Radio Fright

Since starting my placement at community radio station “Belfast89” a few months ago I feel I have learnt things about myself that I previously hadn’t realised. Throughout this blog, I will be reflecting on my experience working at a radio station so far by using the Gibbs method of reflection. The University of Edinburgh describes the method as:

“A framework for examining experiences, and given its cyclic nature lends itself particularly well to repeated experiences, allowing you to learn and plan from things that either went well or didn’t go well.” (2020)

HOW IT BEGAN

Reflecting on my experience at Belfast89 I can see that I went into this placement thinking the technical side of broadcast was all I was interested in. I have always enjoyed the pre-production side of broadcast, especially radio. I was excited to learn how to work the equipment, help with the scripting and recording of packages but, as usual, I wanted to stay well away from presenting or being on air. This was mostly because the thought of speaking live on air while hundreds of people listened in seemed terrifying but also because I generally stutter and “um” and “ah” while talking and didn’t think I had the “voice” for radio. However, after a few weeks of working at the radio station I was asked to co-host a show to cover for the usual presenter while they were away on holiday. Presenting a show for two hours was something that was out of my comfort zone but I didn’t want to say no and leave them without a co-host. I already knew how to work the desk and use their systems, having being shown this in previous weeks, but I worried that I needed to learn how to get the “golden voice” that I thought was so important for radio. After some research, I found a book called “Making Radio: A Practical Guide to Working in Radio in the Digital Age”, it said that the four key techniques to keep your listeners interested are pause, pace, pitch, and projection:

“These four techniques, used together or individually, can trigger unconscious responses and memories in your listeners that can help you communicate your message … By using these techniques you can give emphasis to certain words and phrases to enhance your message and achieve a deeper connection with your listeners” (Ahern, 128)

HOW IT WENT

Throughout the week I worked on these techniques with vocal and drama exercises I found online, this helped me feel more prepared, but it didn’t stop me from worrying about tripping over my words or saying something I shouldn’t on air. By the time it got to the day of the show I had convinced myself that everything was going to go wrong but to my surprise, everything went smoothly, I didn’t stutter or trip over my words except for once when reading out the weather. I was able to make a joke out of it and discovered that stuttering over words wasn’t as big a deal as I thought it would be. I also found that co-hosting a radio show felt just like having a conversation and was a more casual environment than I originally thought. I actually ended up enjoying co-hosting the show and I was given positive feedback from the main host who said I came off naturally and I had prepared well for the show.  

WHAT I KNOW NOW

I can see how I overthink scenarios and make things seem worse in my head, especially with new and uncomfortable situations. When I was first asked to cover the radio show I grew increasingly more anxious as I imagined scenarios of all the things I could mess up. But having reflecting on my experience as described in step five of Gibbs’s reflective cycle, “Conclusion” – where Gibbs says to ask ourselves what we could’ve done differently to improve this experience (Jasper, 82) – I feel I should have talked to my co-host more about my fears and asked for advice on presenting radio and how to best get over my nerves. I know this because after the show I confided to him about my anxieties of presenting live on the radio. He was able to give me advice that would’ve been great to have known before the show. He said the best way to get over the fear of presenting live is to imagine only one person is listening in to the show and it is just you talking to that one listener, therefore presenting won’t feel as scary.

ACTION PLAN

Finally, using the sixth step in Gibbs’s reflective model, “Action Plan” – where you ask yourself if you were to encounter this event again, would you act differently with what you have now learnt (Jasper, 82) – from what I have experienced I feel I would act differently as now I feel more confident in presenting on radio and I actually look forward to the next show. I also feel this whole process has given me a real boost in overcoming anxiety about these types of situations. So if I was asked to host a radio show again I would know that by talking to my peers about any worries I had – as well as making sure I had researched the topics thoroughly beforehand – I could really enjoy the experience and be able to give it my best effort.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my first few months at radio and feel I have learnt a lot about myself and have been encouraged to step out of my comfort zone. I also feel I would now actively look to get more involved in the presenting side of radio, because although it still scares me a little, I know I am able to overcome my fear and get on with learning more about the job in hand.

Bibliography

Ahern, Steve. Making Radio : A Practical Guide to Working in Radio in the Digital Age. Crows Nest, N.S.W., Allen & Unwin, 2011.

Jasper, Melanie. Beginning Reflective Practice. 2nd ed., Andover, Cengage Learning, 2013.

The University of Edinburgh. “Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle.” The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, 11 Nov. 2020, www.ed.ac.uk/reflection/reflectors-toolkit/reflecting-on-experience/gibbs-reflective-cycle.