The Editor In Chief at Storm FM, Kwadwo Owusu-Ansah, has urged fellow radio news editors to make efforts at improving their performance since the industry is becoming very sophisticated.
Speaking to a section of the media in Sunyani, Owusu-Ansah pointed out it is important for radio news editors to refresh their skills and knowledge to meet current challenges in the industry. He said radio news editors must possess outstanding communication skills, since communication is their industry.
“Editors must interact with sources, be organized and analytical, with sound investigative skills. They need to be motivated, capable of solving problems and feel comfortable delegating and leading reporters”, he said. Owusu-Ansah noted that radio news editors must organize anchors and reporters, guiding them in the direction of good stories and advising them on the type of reporting that needs to be done especially during an election year.
Owusu–Ansah, whose career as a journalist span over sixteen years, expressed worry that some newsrooms allow reporters to file stories editors know nothing about, adding that the practice must not be encouraged.He added that since news radio stations broadcast around the clock, chief editors should be able to work long and odd hours that may involve evenings and weekends as well as knowing how to use the equipment needed for broadcast.
Owusu-Ansah reminded his colleagues that they must possess a strong sense of what makes a good news story, sound editorial judgement, ability to generate original ideas and to think creatively about how to communicate them, excellent writing and story-telling skills which they can adapt for different audiences and platforms . Radio news editors must also possess in-depth knowledge of the radio market, different station and programme styles and audience demographics, confidence and decisiveness, the capacity to work effectively under pressure, react quickly and meet tight deadlines determination, diplomacy and excellent interpersonal skills. “As editors, we need the capacity to maintain objectivity in order to be fair and balanced in the treatment of stories, a thorough knowledge of the law, ethics and industry regulation, and broad experience of their application in radio and the practice of journalism”, he said.
Aside all these, editors must have a high level of IT skills -particularly good word-processing and data handling skills, the ability to learn how to use a variety of recording equipment and to operate different radio studios, the ability to conduct effective internet research, use relevant computer software for audio editing.
