By Flora Fair

So here we are — a fresh batch of student reporters working for The End of the Dial. We wanted to do something a little different, which could be highly successful or (as Prof. Olsher would call it) “an interesting failure.” Either way, it’s going to be a steep learning curve. We’ve already had a lot to learn when it comes to using the hardware and software. Now we’re delving into the art after the science — instead of operating Edirols and fiddling around in Pro Tools, we're learning how to use our ears, pace a story, and create something that people can’t stop listening to.

My experience of our class has mostly been through the website and its redesign. So I’ve been thinking a lot about how to redefine journalism using multimedia in a way that highlights sound. I like the idea of visuals that only exist as a kind of frame for sound, without distracting from it. How to do that is the question. I also think it’s a great opportunity to have different pieces of information without trying to fit them all into the sound.

I guess some things lend themselves best to certain formats. The act of storytelling — one person talking about their experience — can’t be beat in sound. It offers a more expressive telling than words, and leaves the audience free to turn on the movie in their own heads. It’s like the ultimate universal medium in that sense, because each listener gets to have their own visual experience. I see the appeal. Are you reading this glowing critique of sound, prof? I hope you grade me accordingly.

But the challenge for me now is time management: How am I going to spend time really thinking about new ways to tell a story in sound, find sources, develop story ideas, conduct interviews, edit, and curate areas of the site over the next couple of months? It’s times like this when sleep goes from being a daily expectation to an annoying necessity to a seductive, far-off desire.

The great thing is that I enjoy what we’re doing and where we’re going as a group, I like how the site looks and what it says about the medium, and I absolutely love good storytelling.

Let’s jump off the cliff and see where we land! At the very least, the sound of our screams will make for good (medium formerly known as) radio.