How to make Radio documentaries and feature to have better listeners involvement By: Zeeshan Qasim

1. ZEESHAN QASIM
CAMPUS RADIO
104.6
HOW TO MAKE RADIO
FEATURES ?

2. Campus Radio Feature

3. OBJECTIVES
The learner will be able to:
 Describe the special characteristics of a
feature story.
 List ideas that could be developed into a
feature story.
 Explain the importance of organization in
recording process
 develop a polished feature story for campus
Radio.

4. NEWS FEATURE
 news conveys factual
information,
hopefully of a more
or less dramatic
nature, of which the
listener is not aware.
 Features on the
other hand seek to
convey context and
meaning against
which information
can be viewed.
NEWS Vs. FEATURES

5. Take!
 Feature story as a news story more like a piece of a short
Radio fiction. You must combine the rigors of factual reporting
with the creative freedom of short-story telling fiction devices.
 The feature story’s form must be more fluid than that of a
news story; the inverted pyramid style won’t work here
because the story needs a definite beginning, middle and end.
 Listeners won’t have to listen few conclusions; they will
have to listen the whole story to understand it.
 Feature stories place a greater emphasis on facts that
have human interest.
Features put people in the story; they make the reader think
and care.
You can make a feature story about anyone if you find an
unusual angle that captures the interest of your listeners.

6. NEWS FEATURES TIMELESS STORY
News features, which
are either packages or
follow-up that is linked
to a breaking news
event.
Timeless story, which
does not have to be
used immediately.
The information in
this story will be just
as relevant if saved
for a future issue
FEATURE STORIES ARE OF TWO TYPES

7. HOW TO
MAKE
RADIO
FEATURES
 In either type of feature story,
good reporting is essential.
 You collect as many details as
possible.
 You describe people, settings and
feelings, the elements of
storytelling.

8. When all the details are added together, the
listener is placed in the scene you are describing

9. For each Feature story, before you start your reporting, when you are
just conceptualizing coverage and Broad Casting, begin this way:
Ask,
•Who are the audiences for this story? (multiple audiences stakeholders)
•What information do they need to have in the story so they can make up
their own minds about what to think?
For instance, if the story is discussing a change in behavior, can a citizen
actually understand how that behavior would affect them from the story?
•What is missing?
How do you make local connections to the National economic crisis, for
instance? The sugar shortage by following it from harvest in rural areas to
storage, until it was sold as part of a large order of trade contract in bi-
lateral trade agreement?
This approach has another virtue. It not only helps you think about the
audience. It helps you reconsider your source list, where you go for info.
Most likely, our source constituency is not broad enough.

10. Finding Subject Matter
 There are no restrictions on subject matter.
 You are limited only by your imagination.
 Often a feature story is a simple story about a
common person in an uncommon circumstance.
 The feature’s job is to find a fresh angle—to find the
story behind the person

11. Broaden Your Source Base
 Here's an example of rethinking sources that some
reporters in Washington used first: Keep track of retired
Federal employees to develop a list of experts, programs
like capital talk’, ‘jirga’ ( Geo) and ‘current affairs’
(P.T.V) have now successfully adopted this pattern by
inviting former diplomats, government and political
high-ups, who know how things work, where the bodies
are buried and are usually less burdened by workplace
concerns.
 Work the think-tank networks.
 Use new technology to help expand your stories in two
directions and weave into your stories the insights of
international experts (located at universities for
example).

12. "The best stories
reach us on some
elemental level.
There's something
very important
that's always going
on in a very simple
way in good
stories.”
NBC
correspondent,
John Larson
 Connect The Story To Deeper Themes
Look for the story of why things happen,
the way they do, and then look for a way
to tell that story.
One way to do so is to tell the story of the
revolution of judiciary by chief justice ch.
iftikhar, the most influential man in
political process of restoration of
democracy, who isn‟t a politician.
It should not be just a biography of justice
ch. iftikhar. It should be all about how the
public power works, how an influential
man in the country won confidence,
when there were already so many leaders
trying to influence public opinion.
The deeper theme here would be that
someone behind the scenes is often more
important than the public figures.

13. What is the fight in Afghanistan really about?
Why Musharraf suddenly allied with U.S on
this?
Why China is interested in PAK-INDIA peace
process?
 Why Mian Nawaz Sharif, Maulana Fazalu
Rahman and Munawar Hassan differ so much
even though they are thought quite conservative.

