Collective-based community news - notes from other stations

These are notes from a meeting that just took place the first week of June at the NATIONAL CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY RADIO CONFERENCE 2011 in Halifax NS.

NEWS DEPARTMENT CAUCUS MEETING MINUTES

Partcipants were interested in:
- Developing a functional community news department
- How to get more reporters and more student participation in news

NEWS DEPT STRUCTURE

Based off of the community news departments at CKUT Montreal and CHRY Toronto, here is one model for a collective-based, community news department:

1) Mandate or Mission Statement.

The mandate is a short, series of statements that affirms the priorities of your news department. At the end of the day, what do you want to communicate and how do you want your department to impact the community? For example, this is the CHRY News and Spoken Word Department mandate:

"CHRY's News & Spoken Word Department is here foster a strong community-led movement for more critical, accountable and representative media. Our goal is to prioritize and promote the voices/sounds of local events and groups who challenge and carefully examine the intersecting forms of oppression among our communities and dominant structures of society.

CHRY is a community-based campus station at York University in Toronto. Our mandate is to provide alternative programming, including in-depth spoken word content targetted to specifically underserviced groups within our listening community. Although students play an important role in programming, we also provide access to members of the community at large. CHRY also provides training in radio production to volunteers. CHRY 105.5 FM is an anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-homophobic organization."

2) Trainings

Offering trainings on an ongoing basis (monthly, weekly, etc.) on basic skills volunteers need to contribute are key to sustaining a news department. Some skills include: voicing for radio, writing scripts for radio, audio editing with audacity, introduction to community news values, interviewing techniques, how to use a portable recorder, microphone technique, and research skills among others.

CKUT holds twice a year Training Days - a weekend where volunteers hold workshops on extra skills they want to share with other volunteers.

CHRY has a style guide they use for training. Vols get a copy and use it as a manual. It is attached with this email.

3) Regular News Dept Meetings

Another key component is holding regular news department meetings.
Meetings can include:
- editorial / story assignment meeting
- press packet - passing around the press releases/event listings your station has received. vols can sign up to cover stories
- team up - vols can pair up or work in teams on a story. new volunteers can shadow current volunteers to learn
- CKUT plans the content line up for the following week's Off the Hour community news show (mon-fri, 5-6pm)
- regular production/studio time every week to edit audio or work on pieces
- provide snacks, tea/juice, etc. = this brings people together!

4) Volunteer Roles

Collective member
Producer
Correspondent
Coordinator
Researcher
Engineer
Host
Trainers
Special project participant

5) Archiving Audio and Outreach

You can use your station's website for archiving, or make your own blog for free with wordpress.com.
Check these out for ideas: ckutnews.wordpress.com and chrynews.wordpress.com.

Also check out fsrn.org for reporter guidelines/manual.

--
Anabel Khoo
News & Spoken Word Coordinator
CHRY 105.5 FM Community Radio, Toronto
416-736-2100 ext. 33908
chrynews@yorku.ca
www.chry.fm

How to log your spoken word program

Every program that airs on CJSF has to have a log sheet. (Keeping this information well means keeping our broadcast licence.)

Please fill out a logsheet and send along with every pre-recorded show you send in or leave for CJSF to air. If your program is a repeat, you can just give the date and time that was on your previous logsheet - assuming it was accurate and complete.

Here is the info CJSF needs:

A. A brief description of the program content (could be just a topic and guest list). Include the language, if non-English.

B. Host/producer name

C. Time of any Station I.D.'s that are in the show (time from the beginning of the audio file you sent).

One legal station i.d. is required around the beginning of each hour. To be legal it has to include the call letters, the frequency, and the city of origin: CJSF 90.1 FM Burnaby.

If you don't have a station i.d. inside the pre-recorded show, be sure your show doesn't fill up the whole hour or half-hour, so one can be added. Leave at least 30 seconds for the i.d.

