To teach audio to the newsroom
Our paper just bought three audio recorders. In the waning days of 2007, the managing editor walked up to me and handed me the company credit card with orders to buy audio recorders and microphones and not to go too much over $300. I pushed it to $400 and we got some nice stuff. (Edit: I got three Olympus DS-20 for the newsroom.)
But who is going to use them? When I got here I was the only one who recorded and edited audio. After I bought my Olympus DS-40 I sold my two-year-old WS-100 to a coworker, and she’s been playing with it for a couple of months. I don’t know if anything has been put on the Web yet, but she’s learning and so far very enthusiastic about it.
Anyway, the paper has held one audio training to get reporters and photographers used to the new devices. Only two people showed for the first training, a photog and a sports reporter who already has his own recorder. The second training was postponed due to lack of reporters.
Mindy McAdams has some great suggestions on how to get reporters used to new recorders and also the editing process. I’ve been asked to lead the reporters through the learning process in the next to-be-scheduled audio session with the recorders and I think I’ll try to use this tutorial to ease them along.
Right now the only obstacle I can see is the lack of computers with Garageband (the program we use) and also the fact that we don’t have an audio conversion program on any of our computers. Right now we have to go next door to the Web gurus and have to have one of them convert it for us (the upgraded version of Switch costs $20, and I think the editor is looking for something free, suggestions welcome). I am also not sure if we have enough computers with Garageband to do this properly, but I haven’t checked.
Then, of course, is the reporter resistance factor. I already know there are a few who are not at all interested in audio. That’s fine. When I mentioned the newsroom was getting audio recorders, one reporter complained that the newsroom isn’t providing training or headphones and that we have to learn new programs and on and on and on. Said person is not receptive, and that’s OK. I’ll teach those who want to learn and move on.
For the moment, though, I hope the editor will reschedule said learning session until after the newsroom has filled its two open positions. That way the new reporters can benefit from the session, and also, we might even have time to implement one of Mindy’s suggestions:
Tell them you know they can figure out ways to incorporate this into their normal reporting. Encourage the reporters to buddy up with the photojournalists. Then let them go. Those who will, will.
Maybe a week or two later, have a show-off session. Free pizza. Everybody who comes brings their best audio. Play them all. Everyone is asked to make positive comments about each example heard. After everyone comments on mine, then you ask me to say what is wrong with it. This is a very good method. No one criticizes negatively except the person who made it. Everybody learns and feels good. It’s worth it!