Audio journalism can make or break a story as much as any other publication medium.
Jim Stoval, Professor of Journalism at the University of Tennessee, wrote on his blog “Reporters and journalism students must stop thinking about sound as an exclusively radio format and adopt it as a reporting tool that can be learned and used to effectively deliver information to the readers or listeners.”
Today with high quality portable digital recorder, free editing software, free sound clips and music released under creative commons, all the phases of audio publishing can be handled by the reporter alone.
By combining voice-overs, natural or environmental sound and sound effects (for transitions), you build a multidimensional story much like a compelling written narrative or a great documentary video.
NPR sets the standard. The key to NPR’s success stems, at least partly, from the connection to the audience its reporters and show hosts are able to make.
Check out the book “Sound Reporting: The NPR Guide to Audio Journalism and Production” by: Johnathan Kern
Audio offers numerous opportunities even to journalists just getting started:
1) Reporter overview: newspapers routinely post quick, simple audio overviews by reporters that accompany their articles.
2) Podcasts: regular episodes on a selected subject help build an audience but can be time-consuming.
3)Audio Slideshows: add audio to images to tell a richer, more compelling story.
4) Breaking News: free services like utterli.com allow a reporter to file a quick audio report from anywhere by mobile phone to be published on a website.
Most forms of audio journalism have a few basic ingredients: interviews/voiceovers, natural or environmental sound, and imported sound clips/music.
When recording interviews follow a checklist.
1) Choose a quiet location with good acoustics, if possible.
2) Gather natural sound that will help describe the setting. (record in 15 second intervals.)
3) Prepare your subject by giving them a quick summary of the interview and its purpose.
4) Watch what you say. Nod to indicate listening and understanding. Research the subject to establish rapport and converse intelligently.
5) Try delayed recording. Ask the subject to speak about the most important points for a second time after the interview for the audio clip.
6) Mark the best spots by writing down the counter number from the recorder of a good quote.
When doing voice-overs write a script with short, simple declarative sentences, warm up by stretching face muscles and humming, find operative words, and keep it conversational.
Some of the gear needed for audio journalism include a digital recorder, external mic, and headphones.
When purchasing a digital recorder key points to consider include recording quality, digital file format, compatibility with your computer, ease of use and ease of transferring files.
Check these companies’ digital recorders
Olympus www.olympusamerica.com
Samson www.samsontech.com
Rolandus www.rolandus.com
You may also be able to record with a mobile phone or mp3 player.
Test everything before using it on assignment.
When editing digital audio understand digital formats. (http://computer.howstuffworks.com/streaming-video-and-audio.htm)
Basic editing tasks can be done with free programs like Audacity. Some techniques to experiment with are fading, cross-fading, music, segue and transitions.
Use iTunes or another service such as podcastalley.com to start podcasting.
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