Tuesday Radio Tip for Talent: The Art of Storytelling
Tuesday Radio Tip for Talent: The Art of Storytelling
Given the recent violence last week, in the United States, resulting in 5 officers being killed and the senseless shooting of 2 black men, Alton Sterling & Philando Castile, there has not been a shortage of stories on the radio from black and white hosts about these incidents. The talk from most African-American radio talents has been about their encounters with police stops. While, in most cases, the white counterparts were talking about how blacks give reason for officers to stop them. But, all made sure listeners had an outlet to grieve and vent their frustrations.
Here are some tips on being a successful story teller:
1. Be Authentic.
Be yourself and TELL the truth.
2. Write down the main points.
You want to make about the story, in an organized
manner. But, don’t read them, it will make you sound phony.
3. Adhere to the rule.
Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Tell the facts!
4. Describe the scene.
Great storytellers in radio know how to paint the picture. Radio is theater of the mind. You have to set the stage in the listeners mind to get them to stay with you. Reread my story, see how I painted the picture…
5. Watch the time.
Know how much time you have to tell the story, to get responses, and to move on. Sometimes, topics such as last week’s violence, garner more time than usually allotted, especially on music based radio stations. Discuss with your program director and get guidance on how much time you might need to cover all the angles.
Radio hosts that tell great stories, capture listener’s attention and emotions. People love the hero stories. One of the heroes in one of the stories from last week was the girlfriend’s 4 year old daughter. The 4 year old was the one who comforted her mother after witnessing her mother’s boyfriend get shot to death. Now, that’s a story!
BTW, I don’t own the Mercedes-Benz anymore. I got stopped several times, for no apparent reason, when driving that car. J
Looking for a talent coach/consultant, email me: terriavery511@gmail.com
