Why just be on holiday? Do something fun and exciting.
If you have news experience or you would like to get news experience, now is a good time to produce a short piece you can be proud of, work with a team, and be heard across Canada in the new year.
Groundwire is the national monthly news program of community radio in Canada. Pieces get submitted from around the country, and stations take turns making the decisions and doing the production - this month, it's our turn here at CJSF. Pieces you have recently produced can be considered, or news versions of longer programs, or new things you'd like to make from scratch.
If you'd like to hear some previous editions, visit this page for downloads:
http://groundwire.ncra.ca/index.cfm?mode=cat&catid=50738A2F-E777-4F82-A04FDD30B861A600
Most of the reporting work has to be finished between now and December 29 (just the next 9 days). The final scriptwriting, script-reading and editing happens between December 30 and January 5. Part of the time is Christmas and New Year's, so we have to hustle! On January 5, we have to release the show to the world.
We will need news features (anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes long), a 3-minute station report (not necessarily from our station - but, why not?), and also short headline news stories (30 to 90 seconds - either just script or with a very short audio clip), national event listings, and a little bit of music. There will also be roles for reviewing and choosing the material, researching, and writing and reading scripts,
Submit your PITCHES right away for things you would like to produce. This could be HEADLINES (30-90 second scripts), STATION REPORT (3-minutes), FEATURES (2-minutes, 5-minutes or 10-minutes) and NATIONAL EVENTS LISTINGS to GroundWire for the January 2009 edition!
Here is the submission guidelines page, for more information - but you can talk to me or Charlotte as well if you have questions
http://groundwire.ncra.ca/index.cfm?mode=cat&catid=7B9F61E8-69D7-13F0-E4B07D64279A7632
The full call-out for contributions, sent by CKUT to all the campus-community radio stations, follows my signature.
Frieda Werden, Spoken Word Coordinator
CJSF Radio
TC-216 Simon Fraser University
Burnaby BC V5A 1S6, Canada
(778)782-4423 phone
fax: (778)782-3695
e-mail: cjsfpa@sfu.ca
90.1 FM 93.9 cable radio
www.cjsf.bc.ca - streaming on the web
Departmental Blog: http://cjsfpa.blogspot.com/
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: "GroundWire / Ici et ailleurs / Cable a Tierra" Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:58:07 -0800 (PST)Subject: Seeking Submissions for January 2009 GroundWire
JANUARY 2009 GroundWire
!! seeking your submissions !! email groundwire@ncra.ca & Spoken Word CJSF(Frieda Werden) !! cjsfpa@sfu.ca
DEADLINE for *pitches* set for Tuesday, Dec. 23rd*SUBMISSIONS* due for 5pm Monday, Dec. 29thJanuary GroundWire release date: Monday, January 5th
Do you have any items you would like to submit for a *YEAR-IN-REVIEW*theme? Any headlines or features of news from 2008 could be brieflyupdated for this edition, so send in your suggestions!
Submit your HEADLINES (30-90 second scripts), STATION REPORT (3-minutes),FEATURES (2-minutes, 5-minutes or 10-minutes) and NATIONAL EVENTS LISTINGSto GroundWire for the January 2009 edition!
This month, GroundWire is being produced by CJSF in Burnaby.
Please spread the word to volunteers at your stations as this is a greatopportunity to have your productions air nationally.
More info on GroundWire:
*GroundWire Mandate*http://groundwire.ncra.ca/index.cfm/2008/2/17/GroundWire-Mandate
*GroundWire Press Release*http://groundwire.ncra.ca/enclosures/GroundWire%5Fpr%5F1008%2Epdf
*GroundWire Poster*http://groundwire.ncra.ca/enclosures/poster%2Epdf
*GroundWire Production Guidelines*http://groundwire.ncra.ca/index.cfm/2008/2/17/GroundWire-Production-Guidelines
________________________________________GroundWire: Community Radio NewsIci et ailleursCable a Tierra
www.groundwire.ncra.ca
GroundWire is a project of the National Campus Community Radio Association
Friday, December 19, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
New and Renewed Memberships
CJSF Active Membership entitles you to vote in station Board of Directors elections. You also receive a Buddy Card (merchant discount card - nice!). Active membership is a pre-requisite to stand for office as well.
Active members have a minimum number of volunteer hours to perform - many of you have already met this requirement. Community members (those who are not SFU students) now pay a small annual fee that matches the per-student contribution to CJSF.
Be a full member, and be recognized as a supporting member of the CJSF community. Contact Frieda cjsfpa@sfu.ca or Magnus cjsfmgr@sfu.ca to get registered, today.
Active members have a minimum number of volunteer hours to perform - many of you have already met this requirement. Community members (those who are not SFU students) now pay a small annual fee that matches the per-student contribution to CJSF.
Be a full member, and be recognized as a supporting member of the CJSF community. Contact Frieda cjsfpa@sfu.ca or Magnus cjsfmgr@sfu.ca to get registered, today.
Easy Introduction to Audacity
Gavin, CJSF's Production Coordinator, has created a very basic introduction to the free, downloadable, open-source audio editing program Audacity. Email: cjsfprod@sfu.ca
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Example of Field Recorder Review: Sony Hi-MD
1. What is the company name and the model name?
Sony MD Walkman MZ-NH700
Type of recorder? Hi-MD
Current model in 2008, or only available used or refurbished? Older model, purchased new around 2003, may be hard to find. Price: I paid around $250 US dollars in 2003, and it’s still advertised online for a similar price in the UK. I bought it in Europe but there were similar models released in North America.
Is this a favourite recorder you would recommend to others? Why or why not? I like the sound quality, simplicity of setup, and overall reliability, but it is awkward to get files off and re-assembled and not easy to find this type of recorder nowadays. Probably wouldn’t recommend it now.