14. Find A Hook
 Even the best writer can find it hard to get a reader's
interest when the story seems foreign to the reader.
Is there a hook, some common ground or relatively
unknown link that might get someone interested in a
subject?
 On a story about vehicle smuggling from Afghanistan till
down districts by Allah Noor at University Canteen - a story
not just about the crime, taxes, religious moral and ethical
debates- but about where the cars are going and who are
using them.
 What is the thing readers need to know if they know
almost nothing about the subject but it matters?

15. “ Man can‟t
dip into the
same river
twice”
“Every
Dawn
brings a
new day
for you”
Find The Inherent Structure
 Nowadays with the decreasing size of
correspondents, a journalist has to
cover a vast array of topics ranging
from Health to War to the worlds of
night life and hip-hop music.
 One of the keys in handling various
stories is to realize that every story has
a kind of structure inside it, the way
some sculptors talk about a piece of
stone having a statue inside.
 You can become a clicking reporter
if you take time to figure out what that
structure is, to make the story come to
life.

16. Give Background And History
What background would a newcomer who is affected by the
story need to know so that they might care about it? For
example, on the issue of FATA Scholarships cuts in Gomal
University:
 Where did the idea of Scholarships cuts come from?
 What is Scholarship cut?
 What was situation like before it?
Another virtue of asking what does my audience need to know
is that it can lead to creating new entry points into stories-such
as asking, what background would a newcomer who is
affected, or has a stake in the story, need to know so that they
might care about it.
So often, the feature seems like something for bureaucrats,
spoken in a language, official speak, that only the initiated
understand, especially if you are using research script as your
base material. What new entry points can you create into
stories?

17. How Many Sides Are There?
 It may be more interesting if there are three or four,
rather than only two. In most stories there usually
are more than two sides.
 Is the population debate, for example, really reflected
in the arguments of the organized pro-life and pro-
choice movements?
On the other hand, in stories which truly are two-
sided, do the facts require you to give both equal
weights? Think, for example, of the debate over
whether global warming is a fact or is Kalabagh Dam
progress. There may be voices on both sides of the
argument, but the prevalence of evidence and
opinions argue it is occurring.
 How does this affect whom you should call and how
much space sources should get in story?

18. S o m e B r o a d c a s t e r s F e e l T h e i r P e r s o n a l i t y W i l l C a r r y T h r o u g h
T h e M o s t S i t u a t i o n s A n d A F o r m a l S c r i p t s M a k e s T h e m E i t h e r
L e s s E x c i t i n g O r L e s s S p o n t a n e o u s .
T h e O p p o s i t i o n O f T h i s I s G e n e r a l l y T h e C a s e : A S c r i p t I s
E s s e n t i a l I n A n y F e a t u r e O r A u d i o O f A n y L e n g t h T o G i v e I t
C o h e s i o n A n d I n t e l l i g e n c e A n d T o E n s u r e T h e S t o r y D o e s n ‟ t
B e c o m e L o s t .
I f N e e d e d , A n I n d i v i d u a l M a y B e n e f i t F r o m S c r i p t I n
F o l l o w i n g M a n n e r :
W r i t e A n I n i t i a l S c r i p t O u t l i n i n g T h e I d e a .
L i s t T h e F i r s t P o i n t s O f T h e P i e c e I n L o g i c a l O r d e r .
M a k e S u r e T h e O p e n i n g I s I n t e r e s t i n g A n d A t t r a c t s T h e
L i s t e n e r s „ A t t e n t i o n
U s e O r d i n a r y L a n g u a g e A n d S h o r t S e n t e n c e s
Write A Draft Script

19. Principles Of Composition
 Strunk and White's ‘Elements of Style’ has been
read by the university students for years, but in its
pages are lessons that are valuable to anyone at any
age who compose anything ranging from promo,
package to feature and documentary.
Next slide are the rules the book sets out for good
composition>)

20. •Choose a Suitable Design and Hold to It. Planning must be a
deliberate preface to gathering. Foresee or determine the shape of what is
to come and pursue that shape.
•Make chunks the Unit of Composition. Large blocks of recording
can look formidable to you at multi track-editing. But breaking them up
too much can look like ad-promo. Moderation and order are the main
considerations.
•Use the Active Voice. It is generally more direct and vigorous than
the passive.
•Put Statements in Positive Form. Avoid tame colorless language.
Use the word "not" as a means of denial or in antithesis, not as a means
of evasion.
•Use Definite, Specific, Concrete Language. The surest way to
arouse a listener's attention is by being specific. Use words that call
pictures to mind.

