Came across this online radio journalism tutorial, the website is small and laid out simply.. There's no pictures, or ads and at first I thought it was an unfinished project because some pages initially looked blank, but then I noticed the text topic links near the top of each category page, and found it was indeed compleate with numerous brief topics, outlines, and suggestions, as well as audio examples. I find it of interest and motivating.
The website is the brainchild of Michael Meckler, who has worked in numerous radio stations including three years in the 1990s as a writer, producer and reporter at the pre-Westinghouse, pre-Infinity, pre-Viacom CBS owned-and-operated all-news WWJ in Detroit.
He has a master's degree in history and a Ph.D. in classical studies, and has taught at several universities, including Michigan, Ohio State and Yale.
Check it the tutorial out at http://www.newscript.com/
Here's an edit from the introduction of this free little course..
"..The Newswriting for Radio website is an online tutorial on the craft of radio journalism, with particular attention to the writing of news scripts. Since 1996, newscript.com has been providing creative suggestions and ideas to radio news reporters, writers and anchors, as well as to broadcast journalism students around the world...
..Although the Newswriting for Radio website has been extensively used in college journalism courses, the website is not meant to replace a broadcast newswriting textbook. The Newswriting for Radio website is a supplement to coursework, and especially to on-the-job experience...
.. On several of the pages, sample news scripts are accompanied.. by the speaker symbol.. indicates that you can listen to a sound file.. Listening to these files will allow you to hear .. patterns of voice modulation regularly used in radio newscasts..."
On a kind of off-note; Something I read there reminded me of something Carl said in a recent LPH episode.. He was talking about how WIKI news pages have a tendency of writing in the present tense when reporting past events..
With that in mind I quote a paragraph from the radio tutorial discussed above..
"...Print is a distancing medium, separating events through the filter of the written word from the immediacy of their occurrence. Newspapers are also written hours before they are read, so the events described seem "old news." Radio, on the other hand, has an intimate, "you-are-there" quality that is enhanced by the use of the present tense. Newsmakers spoke to newspaper reporters ("Bush said...."); they speak to a radio audience ("BUSH SAYS....")..."
I'm really glad you posted this link Richard, and will read it closely this afternoon.
At the next Meeting of ALPB I will make the link part of the record, of course naming you as the contributor. If you are able to attend, I will invite you to presnt the link.
Some of the things we do in Part 15 radio actually contribute to a broadcast education, and the ALPB should issue diplomas.