How is it powered? Takes 1 AA battery, and also has an adaptor connection for DC 3V. Battery life? More than 3 hours on a typical AA
Built-in microphone? No Built-in mic quality? N/A Preferred type of external microphone: Works well with regular un-powered microphones like the Shure SM-50, or with a battery-powered mic.
Records to built-in storage or onto removable media? Records onto standard removable mini-discs, which are removable, but the discs can only be played on the device. How much storage? A regular mini-disc will record more than 2-1/2 hours of audio. Also comes with a 1-gigabyte MD.
Choice of file formats? No What formats will it record? Proprietary hi-md files that are convertible to .wav with special software.
Connects to computer by? USB cable or audio stereo-mini to stereo-mini cable. What is the connection process like? Requires proprietary software to see, play, download, or re-label/erase audio files on the hi-md device.
Choice of stereo or mono recording? No, not to my knowledge
How do you get the audio in to the device:
a) Built-in mic? No
b) Line-in? Yes Type? Stereo mini
c) Separate mic input? Yes Type? Stereo mini
Can you control the level of sound coming in? No If so, how?
How do you get the audio out of the device? Can be uploaded to the computer through USB using proprietary SonicStage software that also converts the audio to stereo .wav files. (Or, you can play the audio out of the headphone jack and re-record it into the computer in real time.)
Can you control the playback volume? Yes How? Manually from an external button.
Internal menu structure – easy or complicated? There are menus, but you don’t normally have to use them to record, output audio, or playback.
Special features: Allows you to insert track marks that start a new track.
Best qualities: Sound quality is very clear, without adding background noise, so that even recordings made at a lower level can be boosted cleanly. Good pre-amp that can take a non-powered or powered microphone.
Worst qualities: Makes a new file every time you pause the recorder – these files can be messy to re-assemble in the correct order when you put your show together. Also, the proprietary software is a pain in the butt.
Sony MD Walkman MZ-NH700
Type of recorder? Hi-MD
Current model in 2008, or only available used or refurbished? Older model, purchased new around 2003, may be hard to find. Price: I paid around $250 US dollars in 2003, and it’s still advertised online for a similar price in the UK. I bought it in Europe but there were similar models released in North America.
Is this a favourite recorder you would recommend to others? Why or why not? I like the sound quality, simplicity of setup, and overall reliability, but it is awkward to get files off and re-assembled and not easy to find this type of recorder nowadays. Probably wouldn’t recommend it now.
How is it powered? Takes 1 AA battery, and also has an adaptor connection for DC 3V. Battery life? More than 3 hours on a typical AA
Built-in microphone? No Built-in mic quality? N/A Preferred type of external microphone: Works well with regular un-powered microphones like the Shure SM-50, or with a battery-powered mic.
Records to built-in storage or onto removable media? Records onto standard removable mini-discs, which are removable, but the discs can only be played on the device. How much storage? A regular mini-disc will record more than 2-1/2 hours of audio. Also comes with a 1-gigabyte MD.
Choice of file formats? No What formats will it record? Proprietary hi-md files that are convertible to .wav with special software.
Connects to computer by? USB cable or audio stereo-mini to stereo-mini cable. What is the connection process like? Requires proprietary software to see, play, download, or re-label/erase audio files on the hi-md device.
Choice of stereo or mono recording? No, not to my knowledge
How do you get the audio in to the device:
a) Built-in mic? No
b) Line-in? Yes Type? Stereo mini
c) Separate mic input? Yes Type? Stereo mini
Can you control the level of sound coming in? No If so, how?
How do you get the audio out of the device? Can be uploaded to the computer through USB using proprietary SonicStage software that also converts the audio to stereo .wav files. (Or, you can play the audio out of the headphone jack and re-record it into the computer in real time.)
Can you control the playback volume? Yes How? Manually from an external button.
Internal menu structure – easy or complicated? There are menus, but you don’t normally have to use them to record, output audio, or playback.
Special features: Allows you to insert track marks that start a new track.
Best qualities: Sound quality is very clear, without adding background noise, so that even recordings made at a lower level can be boosted cleanly. Good pre-amp that can take a non-powered or powered microphone.
Worst qualities: Makes a new file every time you pause the recorder – these files can be messy to re-assemble in the correct order when you put your show together. Also, the proprietary software is a pain in the butt.
Friday, May 16, 2008
CJSF Spoken Word Department Events Calendar
Station events, departmental events, and opportunities for coverage are posted on this calendar. If you have things to add, contact Frieda: cjsfpa [you know the rest of the email is @ plus] sfu.ca
Friday, May 9, 2008
Learn how to podcast
The following site has information and links about podcasting sites, programs, hardware, and basic production:
http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/podcast/
http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/podcast/
Friday, May 2, 2008
Organizing audio for a documentary
Q: Iris writes, "I've completed all my interviews (four of them) and I'm a bit at a loss how to integrate them with the flow of the script I was planning.... I have downloaded the Audacity program in my computer so I can listen to my interviews and make notes. My difficulty is how to choose which [clips] to include. It's overwhelming. :) Do you think I should start by writing my script for my introduction?
A: The stage you are at is absolutely the hardest stage. But it's also the most fun stage in a way, because it's the most creative moment. Some of the things to think about are:
A: The stage you are at is absolutely the hardest stage. But it's also the most fun stage in a way, because it's the most creative moment. Some of the things to think about are:
- What will be a beginning that will engage people's attention?
- What will be an end that they will remember and leave them with feelings about the program?
- What information do they need to know near the beginning to understand things, and what can you hold back until later?
