Understanding the media: Part II
By Brian D. Spano
Brian Spano Communications, LLC
http://www.brianspano.com/

Broadcast
The broadcast medium is television and radio. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but we will look at both and what they have to offer.

One of the major appeals of television is that it can reach a large audience in a matter of seconds. It’s an immediate news source with a faster turnaround than print. Many local networks and stations have expanded their news coverage and now have a larger news hole to fill. They are always looking for story ideas and experts to fill this time, especially when it comes to localizing a national or international story.

The downside to television is that there are time constraints and you may not always get your message across, and just like print, there is the danger of being edited or taken out of context. If it’s a live interview, then the chances of getting your message in are greater; however, the line of questioning may not be to your liking. Whether the interview is live or taped, always try to get an idea of what the questions will be ahead of time so that you have time to prepare. And unless you are ambushed by a reporter, practice as much as you can.

Radio, like television, is an immediate news source with a fast turnaround; however, depending on the format of the radio station, the time constraints may not be as limited to a 10-second sound bite as they would on television. A radio interview could last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, live or taped. There’s still the chance of being a sound bite in a news story, as well, but radio has a little more freedom.

There are still the same downsides of misquoted or taken out of context, and again, the news editor has the final say. The same rule goes here when doing a radio interview: try to get the questions in advance whenever possible. Being prepared for a broadcast interview will make the process go a lot smoother and make for a less nerve-racking experience.

Next up, I'll take a look at what the Web has to offer.