Lecture 5

A Face for the Radio


All in all I'm not a big radio person, I'm much too visual to be stimulated by only voice. Talk back is possibly my pet hate. I enjoy listening to the news on the radio and music but conversations create rage when I'm driving. Luckily I usually listen to my ipod in the car, saves pedestrians. I guess I'm showing my youth by favouring new media.


However listening to this sound lecture had me thinking and re-evaluating my skewed priorities. Even a few "ohhhh" moments were had. Slowly the elegance and true complexity of a good radio interview emerged from the sea of terrible, high pitched, fluffy, cheesy interviews, with too many additional sound clips. I will not say its my favourite kind of journalism or anything quite so rash. But my strong loathing has diminished.

I agreed with the time brackets for radio, just talk back for an hour would drive me insane but human interest I could engage in for longer periods, given its something interesting. Even though I spend hours watching vlogs and blogs that have absolutely no purpose or substance (eg jenna marbles), but have no time for the radio.

I didn't realise the skill involved in interviewing on the radio, it reminded me of counselling, creating a safe environment for the interviewee to feel comfortable and reveal things about the topic and themselves. After listening I went and got a newspaper. Tip taken. I guess hotmail news isn't really the best portrayal of the world's events.

"Radio is a theatre of the mind", in one quote my previous view seemed so teenaged and silly. I felt as if I have been neglecting such an integral part of media and some how severely uncultured. After swallowing those 7 words and feeling an inch tall, I decided to never again complain when my Grandad puts of ABC radio. Instead, now I will sit there, like the regal lady I am and reply to the interviewers in the same manner as my Grandad. Intellectual banter will flow and people will be impressed by my worldly demeanour. Take that hours spent on Facebook and youtube! You will no longer dumb me down.

Now equipped with a newspaper and a new soft spot for radio, I will take on the world of new media. Be afraid instagram, be very afraid.