20 tips for journalism students wanting to learn how to make better TV and radio packages. The tips were written for Media Helping Media by journalist and broadcaster Jaldeep Katwala.

1. Image courtesy of opendays.eu via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
TV & RADIO PACKAGING
20 tips

2. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
1: Clarity Measurements & quantity
 Before you start
editing have a clear
idea of how long your
finished item is likely
to be
 Know approximately
how much of your
interviewees you are Image courtesy of Pikaluk via Flickr released under
Creative Commons
likely to use
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3. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
2: Format Piecing the story together
 Map out a structure
for the piece
 Try to work out a
possible order for
the interview clips
 List the points they
will address Image courtesy of intermitten.t via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
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4. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
3: Limitations Stay focused
 Try to limit yourself to
no more than three
key points for one
item
 Too many points
could cause
confusion
 Remain focused on
the three points Image courtesy of Jeremy Brooks via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
throughout
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5. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
4: Key points Different interviewees
 Try to make sure
each of these three
key points is
addressed by a
different interviewee
 Three points = three
Image courtesy of Leo Reynolds via Flickr
interviewees released under Creative Commons
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6. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
5: Review Examining your material
 Listen or watch the
interview in full from
start to finish at least
once
 Note the time on the
recording of each
potential interview clip
 Log the words that
begin the clip and the Image courtesy of greekadman via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
words that end it
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7. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
6: Coherence Does it make sense
 Return to the structure
you planned to see if it
is still coherent
 Be ready to change the
order of the clips if
needed
 Ensure the piece
makes sense
 Get a colleagues Image courtesy of kalavinka via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
opinion
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8. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
7: Strength Grab attention
 Put the strongest
interview at the start
of the piece
 Ensure you capture
the attention of the
audience
 Encourage them to
listen to or watch Image courtesy of Orin Zebest via Flickr
entire item released under Creative Commons
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9. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
8: Selection Opinions & information
 Choose interview clips
which give opinion
rather than those which
relay information
 Non controversial
information can be
summarised in your
links
 People want to know Image courtesy of Jimmy Jack Kane via Flickr
what people think released under Creative Commons
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10. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
9: Pace Life isn’t breathless
 Try to leave a half
beat at the start and
end of each clip
 Life isn’t breathless; a
radio or television
package should
reflect life
 What you produce
should be easy to Image courtesy of SeamP Flickr
listen to released under Creative Commons
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11. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
10: Clichés Don’t stage manage
 In television avoid
using noddies and
walking shots
 They are boring to
look at and do not
make use of the
medium
 It’s a lazy option Image courtesy of Thunderchild7 via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
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12. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
11: Editing Retain the original meaning
 Don’t internally edit
clips
 Never take one part
one answer and edit it
to another part
 It is dishonest and
sounds bad
 Create separate clips Image courtesy of Sewing Daisies via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
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13. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
12: Context Avoid mix and match
 Never use an answer
from one question
and use it in response
to another question
 This is taking things
out of context
 It is unfair to the
interviewee and the
audience Image courtesy of WallyG via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
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14. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
13: Commentary Repetition
 Avoid using the same
words at the end of your
text as those used spoken
by the interviewee at the
beginning of the clip
 For example: John Smith
said he was delighted..
 [John Smith] "I am
delighted ..."
Image courtesy of Thomas Hawk via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
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15. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
14: Summarising Avoid duplication
 Avoid summarizing
everything in the text
that is going to
appear in the clip
 The introduction
should set the clip up,
not duplicate it
 Make the best use of
the time you have by
using words carefully Image courtesy of lrargerich via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
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16. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
15: Positioning Think continuity
 In TV alternate the
direction in which
the interviewee
 (First interviewee
looking left to right,
second right to left,
third left to right etc)
Image courtesy of BitterlySweet via Flickr
 It is easier to watch released under Creative Commons
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17. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
16: Voices Male female mix
 Try to avoid running two
clips back to back
without a commentary
between them
 Where it’s unavoidable,
for example in the case
of vox pops in radio, try
to alternate between Image courtesy of Half Chinese via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
male and female voices
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18. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
17: Titles Accuracy
 Make sure you have the
correct title for your
interviewee
 Spell their name correctly
in the TV caption
 If they have a particularly
long job title, try to agree a
shortened version before
you return from the
interview
Image courtesy of dantc via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
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19. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
18: Ending Don’t leave the job unfinished
 Try to avoid ending a
report on a clip of one
of the interviews
 In TV this looks untidy;
In radio, it complicates
life for the studio
presenter
 It also gives one side or
another of an argument Image courtesy of Anna T via Flickr
the last word released under Creative Commons
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20. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
19: Answers ... ... and questions
 If you are editing an
interview as a stand-alone
item, try to put as much of
the non-controversial
information in the intro or
lead-in to the item
 Always remember to make
sure the intro ends with a
question and the piece Image courtesy of opensourceway via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
begins with an answer to
that question
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21. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
20: Options And mean it
 For stand alone
interviews always give
an option of an early
out, with a shorter
duration and the right
outwords
 This will help the
production team in case
more urgent news
breaks or they need to Image courtesy of semuthutan via Flickr
released under Creative Commons
cut back your item
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22. 20 TV & radio packaging tips
Acknowledgement Jaldeep Katwala
 Using material from
a training module
specially prepared
by Jaldeep Katwala
for Media Helping
Media
Image courtesy of Jaldeep Katwala
 http://bit.ly/bG1u3F
http://www.mediahelpingmedia.org/
@helpingmedia