Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 21.2
Features and News Items as Pertain to Radio Media
Item
Explanation
Details
Radio news utilizes short, concise information in the voice
of the newsmaker.
Typically, they are 10- to 15-second “actualities” or “sound
bites.”
News/Talk
More stories; a little more depth than other radio formats
Public Radio
Uses “natural sound.” Records background of event
happening with open mike.
Non-English
stations
Help to reach those who speak a language other than
English within the community.
Music stations
May or may not carry news. If they do, it typically consists
of only short news items.
Deadline
Hourly—depending on schedule of newscasts
Television
The first authorized broadcast of a television in the United States started on July
2, 1928, in Wheaton, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, by C.F. Jenkins
(Popular Mechanics 1928). The heyday of television may have come on the evening
of March 7, 1955, when one in two Americans watched Mary Martin's portrayal
of “Peter Pan” on live television (Bogart 1958, p. 1). Other significant events that
marked the impact of television on the way Americans received news included the
coverage of such live events as the Kennedy-Nixon debates and mankind's first
step on the moon. The addition of live images to go with sound literally brought
the world into our homes every night. There are various types of news broadcasts
on local television stations (Table 21.3). They may range from spot news/breaking
news of particular activities currently in progress to the regularly scheduled news
programs. In addition, some local television stations may air special investigative
reports or programs. Typically, local television stations will have an affiliation with
a network, and will present a network-originated program of national and interna-
tional news.
Social Network Sites and the World Wide Web
No examination of media would be complete without exploring the impact of the
World Wide Web and social media on individuals, as well as the traditional media
of newspaper, radio, and television.
