made throughout the lecture, quite interesting and thought provoking.
The first interesting point, was that hearing news or stories through audio media is completely different to watching pictures WITH audio. It compels the listener to think about what they are hearing and to process it internally. For this reason, radio content must be entertaining or gripping, enough so that the audience does not lose interest and tune out (silences and calms are particularly poignant on radio). To achieve unique and stimulating interviews, it is important that the interviewee does not feel uncomfortable, and can tell the audience what he wants to tell them, while still being guided by the host.
I also found it curious that radio has remained a relevant form of media since it was first presented to the public, even while other media are constantly becoming “out-dated”. It was inferred that this could be attributed to the facts that (1) radio is relative inexpensive to the average western, and (2) radios can be portable and tuned into at any time.
Our lecturers made several suggestions to aspiring radio hosts:
First, the audience can easily lose interest, so it is important to talk about what they want to hear. Thus, you must sear for “human experience”. When interviewing, it is prudent and respectful to let the interviewee speak more.
To conclude, we were encouraged to keep up with world news, and to view it with an open mind; to keep interviews and monologues simple, as this is easier for the audience to respond to.
An entertaining and interesting lecture!
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