National Talking Newspapers and Magazines

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Good Practice for Talking Newspapers

Introduction
1. Management
2. Infrastructure
3. Editorial
4. Presentation
5. Reading
6. Recording
7. Copying
8. Packing and Posting
9. Returns
10. Reactions
11. Repairs
12. Health, Safety and Electricity
13. Public Relations
14. Finance
15. Development

10. Reactions

It is essential to know if your audience is happy with the end product, but feedback is often difficult to obtain. Many listeners are just so grateful for the service in general that valid criticisms and improvement suggestions are not voiced. A few regular moaners will always find something to say!

Message spot
The silent majority should not be regarded with complacency. There is bound to be valuable comment for guidance in improving future issues. A short 'letters to the editor' spot in a regular location on the cassette shows everyone that comment is expected and adds interest and variety to the programme by including extracts of listeners' recorded messages linked by a presenter who can also answer questions raised. (All a bit like TV's Points of View). But care should be taken to ensure that these messages, and particularly the regular moaners, do not take over the tape to the detriment of news! See Photographs 5 for a reminder that listeners will need to put a rubber band or piece of paper around a message cassette.

Voices
The inclusion of listeners' voices whenever possible adds an extra dimension to the TN, but it will be counter productive if long, boring and/or poor technical quality recordings are used. It is all a matter of judgement for the Messages Editor/presenter - even a very poor tape can be used if the comment is of sufficient interest - and if it is a long winded point then it can be summarised by the presenter with just a clip from the listener to add authenticity.

One listener's cheeping canary and another's chiming clock are often heard on one TN adding character to the programme. The 'Message Spot' can often be self-fuelling with some topics lasting several issues. (Just say that an item has had to be censored due to its content rather than sub-edited, and stand by for a deluge of complaints!)

Duration
If a regular duration of the Spot is to be maintained during peaks and troughs of incoming material, a little editorial control will need to be exercised. When there are lots of messages they can be treated more briefly or some held over and when there are too few, the balance can be filled with information e.g. how to send a message, TNAUK cassette papers and magazines, RNIB latest catalogue items, holiday hotel details and so on.

Feedback
There is an important administration function to be fulfilled by the Messages editor apart from the production of the feature spot on each issue. Incoming complaints, compliments, and suggestions should be passed on to the readers or interviewers concerned and problems with duff cassettes or faulty TN loan machines reported promptly to the despatch or repairs co-ordinator for action. An acknowledgement should be scripted into the Spot for reassurance which should refer to the comments but without necessarily naming the listener(s) who made them.

Braille
Some listeners may correspond in Braille or Moon and this will need the skills of one of the blind committee members to make a transcription.

Committee
Useful reaction can be expected from the blind members of the committee and it can be useful to float an idea in advance of a trial run. Committee members' comments may not, however, be typical of the majority of the audience simply because they are likely to be the more active members of the population (the same comment applies to the sighted committee members, of course).

Visits
Visits to listeners' homes, after forewarning and with identification, are perhaps the best way of obtaining honest reactions, but these will use many volunteer hours. Some format for enquiry and reporting back to the Committee will be needed to get the most out of this exercise. It will undoubtedly be a pleasure for listener and volunteer alike.

AGM
Encouragement and assistance in attending the TN annual general meeting will prove useful as it provides a forum for comment and discussion. Most benefit is likely to come from chats over a cup of tea after the formal part of the meeting.

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