- How do the voices and stories make you feel? Think about the flow of feelings that will run through the show. How will things develop not only in terms of information but in terms of feelings?
- Are some of the voices more pleasant than others? Maybe you don't want to have too many voices that are not as pleasant or easy to understand next to each other.
- Are you going to have each person speak one by one, or are you going to try to come back to different people and organize by related topics?
- Do you want to introduce each person at the beginning of their talking, or do you want to put the voices together and give credits at the end? (If they're wanting to be anonymous, you can still say something about them that gives people an idea about them.) At the end you want to be sure to give some kind of answer to the question - what was I just listening to?
Saturday, April 26, 2008
PSAs in a Documentary?
Q: In the on-air training tape, I was required to include PSAs. Do I need to include PSAs in my documentary program I'm planning?
A: You don't want to put PSAs or station i.d.s actually inside your documentary, because chances are it may air again at different times and, if you offer it, potentially on other campus-community stations. In order to leave room for a PSA and a station break, it's best to keep the length of a halfhour piece not over 29 minutes, or of an hour piece not over 59 minutes (28 minutes or 58 minutes would be even better, and anything over 29'30" or 59'30" is too long).
If your piece turns out to be an odd length, for example 15 minutes, it can air inside a longer show and that show would be responsible for the PSAs.
A: You don't want to put PSAs or station i.d.s actually inside your documentary, because chances are it may air again at different times and, if you offer it, potentially on other campus-community stations. In order to leave room for a PSA and a station break, it's best to keep the length of a halfhour piece not over 29 minutes, or of an hour piece not over 59 minutes (28 minutes or 58 minutes would be even better, and anything over 29'30" or 59'30" is too long).
If your piece turns out to be an odd length, for example 15 minutes, it can air inside a longer show and that show would be responsible for the PSAs.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Recording interviews using Skype
http://www.blogarithms.com/index.php/archives/2007/12/23/skype-for-interviews/
The above is a powerpoint with voice that describes in detail how to get good "telephone interview" recordings using Skype. At least in their demonstration, they are getting sound quality that is arguably better than what you get through a telephone hybrid.
There are a lot of factors including turning off all other applications to get this good sound. I'm thinking that if we go to this methodology, then to reduce the amount of staff troubleshooting we might want to dedicate a second computer in Studio B or the interview room specifically for telephone interviews. A fast computer is important, and we'd also want a USB mic.
The demonstration gets more technical as it goes along, and I think that probably printing out the pages to make a manual would be good.
This is likely a good technology for home studio use, but not for someone who is an impatient type at the outset. The powerpoint discusses Mac and Windows options, primarily, although Linux is mentioned.
The instructions for how to do the setup are very specific and detailed, and should be easy to follow, but will obviously take a while to go through the entire process the first time on any computer, and if you use the computer for other things, you probably want a checklist on hand of settings to look at before you do any interview. Among the things they teach you is a trick for getting your router to give you a constant i.p. address, even if your isp randomly assigns your i.p. address from a pool.
I am going to ask whether the CJSF Technical Committee would like to spend the time to try to make this function operational in one or more of the CJSF studios. Maybe we could set it up in the Interview Room as it does not seem to require a mixer.
The above is a powerpoint with voice that describes in detail how to get good "telephone interview" recordings using Skype. At least in their demonstration, they are getting sound quality that is arguably better than what you get through a telephone hybrid.
There are a lot of factors including turning off all other applications to get this good sound. I'm thinking that if we go to this methodology, then to reduce the amount of staff troubleshooting we might want to dedicate a second computer in Studio B or the interview room specifically for telephone interviews. A fast computer is important, and we'd also want a USB mic.
The demonstration gets more technical as it goes along, and I think that probably printing out the pages to make a manual would be good.
This is likely a good technology for home studio use, but not for someone who is an impatient type at the outset. The powerpoint discusses Mac and Windows options, primarily, although Linux is mentioned.
The instructions for how to do the setup are very specific and detailed, and should be easy to follow, but will obviously take a while to go through the entire process the first time on any computer, and if you use the computer for other things, you probably want a checklist on hand of settings to look at before you do any interview. Among the things they teach you is a trick for getting your router to give you a constant i.p. address, even if your isp randomly assigns your i.p. address from a pool.
I am going to ask whether the CJSF Technical Committee would like to spend the time to try to make this function operational in one or more of the CJSF studios. Maybe we could set it up in the Interview Room as it does not seem to require a mixer.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Groundwire - a chance to be part of a national news program
Members of the NCRA (National Campus and Community Radio Association) is reviving the initiative to have a weekly program produced by various c-d radio stations across Canada. Here are the guidelines that have been developed over the last couple of years. CJSF would probably get the responsibility every 5 weeks or even less often - depending on how many stations participate. Email me at cjsfpa@sfu.ca if you would like to be part of the CJSF team working on this. - Frieda
GROUNDWIRE
Mandate
GroundWire is a 29-minute news radio program featuring headlines, reports and features from the community radio sector in Canada. The program aims to be a strong, reliable, high-quality newscast, engaging the audience with geographically and culturally diverse features that address issues of interest to specific communities as well as to a national audience.
GroundWire balances grassroots coverage of local stories with progressive perspectives on national and international issues. Voices of people living in Canada, or Canadians living and working abroad, are a priority. GroundWire works to encourage self-representation from diverse communities in Canada, Quebec, and in indigenous nations, and features music from underrepresented Canadian artists.
GroundWire is produced by members of the Community News Network and aired on campus and community radio stations across Canada, and is also distributed online through the NCRA and other independent media sites.
GroundWire aims to connect diverse communities that take part in community radio programming all over Canada by featuring stories that are local, regional and national in scope and that share an ethic of human rights activism, equity, labour rights, democractic communication and information exchange, and progressive political and social policy.
