Radio Journalism

"This is not another turgid guide to digital editing, writing for radio and the structure of a newsroom team. It is an ambitious and accessible study that combines a succinct narrative history of radio journalism with an analysis of its power in the public sphere. It describes the development of British audio broadcasting before locating it in an international context and contemplating the contours of the convergent future. Such ambition is often the prelude to failure. Instead, Starkey and Crisell have written a precious introduction to the theory, practice and purposes of radio journalism that will be very useful to serious students of the subject... This is a very good book." - THE (Times Higher Education) Radio Journalism introduduces key themes in journalism studies to explore what makes radio reporting distinctive and lay out the claims for radio's critical importance in the news landscape. With their extensive experience in radio production and academica, authors Guy Starkey and Andrew Crisell take readers on a tour through the past, present and future of radio broadcasting, from the infancy of the BBC in the 1920s up to the prospect of rolling news delivered to mobile telephones. Grounding each chapter in a survey of scholarly writing on the radio, they explore the connections between politics, policy and practice, inviting critical reflection on who radio professionals are, what they do and why. Putting theory and practice into dialogue, this book is the perfect bridge between unreflective production manuals and generalised media theory texts. Witty and engaging, Radio Journalism provides an essential framework for understanding the continuing relevance of radio journalism as a profession, set of practices and arena for critical debate.