Radio formats and the art of going live
Radio has its own vocabulary of formats and its own demanding test: the live report. Learn what each form can do, then prepare a clear route through your facts so that speaking naturally never depends on improvising the essentials.
The essentials
Know the formats. A straight radio report explains or describes; a sound-rich report takes listeners into a place through its atmosphere. A voiced package combines interview clips with the reporter’s links. A soundbite is an interview extract. Interviews can challenge a public official or explain a subject through a specialist. Commentary and editorials belong to opinion, which must remain distinguishable from reporting.
Prepare before going live. Being at the scene does not provide a structure. Write the main facts in the order you will use them, choosing full sentences or brief prompts according to your confidence. Simplify language and limit figures: listeners cannot easily hold several numbers in their heads.
Breathe before speaking, allow pauses and rehearse against the clock. Prepare the closing line before you start: it brings the report to a clear finish and hands back to the presenter. The natural voice of a good live report rests on a structure already worked out.
Take it to the field
Before a live report, prepare your first sentence, three facts in order and your closing line. Write the allotted time at the top of your notes. You can then respond to events without losing your thread.
Your turn
Make a 90-second voiced package about a local debate. Include two contrasting interviewees, about 30 seconds of clips in total, and your connecting narration. Record it on your phone.