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Excerpted from a radio news documentary by Martin Hardee, Fall, 1978.  


In-House Reporting Resources...


Reporters: 4 full-time writer/reporters
2 part-time writer/reporters
Specific beats: General, with some specialties
Telephone interviews: Yes, from desk
Do you duplicate coverage of the wires? Depends, but often
Police info: Wire
Bureaus: None local
Stringers, freelancers? Several
Versions of voicers: Depends
Tape library: Yes, slowly getting in order
Long distance budget: Yes
Influenced by competitors? “No”


Outside Sources...


Subscription services: Reuters
UPI: Natl Br, Metro Br
Alternatives: Liberation News Service
Audio services: Pacifica
PR, politicians: No
Daybooks: Yes
Newspapers: Yes, with attribution
Traffic/transit: None


Facilities...


Open reels: 1 Scully 280
1 Ampex 440
Cart machines: None except in studio
Timers: Regular clocks
Phone: Nearby
Cassette portables: Sony TC-110
Cassette decks: No
On-street mikes: EV 635a
Equalizers: Rarely
Broadcast lines to bureaus: n/a
Cart machines at each desk? No
Separate news studio? No


Writing Style...


Stylebook? No
Sound bite limits: Don't use, but a wire story would be limited to 1:15 – 1:30
Story line limits: Wire
Grammar: Fairly informal.
Use of 'straight wire copy': Often


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About this report
This research documentary is Copyright 1979, 2002  Martin Hardee - All Rights Reserved. (read more...) Material may be quoted or excerpted for non-profit research purposes without additional special permission. For additional information email martin @ hardee.net.