Brief summary of activity
The activity will prepare participants for scripting and reading news.
Aim of the activity
To be able to write reliable, interesting, dynamic and informative radio news
To be able to present news
Expected Outcomes
At the end of the activity, participants will know
- How to get information
- Find Sources of information
- The Evaluation of sources and materials
- The principles for selecting and sorting news in order of importance
- How to do news writing
- To carry out an evaluation of news in terms of its value for the general public
- How to read written news in front of a microphone
- The changing importance of individual news items within one day
Experience and skills required
Facilitation and news reporting skills.
Infrastructure, setting, resources
Microphone, headphones, recording device
Internet access and access to news/press agency services if possible
Length
A full day
How the activity should take place
Reading written texts
The trainer will read the first sentence. Then they will read the sentence aloud to one of the participants. The instructor will then read the next sentence, and then again will read it aloud to one of the participants. In the next step the instructor will read aloud another sentence, this time also reading the next sentence before they have stopped speaking the previous sentence. The aim is to show the participants how to read the following sentence while speaking the previous one. Afterwards the instructor will divide the participants into pairs in order to practise this activity.
The following activity is ideal for 12 participants. In one hour they should prepare a newsflash lasting one minute. The first participant will take the microphone on the hour. He/she will have one minute to present the news. The instructor will immediately give feedback regarding the choice of news, the order in which the stories were presented and how well they were written and read. The instructor will have 4 minutes to do this, as after 5 minutes the next participant will start the activity again. Each of the 12 participants should repeat the activity 5 times. The entire process will take a minimum of 6 hours. Each participant will repeat the activity an hour after their last go. During this hour, they will review their work. The best location for this activity would be a studio with a technician assisting the instructor so that the participants have the benefit of listening to their products immediately.
Tips for Trainers
Trainers should be assisted by a technician if possible. It is also possible to use two instructors if the sharing of tasks is clear.
Activities concerning different aspects of voice and reading training are enclosed in the Speaking for Radio Presenters Handout. In the case of a participant having a speech impediment, special individual training should be provided.
Analysis and evaluation
Evaluation is built in within the activity
Scheduling
Scripting, after research