21. •Omit Needless Words. Vigorous narration is concise. A sentence
should contain no unnecessary words. A cue should contain no
unnecessary sentences.
•Avoid a Succession of Loose Sentences. In particular this means
sentences made up of two clauses. The style can become boring for the
reader.
•Express Coordinate Ideas in Similar Form. Parallel construction
allows readers to more readily recognize likeness of content and function
.
•Keep Related Words Together. The position of words in a sentence
in the principle means of shoeing their relationship. Brings words
together that are related in thought.
•In narration, Keep One Tense. Don't switch back and forth. Choose
one and hold to it.

22. Find The Right Voice
 You have many voices. You speak to your friends
differently than you do your parents or your
teachers. If you have a job, you have a voice for your
boss. When you take on a persona, or character. You
must choose a voice that best imparts the
information in that story.
 The choice you make becomes the tone, or mood of
the story, and it should always match the content.
For instance, you would not use humor about a
tragic auto accident.

23. Putting The Story In The Black Box
 The Black Box is a system Reed designed to
help reporters handle unruly information. It
aids them in sorting through and prioritizing
the information they have and helps
reporters quickly and clearly make the case
for their stories to their editors.
 With the system, devising a story is
essentially boiled into four phases:

24. Reporting Phase
GATHER
SEARCH
ASK
INTERVIEW
SORT

25. Black Box Phase
 What is this information?
 What does it mean?
 What does it signify?
 What is the cue?
 What is the lead?
 What is its context - with what does it connect?
 Do talents contribute effective to the piece?
 Do the angle or idea run throughout the piece?
 So what?
 Who cares?
 How can you quickly tell it to the clueless and make it
count?

26. Editing Phase
 Briefly tell yourself what the story says
 Tell yourself the single element that
captures the story
 Be firm to defend your thinking.

27. C H E E K I T F R O M L I S T E N E R S ‟ P E R S P E C T I V E
B E F O R E D E V E L O P I N G T H E I D E A T H E R E A R E Q U E S T I O N S T H A T S H O U L D B E
A S K E D A B O U T T H E P L A N N E D W O R K .
I S T H E I D E A S T R O N G E N O U G H T O M A K E A F E A T U R E ?
H A S I T B E E N D O N E B E F O R E ?
I S T H E R E A N A L T E R N A T I V E A N G L E T O T H E S U B J E C T I V E N O T P R E V I O U S L Y
E X A M I N E D ?
W H O I S A I M E D A N D W I L L T H E L I S T E N E R F I N D I T I N T E R E S T I N G ?
W H A T P O T E N T I A L B A R R I E R S A R E T H E R E T O A N Y L I K E L Y P R O D U C T I O N ?
I S T H E F E A T U R E R I G H T F O R T H E I N T E N D E D B R O A D C A S T M E D I A ?
Finishing Phase

28. Finishing Phase
 NOW CHEEKLIST THE ENTIRE WORK:
 You've got a lead; now order a sequence in telling:
organize.
 Narrate quickly, staying on track - you can go
back and tweak.
 As you proceed, periodically ask yourself: Who
cares?
 As you progress, periodically frighten yourself: The
audience is leaving.
 When you finish, go back and ruthlessly cut words
and sentences that sound strange or unnecessary.
 Before last listening, say "no one cares"; let the
story change your mind.

29. I N R A D I O A R E P O R T E R I S R E S P O N S I B L E F O R A L L S T A G E S
O F R A D I O P R O D U C T I O N
I N C O M M E R C I A L R A D I O , P A R T I C U L A R L Y I N S M A L L E R
M A R K E T S , E V E N T H E D J S O F S T A T I O N A R E R E S P O N S I B L E
F O R P R O D U C I N G F E A T U R E S . T H E W H O L E P R O C E S S , F R O M
R E S E A R C H I N G T H E S U B J E C T T O P U T T I N G I T O N C O M P U T E R S
B E L O N G S T O H I M / H E R .
Detailed Element Of Producing
Broadcast Features:

30. MUSIC IS USED TO SET THE MOOD FOR A
PRODUCTION. IT CAN CREATE A FEELING OF
EXCITEMENT, TRANQUILITY, SUSPENSE OR SADNESS.
FOUR TYPES OF MUSIC CAN BE USED IN
PRODUCTION:
THEME
BACKGROUND
BRIDGE
FILL
Selecting the Music:

