0472 - 6 – Understand The Story Or The Message

2022.04.17 – 0472 - 6 – Understand The Story Or The Message

6 – Understand The Story Or The Message

Once you know who you are talking to you need to understand the message that you are giving them. Putting them together is part of a ___ step process to engaging naturally with your voice (the tone, words, rhythm, pace, pauses etc etc).

What do I mean by ‘understanding’? You have got to actually be interested in the material, and understand why others might be too. In a news situation, ask yourself: why are we running this item? What is the significance of it to the ‘target audience’? In commercial copy, you may ask: why would the listener be interested in this product or service? What si their problem that this can help solve? How will it save them time or money? How will it improve their lives? Answers to those kinds of questions will help shape how you put over the content to connect with them, with engaging, authentic audio.

The clear and present danger is that some reporters, out of deadline pressure or laziness, may put something down on paper which they don’t really understand in the hope that those who hear it will. They won’t.

Some of the ability to understand the story and understand its significance, comes perhaps with a bit of life-experience:

“I do think that it’s all about trust… and it’s not just age, it’s also about experience. If you’re looking at someone on television who you know has been out and perhaps seen a bit of the word and understands the horrors that man can do to man, but also can share in its triumphs as well and has seen that first hand.”

Simon McCoy, news presenter/journalist, “You’re On The Air” podcast November 2020

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