Radio News Recap

What sets radio apart from other methods of broadcast is that it is immediate, intimate and personal.

·         Grab people’s attention immediately and focus on the main point of the story.

·         Think “Headlines”. Don’t use 10 words if 2 will do.

·         Avoid long fancy words and complicated sentences. Keep it as simple, clear and concise as you possibly can.

·         Avoid clichés and emotive language. Don’t make stories sound more dramatic than they need to be.

·         Check your grammar, check it again, and then check it one extra time because if you get it wrong it will completely alter the meaning of your story. This also applies to your sentence structure.

·         Remember your target audience. The audience we are aiming at are students at the University of Winchester, this means you can afford to be a little more informal with your choice of words and sentence structure.

·         Make sure your story can be carried by the words alone, as there is nothing else to fall back on in radio.

When producing radio it is important to keep in mind your target audience, this is organised in terms of social grade:
A (Upper Middle Class)
B (Middle Class)
C1 (Lower Middle Class)
C2 (Skilled Working Class)
D (Working Class)
E (Casual/Lowest Grade Workers)

Tips to a successful radio interview:

·         Ensure you are fully acquainted with the controls on the audio equipment and as simple as it may seem, make sure it is fully charged and is recording.

·         Microphones are sensitive so keep them still and avoid rustling paper around them. They should be held about six inches from the mouth so you shall have to forget about your love of personal space.

·         When recording don’t keep turning the equipment on and off, or pausing it, just keep it running, this will be far easier to edit.

·         At the end of the interview keep the equipment recording for a few extra seconds as this adds ambience and avoids an awkward, abrupt stop.

·          Avoid rooms with noticeable echo but also consider what sounds around you will add texture to your audio.

·         A good interview will sound like an unscripted chat, so rather than have a long list of set questions, just have a few and then have key points you want to focus on.

·         Avoid closed questions and do your research so you understand what your interviewee is saying.

Script Structure:
1 ½ line spacing.
One side of the page only (they will rustle if you turn them over)
Always typed, NEVER hand write your story or script.
Audio cuts must be written as:
NAME: Mr Blog
IN WORDS: I have always…
OUT WORDS: …can never happen
DURATION: 0’14’’


Our news bulletins will go out at 11.00am, 1.00pm, 3.00pm. They will be updated in between those hours as news comes in. We are aiming for the finished bulletin to be 90seconds long, but the absolute maximum will be 2minutes. There should be an audio cut in at least one story in the bulletin. Audio cuts can be of interviews, expert comment, press conferences etc. Or you can use vox pops, however they don’t always add much to a story so make sure they’re relevant and don’t depend on them.


We are aiming for at least 4 News stories per bulletin, 1 sports story, and a quick recap on weather.

The Format of Radio

Now is the time for us to begin our exciting new module, so hold on to your hats as we enter the world of radio.
The three characteristics of radio, which make it the unique form of media it is, are that it is immediate, intimate and personal.
Radio Journalism:
Headlines: A one line summary of each of the main stories which can either precede a bulletin, or stand alone.
Bulletins: Conventionally a bulletin will be two to five minutes duration and they usually begin with the headlines. They may contain a voice piece where another journalist summarises the story, this is pre-recorded and is around 20 to 30 seconds long.  There may also be a two-way with another reporter who is speaking live. Or audio cuts of interviews, press conferences, expert comment or vox pops.
News Programmes: Often begin with the headlines and/or a short bulletin. These programmes explore the top stories in further detail and include additional stories, which may be related or unrelated to the top stories. They often provide interviews either live or pre-recorded and are filled with debate, comment or commentary.
Magazine Programmes: These may be either niche or have a broad range, but generally they will have a specific remit. They are less likely to include headlines or bulletins, but they may react to the top stories of the day. Often cover issues both topical and timeless, or may use a topical example as a peg on which to hang an otherwise timeless issue. They may also include other features such as phone ins, for listener interaction.
Packages: The cue is read by the presenter, but the introduction and conclusion may be made by the reporter or participant. They can include reporter links either in the studio or at another location, interviewees, vox pops, etc. Which are then all “packaged” together.
Documentaries: These are extended packages or features which explore a specific topic or issue in much greater depth than a news or magazine programme.
Target Audiences: This is defined by age and social demographic, measured by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Limited). The style and format of a program will be dictated by the target audience to which the station aims its output.