A Long Awaited Post

             I know, I know, my posts are irregular and (this one in particular) long overdue. I was supposed to write about my sound lecture two and a half weeks ago, yet only got around to listening to it last night. At least now I cant blog about both of the last lectures in one post, right? Be prepared for what could be a very long babble.

Lecture 5

"Radio is the theatre of the mind"

             As this lecture was all about sound, we were told to stay home and listen to the podcast to understand exactly what the lecturers were trying to say. The podcast, split into two parts, was all about how to carry an interview over the radio without boring the guest, yourself and, most importantly, the audience.
             The first part was an interview with Richard Fidler from ABC Conversations. He talked about how he got into radio after first being on TV, about what he needed to learn to be a successful broadcaster and pretty much just how to understand radio. These are the main things he learnt:

1. Radio is a very different medium as people can't be distracted from images you put on the screen, so you have to learn to be warm and genuine to draw in audiences.
2. Radio has to sound almost like a voice inside your head. It works best if the listener believes they are part of the conversation and not just eavesdropping.
3. Use humour to make your guest feel more relaxed. The more relaxed they are, the more the walls come down, the more they tell on the show.

             The best part of his interviews, he said, was when the guests let their guard down so much that they remembered and talked about things that they had completely forgotten themselves. And I agree completely, because it's a great feeling to know that somebody can trust you with certain information and if he can get people comfortable on air, while they are being broadcasted to the whole of Australia, he must be extremely good at what he does. I've never listen to Conversations, but I admit that this has piqued my interest and after I finish writing this I'm going to try and find past interviews and see if there's anyone I recognize. 

              The second part of the podcast was an interview with Steve Austin from ABC radio. He talked about struggles with identity at a young age, not knowing where his life was going and finally deciding on being a radio broadcaster. He is a great example for perseverance. He grovelled, he volounteered, and he finally got into radio (and at the ABC, no less!).

               His advice: know what the listener wants. Different people listen at different times and for different reasons. Not many 50 year-olds would want to listen to an interview with Lady Gaga, just like not many 18 year-old would want to listen to an interviw with Julia Gillard. People have different interests, and it's important to accommodate for as many as possible.

               Both interviewers agreed that giving the guest space was the key to them opening up. Don't do anything on radio that you wouldn't do in real life. Be human, because humans are all emotional creatures and driven by experiences. 

               All in all, this broadcast was about making interviewees comfortable enough to open up on air. A useful skill to have, no doubt.

Lecture 6

               Last week's lecture was one of the most interesting ones to date. It was all about the Australian media landscape and commercial media VS public media.

               Commercial media, for example Channel 9, 7 and 10, is all profit-driven. It's not funded by the government and all about generating a high audience. There are three forms of commercial media:

1. Subscription (E.g. Foxtel)
2. Sponsored (E.g. Channel 9)
3. Subsidized (Government funded)

               A big question posed was whether media outlets could really deliver in both commercial and social functions or if it really is all about the money. TV broadcasters are always saying that they are the ones we should trust, but the the question of spread of information VS making money has never been satisfyingly answered. The media has a responsibility towards its viewers to always be truthful, comprehensible, intelligent and generous. 

               One of the most important areas of media is a "Public Sphere" - where audiences can debate freely and form public opinions. A big part of the news is what everyone thinks about it. IT wouldn't be news at all if nobody reacted to it, would it? There's always what's called an "Ethical Wall" between commercial and social media. Commercial involves advertising and sales, whereas social is all about editorials. Both thrive on public opinion.

               Also mentioned were the new social controls, such as video game ratings and deciding which movies are released in our country (an example being "The Human Centipede" - or the the "Hungry, Hungry Catapiller", as Bruce called it). There was recently an attempt to censor all computers in the country, which led up to the "No Clean Feed" campaign to secure our freedom of choice. Also mentioned was government funding of certain newspapers and, therefore, government control over news release. Licensed Journalism, which doesn't exist in Australia anymore, still remains an issue to areas such as Indonesia and East Timor and is another example of government control.

               Profit over quality tends to be the way media outlets think. Commercial medias are dumbing down (looking at you, Today Tonight) and a 'desire to please' is taking over. But what can we do? With the internet growing bigger every day, it's easier to just click button and have everything in front of you instead of waiting around a hoping it may come up on your television screen.

               To everybody who is still reading this: I congratulate you. Thanks for sticking by me. Hoefully I'll post again soon, but to everyone who knows me, you know that's unlikely. But keep checking! I might surprise you ;)