"This is not another turgid guide to digital editing, writing for radio and the structure of a newsroom team. It is an ambitious and accessible study that combines a succinct narrative history of radio journalism with an analysis of its power in the public sphere. It describes the development of British audio broadcasting before locating it in an international context and contemplating the contours of the convergent future. Such ambition is often the prelude to failure. Instead, Starkey and Crisell have written a precious introduction to the theory, practice and purposes of radio journalism that will be very useful to serious students of the subject... This is a very good book."
- THE (Times Higher Education)
Radio Journalism introduduces key themes in journalism studies to explore what makes radio reporting distinctive and lay out the claims for radio's critical importance in the news landscape.
With their extensive experience in radio production and academica, authors Guy Starkey and Andrew Crisell take readers on a tour through the past, present and future of radio broadcasting, from the infancy of the BBC in the 1920s up to the prospect of rolling news delivered to mobile telephones. Grounding each chapter in a survey of scholarly writing on the radio, they explore the connections between politics, policy and practice, inviting critical reflection on who radio professionals are, what they do and why. Putting theory and practice into dialogue, this book is the perfect bridge between unreflective production manuals and generalised media theory texts.
Witty and engaging, Radio Journalism provides an essential framework for understanding the continuing relevance of radio journalism as a profession, set of practices and arena for critical debate.
Industry Reviews
...this is not another turgid guide to digital editing, writing for radio and the structure of a newsroom team. It is an ambitious and accessible study that combines a succinct narrative history of radio journalism with an analysis of its power in the public sphere. It describes the development of British audio broadcasting before locating it in an international context and contemplating the contours of the convergent future. Such ambition is often the prelude to failure. Instead, Starkey and Crisell have written a precious introduction to the theory, practice and purposes of radio journalism that will be very useful to serious students of the subject.... Journalism educators produce too few texts that pair clear and authoritative understanding of professional practice with coherent theoretical analysis. Starkey and Crisell offer both, and evince respect for journalism as a profession too. This is a very good book -- THE (Times Higher Education) This book is a timely narrative about the history and development of radio, and reasserts its special properties and values. It also reminds us about the continuing importance of radio journalism - local, national and international, all of it under threat from pure market forces - and the need to protect, nurture and encourage the public service values which lie at the heart of good radio journalism -- Steve Harris Two of our leading scholars of radio and of journalism have combined their talents to give us the most incisive introduction to radio journalism any student of the subject could wish for. Starkey and Crisell offer an unbeatable range of perspectives and, in so doing, they illuminate the subject. Radio Journalism challenges lazy assumptions and inspires fresh thinking. So while it's wise to the deep historical roots of the subject, it's also a marvellous road map to the ways ahead. Indispensable -- David Hendy
