Author: Simon Nunn

With my second learning objective being around social media is it key to find where their social media is outputted and how similar brands do so, such as Radio 1, or Newsbeat (BBC Radio 1’s news service).

In regards to Newsbeat’s’ social media output, this spans Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with each of them having a different way of being approached and different content on each platform. For example with Newsbeat’s Facebook page, it heavily utilises video content which has varying places it has come from, for example, some clips are from other BBC Local radio stations or BBC Radio 5 live, or things from Radio 1/1xtra.

This shows that in terms of Newsbeat’s’ Facebook output it utilises a heavy amount of video content rather than static pictures to keep the viewer engaged. It is also worth noting that the video clips do not normally exceed 3 minutes in length so that that viewer stays engaged to the content rather than switching off halfway through due to it becoming boring.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/bbcnewsbeat/videos/

The next social media site is Twitter again this is used very differently to that of the others. Twitter does use video to an extent but this is not to the same level that the Facebook page uses however the length is still under a minute and there is often cross-promotion of videos as some videos that appear on Facebook may also be on Twitter.  The differences are though that Twitter uses more links to other content such as Newsbeat articles. Finally, the advantage of the Twitter is that is that it is a lot easier to cross-promote content as Radio 1 can subsequently retweet things such as one of their presenters tweeting about the show or an artists tweet about them being on a show.

 

 

 

The next site that is worth mentioning is Instagram. Instagram is utilised mostly for short-form video content that goes in tandem with Newsbeats programming, or short form videos similar to that of Facebook.

 

. Alongside this are the photos that are put up on Instagram, these are not just photos of everyday things in the studio but more focused around articles or current affairs that are relevant to the audience they are targeting, such as Mark Zuckerberg.

 

 

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/bbcnewsbeat/

 

Ultimately what I need to grasp is that all the social media platforms have different roles but all of them should be utilised. This means that for our programme we would potentially create a 40-second video of the funniest bits to try and encourage the listener to tune in which would go on all 3 social media sites, to support this we could then take some photos of the recording session to place on Instagram to build a social media presence for our programme and get people to listen to the programme which is ultimately what you want to happen. Gaining an understanding of how social media is used in Newsbeat’s’ current output also allows me to fulfil my learning objective which is based on social media and learning how it is used in its current context to produce a multi-media presence for radio which is now more important than ever as has been demonstrated above and the frequency of the content that is outputted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first learning objective is around being more confident in interviewing people, this is because currently, I don’t feel confident doing so and for my career, I will need to be more confident to get a job.

 

The first site I have looked at is Poynter, which is a more specific site that suggests the following things:

• Use your job as armour-as a journalist, it’s your professional responsibility to talk to people, to ask probing questions, to get the information you need to inform the public.

Whilst I am not currently a journalist I understand this point, as  you are using you’re job as a form of defence and a way in which to justify asking questions and as a result, shouldn’t fear the outcomes of  the questions, furthermore people are also more willing to speak to you if you are providing them with a platform.

• Let your curiosity override your anxiety- If you’re a reporter, chances are good that you’re an incurably curious person. Even if you’re apprehensive about talking to strangers, it’s likely that you’re driven to find out how people and societies work.

Again I agree with this point, as I am currious about hearing people’s stories about their disabilities in this case and as a result, I should be using this curiosity to help me overcome my nerves and allow me to ask questions. Furthermore normally someone from the group would have contacted the interviewee before so they know we are coming and are prepared, rather than me having to speak to a random member of the public.

• Do prep work to give yourself confidence- It’s important for every journalist to do his or her homework before picking up the phone or stepping into a room with a source. But for shy reporters, it’s even more important, for two reasons. One, it gives you a script you can follow, so you’re not scrambling to come up with questions while you’re nervous. Two, it gives you confidence in your knowledge of the subject and in the questions you’ve prepared — and confidence is a good antidote to shyness.

This point regarding preparation is key and one that I will implement heavily, be this through the usage of researching around the person we are interviewing before so that we know their background or/and by researching the area, so for example when we interview a blind person it makes sense to research the relevant areas i.e support. This ultimately builds up confidence as I will have more information on the person and as a result will not be going in blind, and because of my information, I will be able to script questions before, ultimately building confidence.

 

• Pick up the phone before you psych yourself out -Many journalists are expert procrastinators. This is especially bad news for shy reporters who balk at the prospect of cold-calling sources. The longer you sit staring at the phone, imagining all the ways your interview can go horribly wrong, the more afraid you’ll become.

This was something I struggled at hugely last time within my first project as I couldn’t get the confidence to approach people. However from doing this more at work I now feel much more confident and as a result don’t have the stigma of approaching people as much, as result building confidence. I do think though that  you nerves will always be a thing though.

 

• Remember that reporters make people nervous –Many people — from random citizens to seasoned politicians — would rather get a root canal than talk to a reporter.

This is another valid point, as people do get nervous talking to journalists etc, and as a result, they are in the same boat and it is important to remember this and as a result of this it also boosts my own confidence.

https://www.poynter.org/news/5-ways-journalists-can-overcome-shyness-during-interviews

 

The next article consulted was a blog post by the author/ journalist Ellin Besser. She makes a point about making sure to fully understand the topic and that you should be well versed and know everything about the subject before you go and interview someone, to do this you need to read.  Thus leading to more confidence and as a result less awkward interviews about subjects with fewer erms in the inteview.  Besser’s point is that the more you know it is and then you come across in recordings as more confident, and you know what you are going to talk about and as a result, it is much easier to ad-lib about a subject rather than having to stop and think for a ccouple of seconds.

How to become a more confident journalist? #Onearticleaday challenge

While the next article is not 100% related, it does raise some interesting ideas around social anxiety and how to improve upon it. There are two key points in doing so:

• Play the fool- Overestimating the cost or consequences is a hallmark of all phobias. Those of us with social anxiety tend to overestimate the cost of making a social mistake

This is applicable in a journalistic type of space as I worry too much about the outcome of an interview and as a result, I need to stop worrying about the potential outcome and consequences, instead, I need to focus on myself  and not worry about what people think, even if the question that is asked may be phrased wrong.

• Keep Calm and Carry On- Meditating prior to an engagement can really help you shift perspective. A few drops of passionflower tincture in a glass of water before meetings has worked wonders for me.

The prospect of keeping and carrying on is vital for me, as if I ask a question badly or mess up and get some odd looks it is important to be able to keep going and not stop despite the potential embarrassment that may come your way and as a result, you should be able to keep going and not stop.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielle-wolffe/shyness-4-methods-to-work-with-social-anxiety_b_8612054.html

Finally is a blog post by a former student who suggests that the only way you can improve your confidence is by doing an interview and developing a routine to help, as otherwise, you will not be able to overcome the fear that you once had.  From undertaking interviews, he also suggests that you develop a routine in how to prepare for interviews and as a result this boosts your confidence making the process easier.

https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/mbbg7p/being-a-journalist-is-terrible-for-your-mental-health

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.poynter.org/news/5-ways-journalists-can-overcome-shyness-during-interviews