Listening Reflections
Listening Reflections
Order Instructions:
1. Listening Reflections
Three x 300 word entries will be a critical and analytical reflection on radio listening: at least
one entry from one community, one commercial and one public radio station.
One of the entries must discuss a news, current affairs or talk journalism program. You may
choose to analyse international radio accessible online, but the content must be in English.
You must head each entry with which station you were listening to (use its call sign and
frequency eg. Fbi 94.5FM or 2GB 873AM), how you listened (radio, internet streaming,
podcast), what date you listened, at what time, for how long, and to what or whom you were
listening (this heading is NOT included in the word count for the commentary, but omitting the
header information will cost you marks). Your analysis might include discussion on the role of
the presenter and her/his performance, the format and use of the medium, or the connection
with you as listener. Think about how sound was used and with what purpose. What worked
to engage you? What didn’t? Why? Make sure to refer to relevant academic literature in order
to support your reflections.
This journal is not a scrapbook, a diary, or a school project. It is a scholarly, reflective
analysis and assessment of your own reading, learning and thought, week by week.
The entries should demonstrate progress in your knowledge, understanding and depth of
thinking about radio (for example, about it as a medium, its strengths and limitations, about its
historical and cultural roles and how these have changed, or what its future might be). The
best work will evidence a clear development in depth of knowledge and sophistication of
thinking about radio. It will be very obvious to the reader if you have written all or most entries
in the last two weeks of semester, and you will lose marks, so try to ensure you spread your
work for this assignment across the semester.
To say anything meaningful in 300 words will be an exercise in the concise and precise use of
language – which is exactly what broadcast writing also demands. The best work will offer
some original analysis and insight, based on critical listening and what you are learning in the
Unit, as well as your own reading.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Listening Reflections
Station: Triple J Radio 99.3 FM
How listened: Internet radio
Date: Monday, April 4, 2016
Time: 9:00 pm to 9:30 pm
How long: 30 minutes
What: Home and Hosed show by host Dom Alessio.
This is the national radio station that I listened to. For a period of 30 minutes in which I tuned in to Triple J national radio, I listened to Australian news from across all regions of this country and a little international news. Dom Alessio, who was the host of the show, did not just bring news from all over Australia, but he also played Australian music from across the nation. All in all, the presenter provided news about the youth of Australia, and there was an interview with various young people aged 16-24 years who talked about their concerns, and this is largely what engaged me to the show. Since its inception, Triple J national radio station has been airing news with a youth angle, which includes news bulletins programs. Another thing that really engaged me to the show is that the presenter used talkback in his show. In essence, talkback refers to a radio format wherein the main content is produced by the responses of the listeners to the invitation to call and talk live with the presenter or the show’s host and their audience (Ward, 2012; Turner, 2009). A number of listeners phoned in and talked to Dom Alessio live.
With a committed news team, the show that I listened on Triple J produced and presented news by young persons and for young persons. On the whole, Dom Alessio during the show covered the latest news from a youth-oriented viewpoint. Sound was used for the purpose of making the show entertaining and lively to the listeners, and to make listeners continue listening to the show as their favourite songs get played (Wilson, 2013). It was also utilized to connect to the listeners, entertain them, engage them and make the show more enjoyable so that listeners continue to tune in to the show (Kantor & Peleg, 2016).
References
Kantor, E., & Peleg, D. (2016). Efficient [formula omitted]-shot broadcasting in radio networks. Discrete Applied Mathematics, 20279-94. doi:10.1016/j.dam.2015.08.021
Turner, G. (2009). Politics, radio and journalism in Australia. Journalism, 10(4): 411-430
Ward, I. (2012). Talkback Radio, Political Communication, and Australian Politics, Australian Journal of Communication 29: 21–38.
Wilson, C. K. (2013). Youth, radio and Australian popular music policy. Perfect Beat (Equinox Publishing Group), 14(2), 100-119. doi:10.1558/prbt.v14i2.100
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