Elections BC media package available
The May 2009 General Election and Referendum on Electoral Reform are only a few weeks away.
To assist in planning and developing your news coverage of these events, Elections BC has put together a media package on our website.
In our online Newsroom, you’ll find a set of story ideas, backgrounders, maps, previous election and referendum results, and other sources designed to give you the information you need to generate story ideas and pursue your coverage.
I encourage you to take a look at our Newsroom and bookmark our website that we’ve tailored to the upcoming election and referendum.
Feel free to contact me for more information or interviews. I look forward to working with you to inform British Columbians about this important part of our democracy.
Kenn Faris
Manager, Event Communications | Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-2949
Toll-free: 1-800-661-8683 / TTY 1-888-456-5448
Fax: 1-866-466-0665
Location: 1117 Wharf Street, 2nd Floor, Victoria
Email: Kenn.Faris@elections.bc.ca
Website: www.elections.bc.ca
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Places to file as a reporter: Free Speech Radio News
From: Catherine Komp
Date: Sat, Mar 28, 2009 at 8:41 AM
Hi …
FSRN does have a very open process. In terms of news production, FSRN has about 150 freelance reporters around the world, and much of our daily newscast is driven by the stories they pitch to us. We work with journalists who have many years of experience, and those who are just beginning. We do require contributors to have their own equipment. Here's a link to FSRN's pitch and reporting guidelines:
http://www.fsrn.org/content/reporter-guidelines/5
If there's anyone out there interested in becoming a contributor, send your CV and any audio samples (ideally similar in format to what FSRN airs - 60 seconds to 4 minutes in length) to producers [at] fsrn.org.
Some of FSRN's news is also driven by listeners who send us ideas and news tips. You can send those to both producers[at]fsrn.org and comments[at]fsrn.org.
In addition to what comes to us from reporters/listeners, FSRN staff does make editorial decisions each day. We have a DC editor and reporters who evaluate the top news on Capitol Hill. We have a headlines editor that incorporates a lot of breaking news. We also choose topics to be examined through one-on-one interviews with our host. All of these things are discussed during a morning editorial meeting and as news breaks throughout the day.
FSRN has a number of paid staff, many of whom were first reporters, staff subs, volunteers or SC members.
In terms of the bigger organizational structure, FSRN has a BOD and a Steering Committee (SC). FSRN members elect both the BOD and SC. A person is considered a member after filing (in one year's time) three or more features or investigative stories or six or more headlines, or a combination of both where two headlines equal one feature. People who volunteer 40 hours are also considered members as well as staff and the BOD.
FSRN staff, BOD and SC members live in cities across the globe. We often say this is our greatest strength (diversity of people and places) and our biggest challenge (hard to coordinate telephone conferences, much less in-person meetings). In a recent conference call brainstorming ideas about FSRN's future, we had 25 people together (reportes, staff, steering committee and board members) from cities including New Delhi, Kampala, London, DC, San Francisco, Madison, Denver, and New York.
Hope this answers some of your questions - let us know if there's more we can share with you.
Best, Catherine
Catherine Komp
FSRN's Features Producer
Date: Sat, Mar 28, 2009 at 8:41 AM
Hi …
FSRN does have a very open process. In terms of news production, FSRN has about 150 freelance reporters around the world, and much of our daily newscast is driven by the stories they pitch to us. We work with journalists who have many years of experience, and those who are just beginning. We do require contributors to have their own equipment. Here's a link to FSRN's pitch and reporting guidelines:
http://www.fsrn.org/content/reporter-guidelines/5
If there's anyone out there interested in becoming a contributor, send your CV and any audio samples (ideally similar in format to what FSRN airs - 60 seconds to 4 minutes in length) to producers [at] fsrn.org.
Some of FSRN's news is also driven by listeners who send us ideas and news tips. You can send those to both producers[at]fsrn.org and comments[at]fsrn.org.
In addition to what comes to us from reporters/listeners, FSRN staff does make editorial decisions each day. We have a DC editor and reporters who evaluate the top news on Capitol Hill. We have a headlines editor that incorporates a lot of breaking news. We also choose topics to be examined through one-on-one interviews with our host. All of these things are discussed during a morning editorial meeting and as news breaks throughout the day.
FSRN has a number of paid staff, many of whom were first reporters, staff subs, volunteers or SC members.
In terms of the bigger organizational structure, FSRN has a BOD and a Steering Committee (SC). FSRN members elect both the BOD and SC. A person is considered a member after filing (in one year's time) three or more features or investigative stories or six or more headlines, or a combination of both where two headlines equal one feature. People who volunteer 40 hours are also considered members as well as staff and the BOD.
FSRN staff, BOD and SC members live in cities across the globe. We often say this is our greatest strength (diversity of people and places) and our biggest challenge (hard to coordinate telephone conferences, much less in-person meetings). In a recent conference call brainstorming ideas about FSRN's future, we had 25 people together (reportes, staff, steering committee and board members) from cities including New Delhi, Kampala, London, DC, San Francisco, Madison, Denver, and New York.
