IRMI News

Radio. A New Way to Sound

For five days journalists of regional media were learning practical techniques and working on individual packages. That unique opportunity was provided by the Institute of Regional Media and Information (Ukraine) and the Thomson Foundation (UK) within Regional Voices project, supported by the EU.

“Illya is an IDP from Donetsk. He moved to Kharkiv together with his business partner and established an advertising agency – a business of his own…”

“He realized that one can make oneself useful both at frontline and far away from it…”

“That’s not the end of Olena’s life story, that’s just the beginning…”

“Psychologists are also in need of psychologists…”

Those are about the lines the participants of a radio workshop that took place in Kharkiv chose to open their narrative with. It was a production workshop, which made it even more valuable for its practical element. On the first day the task of the workshop was set – preparing a story on how IDPs are adapting in Kharkiv. For two days to follow the journalists were meeting with opinion leaders, IDPs, public officials, volunteers and CSO representatives. Marek Bekerman (UK) and Angelina Soldatenko (Ukraine) – the trainers – provided the participants with their guidance and expertise. Serhii Tkachenko was the one to stitch the packages together.

Andrii Kulykov – Head of the Board of Hromadske Radio CSO, a journalist and a presenter came in to talk to the trainees about his vision on how radio will develop in the future, giving frank answers to what the audience had to ask him.  

“Providing our audiences with accurate, full and unbiased accounts of events we make them stronger. We protect them from many dangers in this way. A person who is misled or blinded by slogans is a weak personality” Andrii assures. “One needs to tell the truth. One needs to tell human stories, each of which does not end on what we have seen. There is always more to it. I believe talk radio is the future of both public and state broadcasters. Discussions of current affairs must prevail.
Last spring I was in Mariupol and talked to the military, inquiring how they receive information. They assured me it was via radio. To watch TV, one needs to go to the base and mobile cellular transmission is not recommended. There is no web access and newspapers arrive once a fortnight. Whereas, radio is available. I am telling you, radio has great perspectives. The three things one needs to keep in mind are promptness, sound and professional standards…”

The trainees were guided on how to find a top-line, which turned out to be a challenging task. In actual fact, the moment the top-line is determined, it gets much easier to work on a package.  It was quite a creative idea to merge the packages into a programme entitled “Station Kharkiv” with its multiple “stations”, each of which stood for a fate, an issue, a chunk of somebody’s life. That was convincing and striking at the same time.

Yuliia Dereka, Arta Plus Broadcastig Company, llc, Director of Radio Klass affiliate (Kostyantynivka)

“I find the information about radio report format to be mostly valuable. Generally, the workshop shook us out of our professional habits to certain extent.”

Khrystyna Bukatchuk, an observer for Radio Carpathians

“My stereotypes as to how to work on a package have been taken down. As it turns a story can be told with natural sound in higher regard than the script. I am so thankful!”

Liliya Maiorova, Rivne.FM

“I have finally realized what radio programmes should be like and what their main difference from products of other types of media is. That is sound! Thank you so much for having worked with us!”

…Meet you at the next station, the trainers say. They hope that the training will help each of the participants move ahead and improve their professional skills.

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