Author
walter hergt
guidelines for nrp headlines
Hi all in Seattle and elsewhere:
This is Walter from VT currently visiting a friend in NC; hence, my involvement today will be spotty. More from me again next week.
The following is a digest of an email conversation between Philip and Amoshaun from several weeks ago. Thought it would be good to review for writers and those who edit and especially those who produce. Final editing and tightening of headline script falls on the producers.
Special note to the producers in Seattle this week: What helped Amoshaun and I last week was, once all headlines when through final editing, one person reads through and makes minor changes in wording for flow (making certain writing styles are consistent, etc..) The anchor (-s) then do a few test read-thru’s out load to familiarize and time themselves. The text can then cropped or a headline dropped depending how over on time you are. Keep in mind you may have 1:15 of tape and, therefore, the headline script shouldn’t be much over 3:30.
The more you can get rid of text before you record means less reading and rereading and less editing and the less the segment will sound edited. Speeds everything up and sounds better!
Ok. Below is the digested conversation. See you, Walter
Content:
First we need to include the big stories that are already getting covered by the corporate press. If we have time we can try to add the underreported side to the story, but be careful about trying to say too much. Second, we will be bringing the direct action-community news feel to the program and this is really important. This can include small community wide struggles and victories that ordinarily never make it into the national headlines, but should. Small actions, small union strikes, police brutality, community organizing etc. International news should always be tied to national us issues (i.e.: the US has sold arms to the Mexican government that human rights activists say is an attempt at suppressing local struggles against neoliberal policies that benefit corporations in the United States. Labor groups condemn these same policies for bringing jobs oversees…etc.)
He doesn’t want us to critique the corporate press. Don’t say that the corporate media did not cover the story, or hid issues about it. We are instead simply reporting what they did not. (he thinks that other program critique the press, and so he doesn’t want to do it.)
Writing:
Writing is a really big deal for Phil. Especially because this is a pilot. So take care to abide by these specifications:
We need to come up with a pier review process for writing script. Everything that goes on the air needs to have been read by at least one other person. Perhaps we can pinpoint a couple of really good writers that would be willing to work on a process and a schedule for this.
We do not need to use transitional phrases. Each headline will stand on its own, and we can define them from each other by alternating anchors or using proper intonation.
Avoid any sweeping generalizations like “the whole world,” or “most Americans,” etc.
Very important: Use no passive sentences. Always specify Who did What to Whom Where and When. If congress passed a bill, who wrote it and who voted for it and who didn’t. Corporate media does this allot, and he wants to avoid it. Example: “Seven demonstrators were killed yesterday when…” vs. better—“Pro-government militia killed seven student demonstrators when…”
Field reports will have to go through the same script writing review process. A field reporter emails her script, we go over it and send it back with editorial revisions and then the report is filed.
Do not editorialize! If you want to make point, choose the facts you present and the quotes you use (include the names) instead of saying it outright yourself. You can, however say that “Microradio enthusiast Fuck The NAB feels that this is an infringement on frees peach, and is unconstitutional. She also said that “nothing short of a revolution is needed to reclaim political power from the elite and distribute it evenly among all people in a true democracy.” Of course you shouldn’t just fabricate this like I did.
When referring to dates use Tuesday or Sunday.
Technical stuff:
The anchor audio needs to be recorded with a high quality microphone. A really nice studio mic. Brings a much fuller, richer and crisper voice that delivers more power out across the airwaves. Reports from the streets and tape cuts are not as important in this regard.
If it is questionable audio, don’t use it. No distortion or questionable tape.
He said the phone sample we sent was fine, as well as the 56kbps mp3 file that I pulled and sent as a wav file, so we are fine with this stuff, though he did suggest normalizing and EQing in a little more bass for the phone interview.
Do not rustle the microphone or crinkle paper while reading.
Headlines need to be EXACTLY FIVE MINUTES! If we have to be 1 or at most 2 seconds short it would be OK, but definitely not longer. This means cutting text and audio clips NOT reading faster or slower in order to be on time.
Mix has to be precise in volume and levels for the duration of the headlines. No audible cuts at all. So editors will have to careful about half breaths etc. As a general rule we should use ¼ second of dead air between anchor text and a tape cut or report from the street. We can make it longer for effect if we want occasionally. ¾ to a second is appropriate between each headline.
He also said that if we have some ambience from a demo or something that is really good it is fine to use it at the beginning of the headlines as a catcher or to add some feel to the piece. (similar to what we did in DC with “This is what democracy sounds like!”)
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