The radio has always been a part of my life. I listen to it when I'm in the car, when I'm doing my assignments, when I'm in need of company. I love to listen to the radio and naturally I was excited about the fourth lecture. It was an interview with ABC's local radio presenters, Richard Fidler and Steve Austin.
They highlighted that the radio and TV are really different mediums and that the radio is more intimate than the television. 'The radio is the theatre of the mind'. In TV, there are visuals that can distract the audience but when it comes to radio, there is no distraction hence the audience will know if you sound fake. Steve Austin also stressed that enunciation is really important when it comes to the radio.
I learnt a whole lot of tips from their interview. Richard Fidler said that the better guests who he interviews in his show are those that people have never heard of and those he researches and finds out about. He also said he must have a genuine interest in the person he interviews so that he would be able to have a successful interview with the guest.
From their interview, I also learnt that pre-production and good producers are really important for a programme's success. They do a lot of preparation before the interview including making the guests prepared, making them feel safe and to ensure them that the programme is trust-worthy. Richard Fidler also said that he wasn't a fan of the prosecutorial style but he said it was okay to tease guests a little and to make the programme fun by using humour. I have heard so many radio programmes in which the radio presenters are so hilarious and I always try not to miss their programmes. So I agree with him that humour helps keep the audience tuning in to a programme without fail.
From their interviews I also learnt that it is really important to give guests their space, to let them pause and reflect, to listen more and talk less, since listening equates to respect and people respond a lot to courtesy. For up close and personal interviews, Steve Austin had a really good policy that he keeps to, "Don't do anything in radio that you wouldn't do in life." He said that you can judge if the person is comfortable talking to you by seeing their body language (if they are smiling, leaning forward, or if their voice sounds relaxed).
From their interviews I also learnt that it is really important to give guests their space, to let them pause and reflect, to listen more and talk less, since listening equates to respect and people respond a lot to courtesy. For up close and personal interviews, Steve Austin had a really good policy that he keeps to, "Don't do anything in radio that you wouldn't do in life." He said that you can judge if the person is comfortable talking to you by seeing their body language (if they are smiling, leaning forward, or if their voice sounds relaxed).
They both gave really good advice for journalism students, like me. "Keep reading, be open minded, expose yourself to different kinds of thoughts and ideas, keep asking questions, expand your world view, and DON'T GIVE UP IF YOU ARE NOT NATURALLY TALENTED!" Oh I really loved the last advice! Thanks to them, I now know how to prepare myself if I want to become a radio presenter.
No comments:
Post a Comment