Sound Reporting: The NPR Guide to Audio Journalism and Production
Stories have been told eons longer than they have been written, and we still love to listen. Because the human voice is intimate and compelling, radio remains a favorite medium, wonderfully companionable and portable, especially as computers provide webcasts and downloadable files. Many avid listeners are enamored of the spoken-word programs heard on National Public Radio, and now Kern, formerly the executive producer of All Things Considered and currently in charge of training at NPR, delineates the values and practices that yield stellar audio journalism. Comprehensive and lucid, this distinctive handbook explains how sound paints pictures and how narratives are shaped and paced for the ear instead of the eye. Readers will recognize the NPR staffers who contribute telling anecdotes to Kern’s instructions in areas ranging from fairness and accuracy to field and studio production, the difference between reporting and hosting, the importance of background research, and the subtleties of booking. As media evolves in this digital do-it-yourself era, Kern’s insider course in audio journalism deepens appreciation for the professionals we rely on to set high standards. --Donna Seaman