Production Committee
GroundWire is produced and directed by a production committee composed of staff and volunteers from participating NCRA stations. The committee makes all efforts to include members from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds to ensure that GroundWire programming speaks well to many different communities and not just the core listenership of community radio stations.
The production committee is mandated to make practical decisions about the content and direction of each episode of GroundWire. This includes reviewing submissions, choosing a limited number of features for each episode, choosing two Canadian artists to feature during musical bridges, communicating with potential and actual contributors, and writing an editorial statement for each episode.
The production committee may have a monthly facilitator who will communicate directly with contributors about the decisions of the editorial committee, write runsheets and scripts, assemble the show and upload the show to distribution networks in a timely manner.
The production committee communicates with contributors via the groundwire@ncra.ca email address. this email is accessible by any member of the production committee, however, the monthly facilitator is responsible for communicating editorial decisions to contributors.
GROUNDWIRE Production Guidelines
2 WEEKS before the production deadline, send a call-out for content to the NCRAlist, Groundwire listserve and rabble producers list. The call out should refer to the submission guidelines, the run-sheet and the Groundwire website and e-mail address.
1 WEEK before the production deadline, check the Groundwire website at and email account for submissions.
SELECT the contributions that are of interest keeping in mind sound quality; timeliness; geographic diversity, originality of subject matter; usefulness, quality and novelty of information or ideas; and international importance.
NOTIFY contributors being considered for inclusion in the program and make any editorial requests for modifications to submissions.
ALONG with their audio, contributors should send a short text that will be read by the host(s) to present their audio piece.
IDENTIFY potential host(s) and music for the Groundwire program.
DOWNLOAD/COLLECT all items for inclusion in the program a few days before the production deadline.
PREPARE GROUNDWIRE for upload: see the step-by-step guidelines to include scripting, choosing music breaks, recording, editing segments together, etc.
DRAFT editorial statement: guidelines to include rationale for segments included in the program; info about other content submitted that could be included in future shows.
REMEMBER to alternate as much as possible between women and men’s voices.
UPLOAD the program and editorial statement to the Groundwire page.
SEND a release stating the content of this week’s Groundwire to the NCRAlist, Groundwire listserve and rabble producers list.
Show Structure
0:00-1:00 Theme music and program highlights (outline upcoming features)
1:00-5:00 Headlines (30-90 second stories with or without actualities)
5:00-8:00 Canadian campus and/or community station report
8:00-9:00 Music break #1
9:00-14:00 Feature segment #1 (1, 5-minute feature or 2, 2-minute features with intros/extros)
14:00-15:00 Music break #2
15:00-27:00 Feature segment #2 (one or more 2-minute, 5-minute or 10-minute features with intros/extros, adding up to no more than 12 minutes total)
27:00-28:00 National upcoming events listings
28:00-29:00 Sign off, thank yous, contact information, theme music
GROUNDWIRE Submission Guidelines: Editorial
INFORM US: We are looking for grassroots coverage of local stories, and progressive perspectives on cross-Canada and international news. Voices of people living in Canada, or Canadians living or working abroad, will be prioritized. Groundwire strives to represent the diverse communities of Canada, Quebec and indigenous peoples, in a manner which is respectful, informed, and relevant.
(INTER)NATIONAL INTEREST: Would your story be more interesting to your local station than to people across the country? Groundwire is a national and international news show so we are looking for stories with a national angle.
WHAT'S THE TIMELINE: Include whether the story is time-sensitive: e.g., "Klein's story will be published in the April edition of This Magazine," “These hearings wrap up on Friday, June 30” or "This would be great to run with the anniversary of the Inquiry into Neil Stonechild’s murder next August."
JUST THE FACTS: Please ensure that your contributions are factual, can be verified by at least 2 sources and that material being presented is in no way libelous or slanderous.
STREET LEGAL: No person's voice should be used on your piece unless the person speaking was aware they were being recorded for possible broadcast. Identify your sources on the air, unless the source has asked not to be identified, in which case say that this is so. Synthesizing information you get from various sources is a normal part of journalism, but plagiarism is not acceptable. If you use information from other media outlets, give them credit: "The Associated Press reports...", etc.
MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS: Include at least 2 contrasting viewpoints in your submissions to Groundwire.
OUR PROCESS: Production of Groundwire rotates among stations with the interest and resources to take on the editing process. Producing stations will choose content among the material available on the Groundwire website and will provide the rationale for their selections in an Editorial Report posted to the site with the program. Groundwire cannot currently remunerate content providers financially, however reporters will be thanked during the program and the program provides an opportunity for nation-wide broadcast of journalistic pieces.
GROUNDWIRE Submission Guidelines: Technical
HEADLINES: Headlines are 30- to 90- second scripted stories with or without actualities (sound clips).
STATION REPORTS: The Canadian campus and/or community station report is a 3-minute feature exploring developments at at Canadian campus and/or community radio station. These reports should include at least 2 voices and the station’s contact information.
FEATURES: Features may be submitted in 2-minute, 5-minute or 10-minute lengths. There is some flexibility in these time guidelines; however features that run overtime (2:30, 5:15) or of radically different lengths (7 minutes, 15 minutes) will not be considered for inclusion in the program.
Features must include more than one voice and at least 2 contrasting viewpoints or opinions on the issue being discussed.
In addition to the pre-produced audio feature, a 10-30 second lead and extro should be submitted as text, including the story’s highlights, the name of the feature developer, and the location(s) of the story.
NATIONAL LISTINGS: Listings should be 10-15 second scripts highlighting upcoming events of national significance (anniversaries, mobilizations, grassroots projects) submitted as text in the body of an email to: groundwire@groundwire.ca.
Submit each listing individually and do not submitt .jpegs, .pdfs or other files with listings.
FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS: For headlines, Station Reports and Features, a text file including the links to actualites and/or features, the producer’s name and contact, and information as to why the story is important and what current news/political events make it important to air now must be included for the piece to be considered for inclusion in a Groundwire program. This information may be included in the same document as your headline, or your lead/extro.
FORMATS: Groundwire currently accepts content in digital formats only. Headlines, intros and extros, and text files should be submitted as text (.txt), word documents (.doc) or rich text format (.rtf) files, uploaded to our website at http://secure.groundwire.ca or emailed to groundwire@groundwire.ca. Audio should be submitted in mono, as .mp3 or .wav at a sampling rate of 44.1khz, 16-bit and a bit-rate of 128 or higher.
SOUND QUALITY: Always ensure that you can hear what you are recording in your headphones when gathering sound.
Ensure that connections on all recording devices are solid and that there is no buzzing or humming in the background of your recordings.
Whenever possible, record interviews in person instead of on the phone.
Ensure the you and your guests use proper microphone technique: keep the microphone about a handspan away from people’s mouths. Avoid excessive microphone popping or hissing during talk and narration segments by talking over or across the mic instead of directly into it.
Do not record with a microphone directly into a computer: either record onto a separate recorder and transfer to a computer, or plug your microphone into a recorder, connect the “line-out/speaker-out/headphone-out” of the recorder to the “line-in” of your computer and have the recorder on “record pause” or “monitor input” mode. This way you are using the preamp built into your recorder instead of the one in the computer.
Adjust the sound levels of the elements in your submission so that the entire piece rests between -12 and -6db.
EDITING: It is easiest to edit your pieces on a computer, using an audio editing program such as Audacity, SoundForge or Audition. There are lots of resources on-line for downloading free .wav and .mp3 recording/editing software, and for learning how to use it. Your local campus-community radio station may also be able to provide you with technical training, resources and assistance.
Make sure that the edits in your piece are clean. Do not cut breaths in half, paste two breaths back to back, leave extra bits of words or cut off the end or beginning of a word. Use fade-outs and cross-fades instead of abrupt cuts when layering sounds. Be sure that the start and the end of your piece are silent (-Inf db)
Digitial editing makes it possible for you to build soundbites using several different comments that may have been spoken minutes apart. You can really make people say anything you want them to say. This is of course immoral, inaccurate, and probably illegal. A good rule of thumb when cutting and pasting various statements into a soundbite is to ask yourself, "Would this person approve of the edits I have made? Does it accurately express what they were trying to say?" If the answer is no, then don't use it.
Don’t be afraid to include lots of ambience! If you are recording people outside on the street, let your mic run for a minute or two without anyone talking, until you get something interesting. A car honk, a group of kids walking by, whatever! If you are at the docks, record the foghorn, or a bell, or a ship coming in. If you are in an office, get the sound of the phone ringing and the receptionist answering.
UPLOADING: Go to http://secure.groundwire.ca and follow the instructions for uploading via our .php page.
FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: email groundwire@groundwire.ca. We’ll be happy to help you troubleshoot.
GROUNDWIRE Submission Guidelines: Creative
TIPS ON SCRIPTWRITING: Every second counts. Write short sentences with one basic idea in each. Put the subject at the front of each sentence, using the formula: (subject) + (verb) + (object) + (...all other stuff). Sentences should be written in the positive, as opposed to the negative: Avoid using "not", "no", "don't", "doesn't", "won't", etc. Write in the present tense, whenever possible. Be sure to answer the "Five W's": Who, What, Where, Why, and When.
Start and end your story with a person, a personal story, an illustrative anecdote...something that the listener can understand and relate to immediately.
Remind your listeners of the subject of your story as you go along, and again near the end. If you are having a hard time coming up with a definitive general statement for the conclusion of your story, conclude by telling the listener what they can expect to happen next.
Words to avoid in radio writing, whenever possible:
-All forms of the verb to be (is, am, are, were, will be, have been, being, etc.)
-Get (use an action verb instead)
-Adverbs, those words that usually end in -LY.
-That and Which
-Cliches and overused phrases
TIPS ON SOUND GATHERING: Let your sources give the examples, and (if possible) draw the conclusions. The reporter should state the general fact/trend/phenomenon, then the source should illustrate with an example.
Take notes when you're recording, whenever possible. When someone says something you might use in your story, make a note of what they said and where it is on your tape.
Label your tapes/discs/files diligently, with date, name, and location.
Once you have chosen a clip you want to use, avoid editing it, especially if there is background sound that would be interrupted by your edits.
Whenever possible, primary sources should be used to tell a story. If you're reporting on a judicial nominee accused of torturing small animals, call him and ask if it's true! He's the only one who knows for sure. Don’t relying on pundits and bystanders to tell the story.
If you're having trouble locating opposing viewpoints for your story, ask your sources who their enemies are, and call them.
TIPS ON INTERVIEWING: Before you enter an interview location, press record on your machine and leave it running until after you leave. Even if you're in a quiet office, recording a minute or two of the sound of the location with nobody talking provides "room tone" that comes in handy when you're editing. You can't air coments recorded while a person thought the machine was off, but you will get the sounds of phones ringing, machines grinding, and people introducing themselves. If you don't turn your machine off right after the end of your questions, you won't miss the best part of the interview, which starts at the moment the person thinks it's over. Again, before you use pre- or post-interview tape, you must ask permission, but at least you'll have it, in case they say yes!
Don't be afraid to explain what you're going to do in the interview, before you start asking questions. However, don’t read all your questions to your guest before you begin!
Before you ask questions, have your sources identify themselves on the mic, with their full names and titles. One useful technique in a crowd is to ask for ID and info at the same time: "What's your name and title, what do you think about the tax cut plan, and why?" This way you'll have an actuality and ID all in one: "I'm Ronnie Fong, I'm a pipefitter, and I think the tax cut is terrible idea! Billionaires are rich enough already!"
If you have time, ask a few throwaway questions at the top of the interview, to get your guest comfortable. "When did you start doing this kind of work?" "How did you get into it?" If what you really want on tape is the answer to the question, "Did you embezzle $10,000 from city government?", you might want to start with some softballs which make the source feel good: “How has the first year of your term been going, Mr.Mayor?”
Ask one question at a time. Keep your questions short and direct, while avoiding those with “yes or no” answers. Asking, "Why did you do it, and what do you think is going to happen next?" gives the guest the option of answering either or neither: if they're good at avoiding questions, by the time they've given an answer, you've forgotten the other question.
Be careful not to say, "Uh huh", "Mmm Hmm" when the person is talking, as we all do naturally in conversation. Just nod your head to show you are listening.
TIPS ON NARRATION: Read your script aloud before you record it. Note those places where you may have to emphasize certain words to make your point. But be careful not to over-emphasize or emote while you’re reading.
Don't look down at the page when you read. Hold the script up to your head level and read upward. It opens up your chest cavity and improves the delivery of your voice. Remember to breathe: it's easy to get through half a page and find yourself running out of air. Also remember to vary your tone, but keep your volume consistent.
When you make a mistake, start over at the beginning of the paragraph.
GROUNDWIRE
Mandate
GroundWire is a 29-minute news radio program featuring headlines, reports and features from the community radio sector in Canada. The program aims to be a strong, reliable, high-quality newscast, engaging the audience with geographically and culturally diverse features that address issues of interest to specific communities as well as to a national audience.
GroundWire balances grassroots coverage of local stories with progressive perspectives on national and international issues. Voices of people living in Canada, or Canadians living and working abroad, are a priority. GroundWire works to encourage self-representation from diverse communities in Canada, Quebec, and in indigenous nations, and features music from underrepresented Canadian artists.
GroundWire is produced by members of the Community News Network and aired on campus and community radio stations across Canada, and is also distributed online through the NCRA and other independent media sites.
GroundWire aims to connect diverse communities that take part in community radio programming all over Canada by featuring stories that are local, regional and national in scope and that share an ethic of human rights activism, equity, labour rights, democractic communication and information exchange, and progressive political and social policy.
Production Committee
GroundWire is produced and directed by a production committee composed of staff and volunteers from participating NCRA stations. The committee makes all efforts to include members from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds to ensure that GroundWire programming speaks well to many different communities and not just the core listenership of community radio stations.
The production committee is mandated to make practical decisions about the content and direction of each episode of GroundWire. This includes reviewing submissions, choosing a limited number of features for each episode, choosing two Canadian artists to feature during musical bridges, communicating with potential and actual contributors, and writing an editorial statement for each episode.
The production committee may have a monthly facilitator who will communicate directly with contributors about the decisions of the editorial committee, write runsheets and scripts, assemble the show and upload the show to distribution networks in a timely manner.
The production committee communicates with contributors via the groundwire@ncra.ca email address. this email is accessible by any member of the production committee, however, the monthly facilitator is responsible for communicating editorial decisions to contributors.
GROUNDWIRE Production Guidelines
2 WEEKS before the production deadline, send a call-out for content to the NCRAlist, Groundwire listserve and rabble producers list. The call out should refer to the submission guidelines, the run-sheet and the Groundwire website and e-mail address.
1 WEEK before the production deadline, check the Groundwire website at and email account for submissions.
SELECT the contributions that are of interest keeping in mind sound quality; timeliness; geographic diversity, originality of subject matter; usefulness, quality and novelty of information or ideas; and international importance.
NOTIFY contributors being considered for inclusion in the program and make any editorial requests for modifications to submissions.
ALONG with their audio, contributors should send a short text that will be read by the host(s) to present their audio piece.
IDENTIFY potential host(s) and music for the Groundwire program.
DOWNLOAD/COLLECT all items for inclusion in the program a few days before the production deadline.
PREPARE GROUNDWIRE for upload: see the step-by-step guidelines to include scripting, choosing music breaks, recording, editing segments together, etc.
DRAFT editorial statement: guidelines to include rationale for segments included in the program; info about other content submitted that could be included in future shows.
REMEMBER to alternate as much as possible between women and men’s voices.
UPLOAD the program and editorial statement to the Groundwire page.
SEND a release stating the content of this week’s Groundwire to the NCRAlist, Groundwire listserve and rabble producers list.
Show Structure
0:00-1:00 Theme music and program highlights (outline upcoming features)
1:00-5:00 Headlines (30-90 second stories with or without actualities)
5:00-8:00 Canadian campus and/or community station report
8:00-9:00 Music break #1
9:00-14:00 Feature segment #1 (1, 5-minute feature or 2, 2-minute features with intros/extros)
14:00-15:00 Music break #2
15:00-27:00 Feature segment #2 (one or more 2-minute, 5-minute or 10-minute features with intros/extros, adding up to no more than 12 minutes total)
27:00-28:00 National upcoming events listings
28:00-29:00 Sign off, thank yous, contact information, theme music
GROUNDWIRE Submission Guidelines: Editorial
INFORM US: We are looking for grassroots coverage of local stories, and progressive perspectives on cross-Canada and international news. Voices of people living in Canada, or Canadians living or working abroad, will be prioritized. Groundwire strives to represent the diverse communities of Canada, Quebec and indigenous peoples, in a manner which is respectful, informed, and relevant.
(INTER)NATIONAL INTEREST: Would your story be more interesting to your local station than to people across the country? Groundwire is a national and international news show so we are looking for stories with a national angle.
WHAT'S THE TIMELINE: Include whether the story is time-sensitive: e.g., "Klein's story will be published in the April edition of This Magazine," “These hearings wrap up on Friday, June 30” or "This would be great to run with the anniversary of the Inquiry into Neil Stonechild’s murder next August."
JUST THE FACTS: Please ensure that your contributions are factual, can be verified by at least 2 sources and that material being presented is in no way libelous or slanderous.
STREET LEGAL: No person's voice should be used on your piece unless the person speaking was aware they were being recorded for possible broadcast. Identify your sources on the air, unless the source has asked not to be identified, in which case say that this is so. Synthesizing information you get from various sources is a normal part of journalism, but plagiarism is not acceptable. If you use information from other media outlets, give them credit: "The Associated Press reports...", etc.
MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS: Include at least 2 contrasting viewpoints in your submissions to Groundwire.
OUR PROCESS: Production of Groundwire rotates among stations with the interest and resources to take on the editing process. Producing stations will choose content among the material available on the Groundwire website and will provide the rationale for their selections in an Editorial Report posted to the site with the program. Groundwire cannot currently remunerate content providers financially, however reporters will be thanked during the program and the program provides an opportunity for nation-wide broadcast of journalistic pieces.
GROUNDWIRE Submission Guidelines: Technical
HEADLINES: Headlines are 30- to 90- second scripted stories with or without actualities (sound clips).
STATION REPORTS: The Canadian campus and/or community station report is a 3-minute feature exploring developments at at Canadian campus and/or community radio station. These reports should include at least 2 voices and the station’s contact information.
FEATURES: Features may be submitted in 2-minute, 5-minute or 10-minute lengths. There is some flexibility in these time guidelines; however features that run overtime (2:30, 5:15) or of radically different lengths (7 minutes, 15 minutes) will not be considered for inclusion in the program.
Features must include more than one voice and at least 2 contrasting viewpoints or opinions on the issue being discussed.
In addition to the pre-produced audio feature, a 10-30 second lead and extro should be submitted as text, including the story’s highlights, the name of the feature developer, and the location(s) of the story.
NATIONAL LISTINGS: Listings should be 10-15 second scripts highlighting upcoming events of national significance (anniversaries, mobilizations, grassroots projects) submitted as text in the body of an email to: groundwire@groundwire.ca.
Submit each listing individually and do not submitt .jpegs, .pdfs or other files with listings.
FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS: For headlines, Station Reports and Features, a text file including the links to actualites and/or features, the producer’s name and contact, and information as to why the story is important and what current news/political events make it important to air now must be included for the piece to be considered for inclusion in a Groundwire program. This information may be included in the same document as your headline, or your lead/extro.
FORMATS: Groundwire currently accepts content in digital formats only. Headlines, intros and extros, and text files should be submitted as text (.txt), word documents (.doc) or rich text format (.rtf) files, uploaded to our website at http://secure.groundwire.ca or emailed to groundwire@groundwire.ca. Audio should be submitted in mono, as .mp3 or .wav at a sampling rate of 44.1khz, 16-bit and a bit-rate of 128 or higher.
SOUND QUALITY: Always ensure that you can hear what you are recording in your headphones when gathering sound.
Ensure that connections on all recording devices are solid and that there is no buzzing or humming in the background of your recordings.
Whenever possible, record interviews in person instead of on the phone.
Ensure the you and your guests use proper microphone technique: keep the microphone about a handspan away from people’s mouths. Avoid excessive microphone popping or hissing during talk and narration segments by talking over or across the mic instead of directly into it.
Do not record with a microphone directly into a computer: either record onto a separate recorder and transfer to a computer, or plug your microphone into a recorder, connect the “line-out/speaker-out/headphone-out” of the recorder to the “line-in” of your computer and have the recorder on “record pause” or “monitor input” mode. This way you are using the preamp built into your recorder instead of the one in the computer.
Adjust the sound levels of the elements in your submission so that the entire piece rests between -12 and -6db.
EDITING: It is easiest to edit your pieces on a computer, using an audio editing program such as Audacity, SoundForge or Audition. There are lots of resources on-line for downloading free .wav and .mp3 recording/editing software, and for learning how to use it. Your local campus-community radio station may also be able to provide you with technical training, resources and assistance.
Make sure that the edits in your piece are clean. Do not cut breaths in half, paste two breaths back to back, leave extra bits of words or cut off the end or beginning of a word. Use fade-outs and cross-fades instead of abrupt cuts when layering sounds. Be sure that the start and the end of your piece are silent (-Inf db)
Digitial editing makes it possible for you to build soundbites using several different comments that may have been spoken minutes apart. You can really make people say anything you want them to say. This is of course immoral, inaccurate, and probably illegal. A good rule of thumb when cutting and pasting various statements into a soundbite is to ask yourself, "Would this person approve of the edits I have made? Does it accurately express what they were trying to say?" If the answer is no, then don't use it.
Don’t be afraid to include lots of ambience! If you are recording people outside on the street, let your mic run for a minute or two without anyone talking, until you get something interesting. A car honk, a group of kids walking by, whatever! If you are at the docks, record the foghorn, or a bell, or a ship coming in. If you are in an office, get the sound of the phone ringing and the receptionist answering.
UPLOADING: Go to http://secure.groundwire.ca and follow the instructions for uploading via our .php page.
FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: email groundwire@groundwire.ca. We’ll be happy to help you troubleshoot.
GROUNDWIRE Submission Guidelines: Creative
TIPS ON SCRIPTWRITING: Every second counts. Write short sentences with one basic idea in each. Put the subject at the front of each sentence, using the formula: (subject) + (verb) + (object) + (...all other stuff). Sentences should be written in the positive, as opposed to the negative: Avoid using "not", "no", "don't", "doesn't", "won't", etc. Write in the present tense, whenever possible. Be sure to answer the "Five W's": Who, What, Where, Why, and When.
Start and end your story with a person, a personal story, an illustrative anecdote...something that the listener can understand and relate to immediately.
Remind your listeners of the subject of your story as you go along, and again near the end. If you are having a hard time coming up with a definitive general statement for the conclusion of your story, conclude by telling the listener what they can expect to happen next.
Words to avoid in radio writing, whenever possible:
-All forms of the verb to be (is, am, are, were, will be, have been, being, etc.)
-Get (use an action verb instead)
-Adverbs, those words that usually end in -LY.
-That and Which
-Cliches and overused phrases
TIPS ON SOUND GATHERING: Let your sources give the examples, and (if possible) draw the conclusions. The reporter should state the general fact/trend/phenomenon, then the source should illustrate with an example.
Take notes when you're recording, whenever possible. When someone says something you might use in your story, make a note of what they said and where it is on your tape.
Label your tapes/discs/files diligently, with date, name, and location.
Once you have chosen a clip you want to use, avoid editing it, especially if there is background sound that would be interrupted by your edits.
Whenever possible, primary sources should be used to tell a story. If you're reporting on a judicial nominee accused of torturing small animals, call him and ask if it's true! He's the only one who knows for sure. Don’t relying on pundits and bystanders to tell the story.
If you're having trouble locating opposing viewpoints for your story, ask your sources who their enemies are, and call them.
TIPS ON INTERVIEWING: Before you enter an interview location, press record on your machine and leave it running until after you leave. Even if you're in a quiet office, recording a minute or two of the sound of the location with nobody talking provides "room tone" that comes in handy when you're editing. You can't air coments recorded while a person thought the machine was off, but you will get the sounds of phones ringing, machines grinding, and people introducing themselves. If you don't turn your machine off right after the end of your questions, you won't miss the best part of the interview, which starts at the moment the person thinks it's over. Again, before you use pre- or post-interview tape, you must ask permission, but at least you'll have it, in case they say yes!
Don't be afraid to explain what you're going to do in the interview, before you start asking questions. However, don’t read all your questions to your guest before you begin!
Before you ask questions, have your sources identify themselves on the mic, with their full names and titles. One useful technique in a crowd is to ask for ID and info at the same time: "What's your name and title, what do you think about the tax cut plan, and why?" This way you'll have an actuality and ID all in one: "I'm Ronnie Fong, I'm a pipefitter, and I think the tax cut is terrible idea! Billionaires are rich enough already!"
If you have time, ask a few throwaway questions at the top of the interview, to get your guest comfortable. "When did you start doing this kind of work?" "How did you get into it?" If what you really want on tape is the answer to the question, "Did you embezzle $10,000 from city government?", you might want to start with some softballs which make the source feel good: “How has the first year of your term been going, Mr.Mayor?”
Ask one question at a time. Keep your questions short and direct, while avoiding those with “yes or no” answers. Asking, "Why did you do it, and what do you think is going to happen next?" gives the guest the option of answering either or neither: if they're good at avoiding questions, by the time they've given an answer, you've forgotten the other question.
Be careful not to say, "Uh huh", "Mmm Hmm" when the person is talking, as we all do naturally in conversation. Just nod your head to show you are listening.
TIPS ON NARRATION: Read your script aloud before you record it. Note those places where you may have to emphasize certain words to make your point. But be careful not to over-emphasize or emote while you’re reading.
Don't look down at the page when you read. Hold the script up to your head level and read upward. It opens up your chest cavity and improves the delivery of your voice. Remember to breathe: it's easy to get through half a page and find yourself running out of air. Also remember to vary your tone, but keep your volume consistent.
When you make a mistake, start over at the beginning of the paragraph.
Deleting helper files after an edit
Whenever you edit with SoundForge or Audacity, there are helper files created during the process, which are no longer needed when your piece is finished. Some of these files are even larger than your finished piece; they clog up the hard drives, and someone has to remove them.
When you finish your Audacity edit, please Export the file as an mp3 or wav file - then delete all the .au files that are associated with the filename you used during your edit.
Similarly, with SoundForge, your product will be an mp3 or wav. The helper files will have the same title you used during the edit, but will end in .sfk or other .sf endings.
Because there is often emergency need for more space on local hard drives and on the server, any helper files more than a month old are likely to be deleted by others.
When you finish your Audacity edit, please Export the file as an mp3 or wav file - then delete all the .au files that are associated with the filename you used during your edit.
Similarly, with SoundForge, your product will be an mp3 or wav. The helper files will have the same title you used during the edit, but will end in .sfk or other .sf endings.
Because there is often emergency need for more space on local hard drives and on the server, any helper files more than a month old are likely to be deleted by others.
Free audio editor - upgrade
The free and open-source audio editing software Audacity has been upgraded. We've got the new version, 1.3.4, now loaded in both the Production Studio and in Studio B. It has some significant improvements. If you'd like to download it to your own computer, get it here:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
Welcome to CJSF Spoken Word Department Blog
This blog is for posting discussions about opportunities, achievements, and techniques in the Spoken Word/Public Affairs Department of CJSF, 90.1 FM, Burnaby BC, Canada.
Also view our web calendar.
Also view our web calendar.
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