Hope this answers some of your questions - let us know if there's more we can share with you.
Best, Catherine
Catherine Komp
FSRN's Features Producer
Why your recorder might not cut it for radio
The following is a letter sent to a producer who proposed doing some event recording for the syndicated program WINGS. The information also applies for recording for CJSF and other stations. - FW
Dear K___,
Thanks for the information about your recorder. I'm going to give you some not really great news about it.
I looked online and found the specifications about the Olympus VN-5000 model, and it's really a recorder for taking lecture notes or dictation and not for recording for broadcast. I'm not seeing from the description online whether there is any way to transfer the recorded files out of the machine onto a computer for editing. If you can do that, you might email me a sample of something recorded on your highest quality setting and I'll give a listen - maybe we can squeak by with it.
If there's no way to get the files out digitally, then the only way to get the audio out would be to play it back from the line-out of the recorder to a line-in on a computer, in real time. M___ may be able to show you that, or I could email you more information. There's a free and open-source software called Audacity that you can get, if you don't already have it.
Here are some of the things that make me dubious about the sound quality coming out of this recorder. I'm sending you the information because it will help you evaluate the next recorder you choose. :
One, is the sampling rate - this is something like how many dots you have in a picture printed in a magazine or newspaper - the more dots, the better the picture, and the more samples, the clearer the sound. Here the sampling rates available for the three settings on this model, Olympus VN 5000:
HQ: 17.6 kHz
SP: 10.6 kHz
LP: 6.6 kHz
What we use is 44.1 kHz, although sometimes we get audio that's been posted online sampled at 22.05 and we convert it to 44.1 by playing it in another system and re-recording it. So, at 17.6 kHz, even your "high quality" setting is not great for broadcast. Some people use this type of recorder to get 10-second sound-bites, but to listen to lower-quality audio for a long time on the radio is difficult.
Second, looking at features, this recorder has Voice Activation. It's to keep you from wasting space recording pauses. I don't know if that can be turned off - if not, you might lose both the pauses (which can be meaningful) and the beginnings of some words in a speech you record, as the machine turns itself on and off, giving a choppy effect.
Third, what are called "voice recorders" typically have an Automatic Gain Control feature to help you pick up the voice of a lecturer all the way from your seat in the auditorium - but that also bring up all the noises in the room along with it. It's not usually possible to get that kind of noise out of the recording afterwards.
If you have one of the noise-cancelling mics they describe as possible accessories for this recorder ( see page http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1388&fl=5&acccategory=all ), that might help keep the noise down, but it could be hard to position it correctly to pick up the voice of the person giving the talk. You could try using a strip of duct tape to attach it to the speaker's own microphone if you're allowed to do that by meeting organisers. I have no idea how formal the setting will be at WAM, but I think it's gotten pretty big, so the speakers probably use microphones.
Fourth, your recorder has a choice of using a built-in mic or a mic input, but no line input. Ideally, for recording a big event you'd want to have a recorder with a line-in jack, so you could record from the house mixing board or from a "press box" (also called a "mult") set up for the media to record. It's also possible to get a line-out from a headphone jack, in cases where headsets are used. (You need a cable to attach from the line-out to the line-in - could be one of 2 or 3 types.)
If you do try recording an event with this and you can't get your recorder on the podium and attach a mic to the speaker's mike (or, for instance if there are multiple speakers each with her own mic), it's possible you'd find a loudspeaker mounted close enough to the floor that you could hold your mic up to it and record the sound from that. You'd need to get it close but not too close, because if the sound is too loud it would be distorted. Only experimentation could prove whether this works.
I see this recorder is priced under $40. While there are new things happening every day in the audio world, so far I haven't found a recorder priced under at least $100 or more that has broadcast-quality sound. Typically you'd be looking in at least the $150 range or more. If you're thinking of buying another recorder, you might look for a ZoomH2. They have a lot of convenient features, are easy to use, and have a rather good sound quality. I ordered some from New Jersey for our station, and they were $175 apiece, but in New York you might find a better price.
I'm sorry to be discouraging about your device. Is there one at IWTC you could borrow that is better?
In sisterhood,
Frieda
Dear K___,
Thanks for the information about your recorder. I'm going to give you some not really great news about it.
I looked online and found the specifications about the Olympus VN-5000 model, and it's really a recorder for taking lecture notes or dictation and not for recording for broadcast. I'm not seeing from the description online whether there is any way to transfer the recorded files out of the machine onto a computer for editing. If you can do that, you might email me a sample of something recorded on your highest quality setting and I'll give a listen - maybe we can squeak by with it.
If there's no way to get the files out digitally, then the only way to get the audio out would be to play it back from the line-out of the recorder to a line-in on a computer, in real time. M___ may be able to show you that, or I could email you more information. There's a free and open-source software called Audacity that you can get, if you don't already have it.
Here are some of the things that make me dubious about the sound quality coming out of this recorder. I'm sending you the information because it will help you evaluate the next recorder you choose. :
One, is the sampling rate - this is something like how many dots you have in a picture printed in a magazine or newspaper - the more dots, the better the picture, and the more samples, the clearer the sound. Here the sampling rates available for the three settings on this model, Olympus VN 5000:
HQ: 17.6 kHz
SP: 10.6 kHz
LP: 6.6 kHz
What we use is 44.1 kHz, although sometimes we get audio that's been posted online sampled at 22.05 and we convert it to 44.1 by playing it in another system and re-recording it. So, at 17.6 kHz, even your "high quality" setting is not great for broadcast. Some people use this type of recorder to get 10-second sound-bites, but to listen to lower-quality audio for a long time on the radio is difficult.
Second, looking at features, this recorder has Voice Activation. It's to keep you from wasting space recording pauses. I don't know if that can be turned off - if not, you might lose both the pauses (which can be meaningful) and the beginnings of some words in a speech you record, as the machine turns itself on and off, giving a choppy effect.
Third, what are called "voice recorders" typically have an Automatic Gain Control feature to help you pick up the voice of a lecturer all the way from your seat in the auditorium - but that also bring up all the noises in the room along with it. It's not usually possible to get that kind of noise out of the recording afterwards.
If you have one of the noise-cancelling mics they describe as possible accessories for this recorder ( see page http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1388&fl=5&acccategory=all ), that might help keep the noise down, but it could be hard to position it correctly to pick up the voice of the person giving the talk. You could try using a strip of duct tape to attach it to the speaker's own microphone if you're allowed to do that by meeting organisers. I have no idea how formal the setting will be at WAM, but I think it's gotten pretty big, so the speakers probably use microphones.
Fourth, your recorder has a choice of using a built-in mic or a mic input, but no line input. Ideally, for recording a big event you'd want to have a recorder with a line-in jack, so you could record from the house mixing board or from a "press box" (also called a "mult") set up for the media to record. It's also possible to get a line-out from a headphone jack, in cases where headsets are used. (You need a cable to attach from the line-out to the line-in - could be one of 2 or 3 types.)
If you do try recording an event with this and you can't get your recorder on the podium and attach a mic to the speaker's mike (or, for instance if there are multiple speakers each with her own mic), it's possible you'd find a loudspeaker mounted close enough to the floor that you could hold your mic up to it and record the sound from that. You'd need to get it close but not too close, because if the sound is too loud it would be distorted. Only experimentation could prove whether this works.
I see this recorder is priced under $40. While there are new things happening every day in the audio world, so far I haven't found a recorder priced under at least $100 or more that has broadcast-quality sound. Typically you'd be looking in at least the $150 range or more. If you're thinking of buying another recorder, you might look for a ZoomH2. They have a lot of convenient features, are easy to use, and have a rather good sound quality. I ordered some from New Jersey for our station, and they were $175 apiece, but in New York you might find a better price.
I'm sorry to be discouraging about your device. Is there one at IWTC you could borrow that is better?
In sisterhood,
Frieda
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Using an iPhone for Broadcast-quality Interviews
by Alisha Edgelow
First of all download the italk application to the iphone.
Then make sure before recording to go to settings and make sure airplane mode is on so no calls can interrupt.
Then also make sure in settings to go to General, then Auto-lock and set it to Never, this will ensure the screen will not disappear off the italk application when it is in use.
You can use your iPhone microphone to record.
The recording is very simple: you just type in the name of your recording and press the big red circular record button; as it's recording the button turns green and there is a gauge at the bottom that shows your levels. To stop recording, you just press the green button; and you can press it again if you decide to continue recording, or, press stop to save your recording.
Then when you are ready to get your interview just plug your iphone into your mac *make sure you have your phone set to the same Wi-Fi connection as your computer and also make sure you have the italk application open on your phone.*
Isync will find your recordings and then you can just drag and drop what you want onto your desktop, or double click and it will go straight to your itunes library.
Have a great day :)
First of all download the italk application to the iphone.
Then make sure before recording to go to settings and make sure airplane mode is on so no calls can interrupt.
Then also make sure in settings to go to General, then Auto-lock and set it to Never, this will ensure the screen will not disappear off the italk application when it is in use.
You can use your iPhone microphone to record.
The recording is very simple: you just type in the name of your recording and press the big red circular record button; as it's recording the button turns green and there is a gauge at the bottom that shows your levels. To stop recording, you just press the green button; and you can press it again if you decide to continue recording, or, press stop to save your recording.
To get ready to move your recording to a computer for editing, google isync, and download the isync application to your mac (PC users, shame on you, I can't help there).
Then when you are ready to get your interview just plug your iphone into your mac *make sure you have your phone set to the same Wi-Fi connection as your computer and also make sure you have the italk application open on your phone.*
Isync will find your recordings and then you can just drag and drop what you want onto your desktop, or double click and it will go straight to your itunes library.
Have a great day :)
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