31. I F Y O U A R E D O I N G A S E R I E S O F S P O T S O N A P A R T I C U L A R
C H A R A C T E R , T H E M E M U S I C W I L L E N D I D E N T I F I C A T I O N T O
T H A T S U B J E C T O R C H A R A C T E R . A V O I D U S I N G F A M I L I A R
S O N G S A S T H E M E S .
Theme

32. B a c k g r o u n d M u s i c H e l p s S e t T h e M o o d O f T h e F e a t u r e P r o d u c t i o n
A n d I t I n c r e a s e s A u d i e n c e A p p e a l .
A V o i c e - o n l y P r o d u c t i o n C a n B e V e r y B o r i n g , E s p e c i a l l y , I f I t I s
J u s t O n e V o i c e .
W h e n Y o u A r e S e l e c t i n g M u s i c F o r B a c k g r o u n d , I n s t r u m e n t a l I s
U s u a l l y P r e f e r r e d O v e r M u s i c W i t h V o c a l s .
V o c a l S o n g s T e n d T o D i s t r a c t T h e L i s t e n e r F r o m T h e M e s s a g e O f
T h e P r o d u c t i o n .
V o c a l M u s i c M a y B e U s e d , B u t O n l y I f I t C o n t r i b u t e s T o T h e
M e s s a g e . W h e n V o c a l s A r e U s e d , L e v e l B a l a n c e B e c o m e s C r i t i c a l S o
T h a t T h e M u s i c D o e s n ’ t O v e r r i d e T h e M e s s a g e .
B a c k g r o u n d M u s i c S h o u l d B e U n r e c o g n i z a b l e A n d M a t c h T h e
S u b j e c t . B y A d d i n g T h e R i g h t B a c k g r o u n d M u s i c , Y o u A d d T o T h e
A e s t h e t i c A p p e a l O f T h e F e a t u r e .
Background

33. B R I D G E M U S I C C O N N E C T S O R ” B R I D G E S ” T W O I D E A S O R
T H O U G H T S . B R I D G E M U S I C , A L S O C A L L E D T R A N S I T I O N A L
M U S I C , W A S U S E D I N R A D I O T H E A T R E T O C H A N G E S C E N E
.
A S H O R T I N S T R U M E N T A L F A N F A R E C A N S I G N A L A C H A N G E
I N T O P I C - O R , A N E W S C E N E C A N B E I N T R O D U C E D W I T H
S H O R T M U S I C A L T H E M E T H A T S U G G E S T S A P A R T I C U L A R
L O C A T I O N .
Bridge

34. F I L L M U S I C I S O F T E N C A L L E D ” P A D ” M U S I C A N D I S
U S U A L L Y A N U N R E C O G N I Z A B L E I N S T R U M E N T A L S O N G . I F
Y O U R F E A T U R E P R O D U C T I O N I S R E Q U I R E D T O B E A
C E R T A I N L E N G T H , Y O U C A N U S E F I L L M U S I C T O E A T U P
T I M E A T T H E E N D .
T H I S A L S O A L L O W S T H E P E R S O N A I R I N G T H E
P R O D U C T I O N A N O P P O R T U N I T Y T O T R A N S I T I O N T O T H E
N E X T P R O G R A M E L E M E N T G R A C E F U L L Y W I T H L E S S
C H A N C E O F L A P S I N G I N T O D E A D A I R .
Fill

35. T H E U S E O F S O U N D E F F E C T S W O R K M U C H T H E S A M E W A Y
A S M U S I C .
T H E P U R P O S E O F S O U N D E F F E C T I S T O E N H A N C E T H E
S P O K E N W O R D . C R E A T I V E U S E O F S O U N D C A N H E L P
D E V E L O P A V I V I D P I C T U R E I N T H E M I N D O F T H E L I S T E N E R .
T H E S U C C E S S O F A N A U D I O P R O D U C T I O N O F T E N D E P E N D S
O N T H E M E N T A L P I C T U R E M A D E U P B Y D I F F E R E N T S O U N D
E F F E C T S .
Selecting sound effects

36. Final Test
 Any Feature should pass the three C’s test.
 Clear
 Concise
 Correct
If, it does, and the content is put together with care
and passion, its quite likely it may even be an award
winning piece of audio.

37. BEST OF LUCK!!!!!
Future‟s Feature
Journalists…