Students

MMCC2160 – Radio and Podcast: Creation

2024 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor and Lecturer
Helen Wolfenden
helen.wolfenden@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email only. (Note that I can't access messages on my desk phone.)
10HA 193E
Please email for a consultation.
Tutor
Fereydoun Pelarek
Please email Helen
Contact via Contact via Helen
Please email Helen for consultations.
Marker
Renae Mason
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Introducing students to the radio broadcasting industry, this unit has a large practical component for radio and podcast. Its main aim is to enable students to produce creative and or journalistic work, including content suitable for broadcast on Sydney station, 2SER.

Students gain a broad understanding of program making and sound production media, with attention to public, commercial and community radio forms. The unit also introduces students to the rapidly expanding realm of podcasting and online radio.

The workshop component of the unit concentrates on techniques of recording and producing pre-recorded sound 'stories'. Through hands-on production classes in the radio lab, students learn to develop skills in interviewing, story construction and voice presentation, and learn to research, record, mix, and write for radio and podcast.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: apply critical and conceptual skills in radio research and production.
  • ULO2: demonstrate a range of communication and expression skills.
  • ULO3: integrate a range of operational, technical and media industry/journalistic skills related in particular to audio/radio production and program making.
  • ULO4: evaluate creative and professional media practice, with an emphasis on production of radio industry audio content.
  • ULO5: collaborate and plan strategically, and develop team skills to produce a range of creative and journalistic outputs.

General Assessment Information

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day an assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Vox Pops 20% No 25/03/24
Interview 20% No 17/04/24
Radio or Podcast Feature 45% No 31/05/24
Participation 15% No Weeks 2 to 12

Vox Pops

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 25/03/24
Weighting: 20%

 

Record and edit a vox pop. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply critical and conceptual skills in radio research and production.
  • demonstrate a range of communication and expression skills.
  • integrate a range of operational, technical and media industry/journalistic skills related in particular to audio/radio production and program making.

Interview

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 17/04/24
Weighting: 20%

 

Record and edit an interview. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply critical and conceptual skills in radio research and production.
  • demonstrate a range of communication and expression skills.
  • integrate a range of operational, technical and media industry/journalistic skills related in particular to audio/radio production and program making.
  • evaluate creative and professional media practice, with an emphasis on production of radio industry audio content.

Radio or Podcast Feature

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 31/05/24
Weighting: 45%

 

Produce a short radio feature or podcast episode. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply critical and conceptual skills in radio research and production.
  • demonstrate a range of communication and expression skills.
  • integrate a range of operational, technical and media industry/journalistic skills related in particular to audio/radio production and program making.
  • evaluate creative and professional media practice, with an emphasis on production of radio industry audio content.
  • collaborate and plan strategically, and develop team skills to produce a range of creative and journalistic outputs.

Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Weeks 2 to 12
Weighting: 15%

 

Demonstrate active engagement with the listenings and readings as well as active engagement in the practical workshop activities. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • demonstrate a range of communication and expression skills.
  • integrate a range of operational, technical and media industry/journalistic skills related in particular to audio/radio production and program making.
  • evaluate creative and professional media practice, with an emphasis on production of radio industry audio content.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

This Unit uses FACE TO FACE Lectures and Workshop/Tutorials.

Please Note: Lectures commence in Week 1. Tutorials/Workshops commence in Week 2.

Please attend all classes.

Technical assistance and demonstrations are given in tutorial/workshops and students need to be able to attend these throughout the semester.

The DAW (digital audio workstation or audio editor) we use for this Unit is Adobe Audition. You will be given access information when the Unit begins. Please use the Udemy Business online training videos for Adobe Audition and other audio related tools and skills. Access this via the Library’s Multi-Search function. https://multisearch.mq.edu.au/  

Adobe Audition CC: The Beginner's Guide to Adobe Audition

https://mq.udemy.com/course/adobe-audition/  

You may need to log in via this link first: https://multisearch.mq.edu.au/permalink/61MACQUARIE_INST/1c87tk9/alma99245374432302171

REQUIRED READING

A selection of readings on radio (historical aspects, forms, specialist skills etc), are allocated to each week and detailed in the Unit Schedule (see iLearn). Readings are accessed via Leganto http://libguides.mq.edu.au/leganto

NOTE that you MUST access Leganto via the block in iLearn in the first instance. This is how the system verifies you as a student in this unit.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

• One set of good quality closed or semi-closed headphones

• At least one portable memory device

RECOMMENDED READING

Abel, Jessica. Out on the wire: the storytelling secrets of the new masters of radio. Crown, New York, 2015.

Ahern, Steve. Making Radio. Allen and Unwin: (check for the most recent edition)

Alten, Stanley. Audio in Media. Belmont CA: Most recent edition is best. (The bible of audio production for those really serious about sound.)

Beaman, Jim. Programme making for radio. Routledge: London & NY: 2006

Beaman, Jim. Interviewing for Radio. Routledge: London & NY: 2011

Biewen, John and Dilworth, A (eds). Reality radio: telling true stories in sound 2nd ed, University of North Carolina Press: Durham, 2017

Chantler, Paul & Stewart, Peter. Basic Radio Journalism. Routledge: London, 2003

Chignell, Hugh. Key Concepts in Radio Studies. Sage: London, 2009

Chignell, Hugh. Public Issue Radio: Talks, News and Current Affairs in the Twentieth Century (2nd ed): Palgrave Macmillan: 2011

Crisell, Andrew & Guy Starkey. Radio Journalism. Sage: London, 2009

Crisell, Andrew. Ed. Radio (3 Vols). London 2009 Crook, Tim. The Sound Handbook. Routledge: London, 2012

Dubber, Andrew. Radio in the Digital Age. Polity: London, 2013

Emm, Adèle. Researching for the media: television, radio and journalism. Routledge: London, 2014.

