Diary

Making the Sound Bite Count!

Wednesday 13th October 2010

Reference : past13102010

Report on the media seminar held in the BBC's Broadcasting House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast.

The seminar was led by Mike Philpott and Iain Webster and full use was made of the facilities in Broadcasting House.

In addition to the core skills based learning, the programme provided an opportunity to see a live television news broadcast from a BBC producer's point of view, which included time in the studio gallery during the transmission of the lunchtime news, and seeing how interviews are set up and conducted.

As this one-day workshop is highly interactive involving practice interviews, playback and one-to-one advice and coaching only 6 places available on any of the workshops. The structure of the day allows plenty of time for one-to-one coaching.

The workshop is led by two very experienced presenters, Mike Philpott and Iain Webster, who have extensive knowledge and experience in the newspaper, radio and television industries-locally, nationally and internationally. Mike and Iain will provide coaching in interview techniques with the aim of making participants feel more at ease in front of the camera or microphone. Those attending these workshops are asked to think of some work-based issue on which to rehearse an interview. Everything is kept strictly confidential. The presenters give those involved a feel for the industry, its mores and what makes a story newsworthy.

The programme, among other things, covers issues such as:

• Press releases, what they say, how they are written and what makes a story newsworthy;
• How news bulletins are prepared and how a live broadcast is put together;
• The criteria editors use when selecting stories and what to do when approached for an interview;
  The different contexts within which interviews take place including remote interviews; and
• Panel discussions and phone-ins with up to nine lines.
  Click here for a copy of the programme.

The fee for the workshop, which runs at fairly regular intervals, is £295 plus VAT.

 

« BACK