Qualities of a good radio journalist

There has rarely been a better time to start in radio. More people are
employed in radio in the UK than in television. The industry is growing
Working in radio


fast and the main problem facing many editors is finding sufficient staff
and freelancers who can do the job. Note the words ‘who can do the job’.
There is no shortage of people who would like to do it. Sadly, not all of
them have abilities to match their ambition.


It is essential that you should know what you want to do. The first letters
to be rejected by radio stations usually start: ‘I would be willing to do
anything, including making the tea.’ The writers of such letters believe
they are increasing their chances of employment by showing versatility. In
fact, people who are too dazzled by radio in general are unlikely to be
much use in practice.


Apart from journalists, the other major on-air performers are the presenters.
The term ‘presenter’ can cover all kinds of broadcasting, from being a
DJ on a fast-moving dance show to reading the shipping forecast on Radio
Four. On BBC local radio stations, the presenters of the main programmes
at breakfast, lunch and drive time are usually experienced journalists.


A competent radio journalist has to combine the traditional talents of the
reporter with the newer skills. Some know a little about a lot. Others, like
specialist reporters, know a lot about a little. Traditional talents mean an
ability to write clear, easily understood English, a knack of summarizing
complicated situations, asking pertinent but pithy questions and – most
important of all – a ‘nose for news’ or knowing what makes a good
news story.


In addition, the radio journalist must feel at home with technical equipment
and digital editing techniques. This means hard disk editing, recording
links and packages, reading self-op live bulletins on air and conducting
interviews. If many of these terms mean nothing, do not worry. They are
all explained later.


The good radio journalist is flexible, technically competent, capable of
working under extreme time pressure, able to prioritize and juggle dealing
with a major disaster and a funny story in the same hour. Journalists must
also be able to think well on their feet, perhaps recording an interview or
writing details of a court case story literally a few seconds before they are
due on air.


The quality of imagination in a radio journalist does not mean the quality
of making up stories, but having ideas for news stories and their treatments,
as well as seeing newsworthy possibilities in unpromising places,
like apparently endless council meeting minutes and agendas.

Basic Radio Journalism
Paul Chantler and Peter Stewart