PODCAST ASS'G

In general, writing for broadcast differs from print copy in several significant ways:

1)     Radio scripts are written to be heard, not read.

2)     Time limits lengthy discussion of nuanced details, and most edits cut down on multiple examples of ideas... requires choosing the MOST credible examples to support your focus statement.

3)     Write in short sentences, two ideas at most. Vary your sentence length the way you would in conversation. Read your copy out loud to yourself to make for a smooth read. Few journalists go into the studio and read copy down in a single take, but with practice you can improve your efficiency.

4)     Instead of "reading aloud," pretend you are telling your best friend a story of highly charged importance, and that your audience is dying to know about the information your will deliver. This will help you talk persuasively, and imbue your words with meaning.

Assemble your podcast in the following script structure:

Opening sound: music, theme sound (brief, under ten seconds)

Introduce yourself, your focus statement, and your guests:

SAMPLE LEDE: "The recent "Reconstruction of Journalism" report has drawn harsh criticism from the internet sector. Written by two bald white print journalists, it covers a lot of territory without much style. Instead of promoting many of the ingenious market solutions created by the web, the report instead concludes that government funding of journalism may be the only way for the industry to sustain itself."

LEDE paragraph should be your NUT graph: explain your point of view on this material, what subjects areas your quotes will cover, and your expectations going in.

GRAPH 2: Set up further quotes: introduce your guests by name, title, and where you are talking to them from:

Professor Ring Lardner studies this aspect of the review from his perch as Dean of Admissions at Bohunk University in Oklahomah. He says the Downie report is getting all the wrong kinds of response:

QUOTE

But he also thinks more attention should be paid to the non-print aspects of the story, which get clipped coverage from the authors:

QUOTE

In an opposing opinion, Dr. Leaf Schneider from the Institute for Policy Wonkitude, says any coverage is good coverage:

QUOTE

Her attitudes are shaped by years of research following monkeys in trees, which gathers data on the way journalists behave in real-time environments:

QUOTE

Such positions can only be defended by people who spend all their spare time in the jungle.

CONCLUSION

What did you learn from honing in on the report with expert sources? What were you surprised by, and what assumptions were validated? If you had to turn the report back to its authors with a grade, what grade would it be? What kind of rewrites would you ask for? Who else are you tempted to talk to based on this preliminary research?

Is the report a net plus or negative for the journalism industry? Does it ask the right questions? Or does it cast our sector's failing health in too dramatic terms? Do they seem aware of all the web activity in journalism, and if not, what would you like readers to know that the authors didn't cover?

FINALLY,

"For Media Matters/On the Media, I'm HOAGIE PENNINGTON."

This is obviously a very rough outline with phony names and statements, but several have asked for an outline of what's expected, and this provides a broad context to fill in. Please don't feel CONSTRICTED by this, you can use more than 4 quotes, and set them up differently according to their length and content. The important thing is to get the information across clearly and succinctly in this audio format. As always, come see me for help with any writing, editing or production issues.