Conversations

Sound in Journalism, to hear it from the mouth of two of ABC Radio's A-class presenters was a fantastic experience and one of the more engaging lectures I have listened to.

One thing I picked up from both Richard Fidler and Steve Austin was to respect and listen to an interviewee. Whether they be a member of the public on talk back or a studio interview, remember to listen, understand and respond respectfully.This way, a subject will feel more relaxed and willing to answer your questions. As Austin said, listening implies respect.

I believe this notion is not only applies whole heartedly to interviews, but could be adopted to day to day life.

Working in customer service, I have developed a subconscious hatred for complaining customers. This idea of simply listening to their problem and attempting to understand could be quite valuable.

After listening to the lecture I went straight to iTunes and subscribed to Fidler's podcasts, his way of extracting a story truly amazes me. The way in which he can say so little, yet still draw a story from a subject is sublime.

This does seem to be the case, less is more. At least when it comes to Radio.