BRPP Notes 4
BRPP Notes 4
BRPP Notes 4
4.0 INTRODUCTION
News Gathering, News Production and News Dissemination are the three major
functions of a radio news room. All three are interdependent and one cannot be
performed without the support of the other. Of these, news production calls for
special skills in deciding what the news is, writing a story and presenting it using
the radio medium. At the outset we have to realise that it is an audio medium and
therefore the style of writing differs substantially from that of print or even audio-
visual media. As it was said in unit-3 that many of the radio listeners are just
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casual listeners. One may be having breakfast, another may be talking to somebody, News Production
and yet another may be driving a vehicle and so on. To grab the listeners’
attention is not easy. And even if the listener does listen to radio, it may well be
for a short time only. To catch and then retain the listeners’ attention in that limited
period poses another challenge. A very good piece of news can be boring to listen
to if not written and presented properly. If the listeners don’t find the news items
of interest to them, they will move on to music or other channels or simply switch
off. On the other hand, even an ordinary news item can be made interesting to
listen to if presented in a professional manner.
Events having impact on listeners instantly make news. What affects a large
number of people creates great interest amongst the audience. For instance,
fluctuations in petrol or diesel prices affect everyone. So these are news.
Demonetisation created very big news because it affected everyone.
4.3.2 Talk
As news bulletins give a very brief account of a news event, there is a need to
go for other formats to give the details that listeners would like to know. This
news analysis is done employing different radio programme formats namely talks
(as commentaries), reviews, panel discussions, interviews etc. AIR has two
daily programmes ‘Samayiki’ and ‘Spotlight’, which provide in depth news analysis
using mostly the formats of talks and interviews. Then, there are two weekly
programmes ‘Çharcha Ka Vishay Hai’ and ‘Çurrent Affairs’ in the discussion
format.
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4.3.3 Radio Newsreel News Production
Radio Newsreel is a format embellished with many sound bites and actuality
inserts. The linking script is kept very short. Appropriate sound inputs are
interwoven into this brief script. This renders the news presentation more lively
and interesting compared to simple reading of a text. Voice dispatches of
correspondents are also used in Radio Newsreel. However, Radio Newsreel is
always pre-recorded and edited for broadcast unlike the news bulletins, which
are presented live.
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Radio Journalism 2. Which programme formats help analyse news.
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3. What are the advantages of Radio Newsreel?
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5. Avoid clichés.
6. Avoid superfluous adjectives and superlatives.
7. Write in present tense or present perfect tense to convey immediacy.
8. Use active verbs.
The usage of words and phrases varies in English as well as other languages.
For instance ‘A nuclear station has become critical’ means it is now ready
for functioning. However, if it is literally translated, it will give a totally wrong
meaning.
Listeners abroad are not familiar with the names or places in India unless they are
citizens of Indian Origin. They are not familiar with the customs, festivals and
many similar aspects of Indian culture. Also they may have particular interest in
some fields. For instance, Cricket has now become a popular sport in Afghanistan.
Hence, thorough background knowledge is needed about the interests of the
people of the countries covered by the broadcasts.
Compilation : choosing and editing various news items and putting them
together for broadcasting a news bulletin.
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Radio Journalism 4.10 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: POSSIBLE
ANSWERS
Check Your Progress 1
1. Novelty, Significance, Timeliness, Impact on listeners and what Interest to
them.
2. Commentaries, reviews, panel discussions, interviews etc.
3 It is predominantly a sound based programme. Provide sound bites of people
and reports from correspondents.
Check Your Progress 2
1. Accuracy, Balance, Brevity and Clarity.
2. It will catch the attention of the listeners.
3. Headlines come in the beginning of the bulletin, they work as teaser making
listeners continue listening, it should not reveal too much or too little, chiseling
and honing are must for writing a good headline.
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