Any Really Good "Writers" here, who could do a Radio Commentary?

[Up2Late]

NPR has brought back "This I Believe," a radio commentary series that Edward R. Murrow created and hosted back in the 1950s. It's open to anyone who can put together a solid 5 minutes on a single subject.

Even if we don't have one person that could do that, I bet we could jointly write at least one or two.

For example, I bet we could come up with one on subjects like:

1) The importance of a "Free Press"

2) The Importance of "Free and Fair Elections"

Etc.

Feel free to add subjects you would like to hear.

This a link to the one from today:

The Real Consequences of Justice

Here's a link to NPR and some info:

The History of 'This I Believe'

This I Believe is based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. Each day, some 39-million Americans gathered by their radios to hear compelling essays from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller and Harry Truman as well as corporate leaders, cab drivers, scientists and secretaries -- anyone able to distill into a few minutes the guiding principles by which they lived. Their words brought comfort and inspiration to a country worried about the Cold War, McCarthyism and racial division.

Eventually, the radio series became a cultural phenomenon. Eighty-five leading newspapers printed a weekly column based on This I Believe. A collection of essays published in 1952 sold 300,000 copies -- second only to the Bible that year. The series was translated and broadcast around the globe on the Voice of America. A book of essays translated into Arabic sold 30,000 copies in just three days.

In reviving and reinvigorating This I Believe, our goal is not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, we hope to encourage people to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own. Fifty years ago, Edward R. Murrow's project struck such a chord with millions of Americans. It can do so again today.

This I Believe is produced by Dan Gediman and Jay Allison with production support from Atlantic Public Media and This I Believe, Inc. Find out more about the people behind This I Believe.
(more at link above)

[ewagner]

1. Thanks for the post

I may try to do one....I did radio advertising for my last company....wrote literally hundreds of radio scripts.....

[Up2Late]

6. Did you do your own "voice talent?"

If so, we could help you write it.:evilgrin:

[ewagner]

9. No...I wrote

and usually designated the type of voice character I wanted.....

like when rumors were being spread that our company was going out of business, I wrote and ad saying we've been around for 80 years and were looking forward to the next 80 years....wanted a folksy, low, reassuring voice....30 second ad kept to about 80-85 words so it wasn't rushed....

that's the kind of crap I did....

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. Thanks for the reminder!

I heard about this a few months ago.... have they started running the spots yet? It's not the same NPR now...I'm afraid we won't have a chance to get our voices heard.

there's an old thread around here somewhere...

[Up2Late]

5. NPR is much better now than it was last year, I think the ReThugs...

...were putting a lot of pressure on NPR, in the year leading up to the * resection (November 2) to "have their voices heard."

I do wish they would get rid of Steve Inskeep, he seems like a closet Republican, and now that I read his Bio at NPR .com, he was raised in Carmel, Indiana, a VERY Republican town, even by Indiana standards.

[Adelante]

10. Is that right?

It's really good to hear NPR is getting back to itself.

[bonzotex]

18. PBS is still under attack

A good general article about the repug war on PBS on Salon

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/05/10/cpb_bias_campaign/index.html

These bastards are going after the "Liberal" bias on PBS in a big way. I think it's showing in their programming. NPR is not covering Right wing scandals with any depth. More and more segments are basically human interest stories. They aren't dead yet but if the repugs get their way they will be.

[Career Prole]

3. I heard them say it was 3 minutes this morning...

...but anyway, here's the agreement you must accept before submission...
http://www.npr.org/thisibelieve/agree.html

...and when you accept you go to the actual submission form which says among other things:

'This I Believe' Essay-Writing Instructions

We invite you to contribute to this project by writing and submitting your own statement of personal belief. We understand how challenging this is -- it requires such intimacy that no one else can do it for you. To guide you through this process, we offer these suggestions:

Tell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching -- it can even be funny -- but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.

Be brief: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words. That's about three minutes when read aloud at your natural pace.

Name your belief: If you can't name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on a core belief, because three minutes is a very short time.

Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don't believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial "we." Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.

Be personal: This is radio. Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.

http://www.npr.org/thisibelieve/guide.html

Go for it, writer people! :)

[adigal]

4. I am a writer and was thinking about doing this

I was searching about for ideas - suggestions welcome.

[Up2Late]

8. I posted a couple above...

...1) ...the importance of a "Free Press"

2) ...the Importance of "Free and Fair Elections"

Here's two more, I wasn't sure how to phrase,

3) ...the importance of an Intelligent President

4) ...the importance of an America that sets a good example for the world, not just empty rhetoric.

:evilgrin:

[genius]

7. The kid who spoke against Negroponte at the Democratic Convention

would be great. She used to speak at all kinds of peace events. Her brother is awesome too.

[Up2Late]

11. Kick n/t

:kick:

[ClassWarrior]

12. Excellent thought - count me in...

I have some experience with writing and the media.

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

13. .

[Up2Late]

16. O.K., let's start pitching some ideas

what ya got?

Or just post something and we'll help you edit it. That goes for everyone that has said, so far, that they want to write one.

[kentuck]

14. I could write but I don't know if my mountain accent would be ..

accepted as a radio commentator... :)

[ClassWarrior]

15. Might be "charming," ken...

B-)

NGU.

[Up2Late]

17. You ever heard of the writer/commentator Baxter Black?

As long as the writing is good and the message clear, accents aren't always such a bad thing.

Here's links to some of Baxter Black's stuff:

<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4130507>

<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4282218>