Fleming, Carole. The Radio Handbook. Routledge: London: 2002

Frangi, Anthony. Radio toolbox: everything you need to get started in broadcasting. Palgrave Macmillan: South Yarra, 2012

Geller, Valerie. Beyond Powerful radio: a communicator's guide to the Internet age. Routledge: Belmont CA: 2006

Griffen-Foley, Bridget. Changing Stations: The story of Australian Commercial Radio. Sydney: UNSW Press, 2009

Keeble, Richard. Ethics for Journalists 2nd ed. Routledge: London & New York, 2009 https://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Media_and_Free_Culture/Ethics_for_journalists-Richard_Keeble.pdf

Kern, Jonathon. Sound Reporting: the NPR Guide to audio journalism and production. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 2008

Kramer, Mark & Wendy Call (Eds). Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers' Guide from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University. Plume: NY, 2007

Lingren, Mia, and Philips,Gail. Australian Broadcast Journalism. 3rd Ed. Oxford University Press: South Melbourne, 2013

Loviglio, Jason & Hilmes, Michele (Eds) Radio's New Wave: Global Sound in the Digital Age. Routledge: New York, 2013

McHugh, Siobhán, The Power of Podcasting: Telling stories through sound. NewSouth Publishing: Sydney, 2022

McLeish, Robert. Radio Production, 6th Edition, Focal Press: Oxford, 2016

Nuzum, Eric. Make Noise: A Creator's Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling. Workman Publishing Company: New York, 2020

Bonini, Tiziano; Monclus, Belen. Eds. Radio audiences and participation in the age of network society. Routledge: New York, 2015

Turner, Graeme. 'Politics, Radio and Journalism in Australia', in Journalism, Vol 10, no 4, August 2009

Radio stations/programs, and audio sites of interest online which include examples of feature and interview content.

American Public Media Reports https://www.apmreports.org

Australian Broadcasting Corporation https://www.abc.net.au

ABC Editorial Policies https://edpols.abc.net.au

ABC Pronunciation Guide https://www2b.c0.abc.net.au/abcpronunciation-external/

ABC RN Features (extracted from across programming) https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/features/

ABC Radio Eye (features and docs, now as an archive) https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/radioeye/

ABC RN 360 Documentaries (ABC features and documentaries program - 2014/archived) https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/360/

ABC RN Earshot (documentaries, lot of freelancer stuff here) https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/earshot/

ABC Triple J https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/

ABC Triple J (national current affairs/interviews/features program for young people) https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/

ABC Correspondents Report https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/correspondentsreport/

ABC RN https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/

ABC Radio Sydney https://www.abc.net.au/radio/sydney/

Australian Communications and Media Authority https://www.acma.gov.au 

ABC Newsradio https://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/

BBC (UK) Audio https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds

Commercial Radio Australia http://www.commercialradio.com.au

Community Broadcasters Association https://www.cbaa.org.au

Community Media Forum Europe http://www.amarceurope.eu/tag/cmfe/

Download This Show (popular podcast on latest technology) https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/downloadthisshow/

2GB https://www.2gb.com

Love + Radio (groundbreaking podcast) http://loveandradio.org/

Macquarie Sports Radio (formerly 2UE) https://www.sportsradio.com.au

NOVA 96.9 https://www.nova969.com.au/nova969

National Public Radio (USA) https://www.npr.org

NPR Next Generations (helpful NPR training resource) https://nextgenerationradio.org

Radio Lab (groundbreaking American radio show about big ideas) https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab

Radio LaB (University of Bedfordshire community radio station) https://www.studentradio.org.uk/stations/radio-lab-97-1/

Radio-Locator https://radio-locator.com

Radioinfo (subscribe to keep in touch with latest jobs etc in Australia) https://www.radioinfo.com.au

ABC Radio Australia https://www.abc.net.au/radio-australia/

Resonance FM https://www.resonancefm.com

**Story Corps Sound Portraits https://storycorps.org

SBS Radio https://www.sbs.com.au/radio/

**2SER https://2ser.com

**Serial (2014 cult American podcast based on a crime investigation and attracting huge audiences and an international following) https://serialpodcast.org

Sirius Satellite Radio https://www.siriusxm.com

STown (Critically acclaimed podcast by the people who make This American Life and Serial) https://stownpodcast.org/

The Truth Podcast (radio movies, radio drama) http://www.thetruthpodcast.com

ABC Australia: The World Today https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/

The Heart (podcast about intimacy) https://www.theheartradio.org/

Third Coast Radio Festival (a showcase of diverse audio) https://www.thirdcoastfestival.org

**This American Life show https://www.thisamericanlife.org

**Transom (showcase for new public radio (very useful to students, highly recommended!) https://transom.org

UBU Web radio http://www.ubu.com/sound/radio_radio/index.html

UN Radio https://news.un.org/en/audio-hub

USA Public radio Hearing Voices https://hearingvoices.com

The Wire (community radio: current affairs, broadcast from 2SER) http://thewire.org.au

WNYC New York public radio station https://www.wnyc.org

World Radio Network https://www.wrn.com

Unit Schedule

This is indicative only and subject to change. Please see iLearn for a detailed unit schedule. 

1. Unit intro / Listening 

2. The Blind Medium

3. Vox Pops

4. Vox Pops 2

 

5. Sound Design 1: Audio Postcards

6. The interview up close

7. Audio Features 1 & The Voice

8. Audio Features 2

RECESS 

9. The jigsaw of narrative structure

10. Writing for audio

11. Sound design 1

12. Sound design 2 – using Music

13. Summing up, jobs, where to next?

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook