Briggs Ch. 7 March 1, 2011
Posted by acusumano in : Assignments , trackbackEverybody knows that links and video are advantages to online journalism that don’t exist in print, but people often neglect to acknowledge the value of audio as well. Audio offers many options for things that wouldn’t be practical or possible in video.
Words and quotes may be powerful on paper, but imagine how much stronger they would be heard directly from the source, with all the subtle tones and pauses present. Sometimes those can say even more than the actual words of the quote.
One of the biggest formats in which audio reporting has emerged in recent years is podcasting. Podcasts are typically almost like talk radio, only focused on a singular topic and scheduled on a semi-regular basis. I generally don’t follow podcasts, as I like to listen to music while I’m using the computer, but I do enjoy checking out the Hipsters United podcast about the Smashing Pumpkins. Once you grow accustomed to the commentators, it makes for a fun listen on a subject I (usually) enjoy hearing about. For people who might not be as interested in the 90s alt-rockers as I am, there are thousands of podcasts you can subscribe to on iTunes.
Any reporter that wishes to utilize audio will have to select a digital recorder. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when doing so:
- File format. Make sure it’s something compatible with your software and of decent quality.
- Capacity. You probably don’t need to keep 300+ hours of audio, but hey, it can’t hurt to have the space.
- Interface. Is it easy to use? Are there too many menus to go through to use it properly?
- Power source. Does it run on batteries or do you have to charge it?
- Connectivity. If you can’t even get the files onto your computer, maybe you should leave audio reporting to the pros.
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