Now that I have to record audio clips for my stories, I am worried that I will sound terrible on those recordings. I am worried not so much because I will be embarrassed if I sound bad, but because bad multimedia tools take away from the story as a whole.

Here, then, are the things I hope to learn from the upcoming lesson:

1-What do I need to do to get high-quality (i.e. good-sounding) audio?

2-Am I going to need any new equipment? If so, what kind?

3-Should I make multiple recordings of the same audio event/interview? If so, how many?

4-What do I need to know about ethical editing of sound clips? (My gut says that you should go with what you get. Are there instances, though, in which you should touch-up sound recordings for quality purposes? Also, should you use the whole sound clip that you record or is it okay to use a portion of your recording? Should you tell your readers/listeners about the parts that you cut/choose not to include?)

I just looked through our textbook. journalismNEXT (second edition) contains an entire chapter on this topic. Author Mark Briggs advises the following:

1-Briggs says: “With just a few simple tools—a microphone, recorder and free software (and a computer connected to the Internet, of course)—you can create full-featured segments that sound like radio episodes and distribute them as podcasts to build a loyal audience” (p.172).

2-Sound recordings allow journalists to make the most of the setting and the feelings associated with a given event (p.173).

3-He encourages readers of his book to consider using a number of different sound-based creations:

-“reporter overview” (p.175)

-“podcasts” (p.175)

-“audio slide shows” (p.175)

-“breaking news” (p.175).

I think all of these things are great, but I think only one of them counts as journalism: the last one.

To me, the other items on that list are fluff and advertisement. Give the people what they want, I suppose. Maybe Briggs knows that these are the things that people want (p.175).

Briggs covered many other things in his chapter on sound-based journalism (p.171-196). So, I have a lot left to learn. Maybe when I finish soaking up his words, my voice will sound good on news recordings.

I think it’s far more likely that I will just reaffirm what I already know: I am a writer for a reason.

I am almost finished with my first story for this class.

I am almost finished, but I am not satisfied.

Meet the deadline. That is my mantra.

At present, I think I am dissatisfied with my work because I don’t have the same authority as a print journalist.

I always loved calling people up when I was working for Broadside. I could say: “My name is Elizabeth Grisham. I am a reporter with Broadside. I’d like to ask you some questions about…”

The person on the other end of the phone would usually answer my questions on the spot or make arrangements to speak with me at a later time.

Now, though, all I can say is: “My name is Elizabeth Grisham. I’m a student journalist writing a story on X for an online journalism class.”

People haven’t been jumping at the chance to be featured on my obscure blog. I can’t say that I blame them. They have other things to do.

At this point, I have my story. I just received answers to some follow-up questions from one of my sources. I have some new pictures on my camera that I took on Thursday. I still have to get my video for my story and I still have to do the final polishing.

What I want to know is how do I make all of this work turn into something that matters— something that makes a difference?

All I can do is keep thinking, I suppose. Please let me know, dear readers, if you have any ideas on this matter.

In the meantime, I hope you will at least enjoy the new bells and whistles I am getting better at using and the speed at which I am now writing. I have never written as quickly as I have been writing this year. I think I’m writing faster because I have less time.

You probably have less time, too, so I will sign off for now. Thanks for reading.

George Mason University Adjunct Faculty Kevin M. Goldberg scared me this week with lessons from last semester.

That’s right. I listened to a lecture I had already heard and I was scared anew.

I guess that makes me a wimp, but I don’t care. I’m just trying to be a careful journalist.

Why was I frightened?

I think it was because of an air freshener ad I keep seeing. You probably know the one. I’m scared to write more about it or to mention the product in detail. I don’t want to get into trouble.

Before I took Goldberg’s class, I was an okay journalist, but also a fearful one. After I finished his class, I was even more afraid. I was afraid of making costly errors that could land me in court.

I think a lot of what he discussed pertained to products like the one I’m not mentioning, so I feel pretty safe–like I won’t inadvertently commit those offenses. I think he did discuss, however, a few things that I might accidentally do one day. I hate that possibility.

The one thing I think I am most afraid of doing is taking an internet address that I am not supposed to have. Goldberg said this is called “cybersquatting.” I am worried about this, I think because of the fact that I found a sustainability blog that has the title that I was going to use.

I have another name for my site now and will be making an all-new site this coming week. I suppose, then, that I should stop worrying.

Want to hear something surprising, then? I wish Goldberg would come speak again.