If you're using pre-recorded I.D.'s, give the CJSF PSA ID number. If you announce them yourself, just write "voice".
[If there's no Station ID. at the start of your show, please make sure the show you turn in is not more than 29 and a half or 59-1/2 minutes long.]

D. If you use pre-recorded PSAs, also give the time and PSA number. (If you read or say the PSA yourself, don't have to log.)

E. Music info (for any music you play for more than 5 seconds): (1) performer or band name, (2) song name, (3) check if Canadian Content, (4) track number if from a CD or record, (5) playlist number or library number if from CJSF music library.

F. Expiration Date - if any (for example, if the show plugs a coming event, when that information will be too old to air).

For a digital copy of the logsheet that you can fill in, email cjsprog@sfu.ca or cjsfpa@sfu.ca.

If you want help reviewing log sheet techniques, ask me or Sarah Buchanan.

The requirements for live shows are the same, except that you put actual times, and that you must put the name and phone number of anyone you interview live over the phone.

How to find a pronunciation

Try googling:

[your word] pronunciation

Equitable Portrayal is Required on CJSF's Airwaves

The following information was posted to members of the National Campus and Community Radio Association, by board member (and lawyer) Freya Zaltz:

Campus radio stations are bound by the CAB's Equitable Portrayal Code as a condition of licence, pursuant to this CRTC decision:

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2009/2009-63.htm

Community radio stations that originate 42 hours or more of programming in any broadcast week are also bound by the Equitable Portrayal Code as a condition of licence, pursuant to this CRTC decision:

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2000/PB2000-157.htm

The Equitable Portrayal Code can be found here:

http://www.cbsc.ca/english/codes/epc.php

It basically duplicates the definitions found in existing federal and provincial human rights legislation and the Charter right to equality in terms of what constitutes discrimination.

Freya

Apple iPhone FM receiver more myth than real

So, we were taking hope that Apple announced it was getting FM radio in iPhones - BUT, not so fast!

Apple to get FM radio in iPhones? Not this way, please

By James Cridland | December 7, 2010
Some true and false facts about the latest Apple radio rumours

"Apple iPhones have FM radios built in and they could turn them on at any time"

False.

The chip that does the wifi DOES also have FM reception functionality; but there's no antenna wired in, nor much of the other gubbins that would make it work properly. So, no, they won't work as an FM radio.

"Apple have just submitted an FM radio patent"

True.

This was actually originally submitted last year, but yes, they've submitted an FM radio patent. Here's the details.

But the patent is for the navigation of radio stations, not the simple addition of adding an FM radio in their mobile phone. According to a Nokia spokesman, Nokia sell 800,000 FM radios a day, so there's some prior art here! . . .

To read the rest of this article: http://www.mediauk.com/article/32736/apple-to-get-fm-radio-in-iphones%3F-not-this-way%2C-please

Tools for Women Human Rights Defenders

http://www.awid.org/eng/About-AWID/AWID-News/New-reference-tool-for-women-human-rights-defenders

25/11/2010

New reference tool for women human rights defenders

The Association for Women's Rights in Develoment (AWID) has compiled a useful reference tool for women human rights defenders, in collaboration with the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition.

The compilation lists research materials dealing with the security and protection of defenders, resources that women activists can consult concerning their wellbeing and self-care, manuals dealing with how to document and monitor violations of women’s rights, as well as manuals on the rights and mechanisms available to women human rights defenders at risk. The list also references materials that address specific themes particularly relevant to women defenders, such as sexual orientation, religious fundamentalisms and conflict.

Direct Link to Resource Tool Publication: WHRD_materials_resources.pdf

How to record a cell phone call - link from Shane

How to record a cell phone call
http://www.itbusiness.ca/messagent.aspx?ID=6u56ALxD7yKxugarWNjpFepI0C0CnIqVPGP4NVt6RaIuM2dAF

Shane

Thanks, Shane!