Tim Johns

I’ll be honest. Unless it’s for something fun I hate doing vox pops. But sometimes they’re a necessary evil.

Vox populi – ‘Voice of the People’ (or for broadcasting new-starters often considered ‘a boring painful waste of time’)

Though overused and sometimes a symptom of lazy journalism, the humble vox pop has its place in broadcasting and is a basic tool that is here to stay.

I’ve had the honour (?!) of dispatching many a student on work experience to go and grab a vox pop. It’s amazing how much of an impression you can make by either doing one really well, or really badly.

But rather than list what makes a vox good or bad (because that depends on exactly what the subject and brief is), below are some tips for getting started with one in the first place that tend to work for me.

So often I’ve seen people meekly approach members of the public who mostly keep walking, and when they do stop are put off by the way what’s about to happen is sold to them. An hour later the poor vox-popper will still be standing in the cold.

Depending on the topic and how many people are about, you should be able to easily grab what you need in 10-20 minutes.

1. It’s all about the approach. I’ll let myself explain…

2. Get straight in with the question

I know that on many media and journalism courses across the country the ‘method’ of getting into a vox is taught as something along the lines of…

– Ask a member of the public if they can spare a moment

– Explain where you’re from

– Explain the subject you are covering and see if they have an opinion on the matter

– Ask if they’re willing to be recorded

– Hit record, ask them the question again, record the answer

Don’t do this. You want to get to the point where you’re recording a decent answer as quickly as possible, otherwise you’re just wasting time.

After getting someone’s attention, you want to be straight in there with “I’m from x, and I’m just asking everyone around here what they think about dog’s shoes”, by which point you’re already recording (because you pressed record as you approached them) with the microphone in their face.

However – once you’ve recorded something that you think could be broadcast, you need to be confident that the person you’ve recorded understands what they need to. For most people having a microphone in their face is explanation enough that they’re being recorded, and by saying as you leave “thank you, that’ll be part of x programme at x time” is generally enough.

There’s no reason you can’t be both quick (almost ruthless) with a vox but also entirely professional and polite throughout.

 3. Don’t make them feel singled out

Point #2 contained a really key line. When I say to someone “I’m from x, and I’m just asking everyone around here what they think about dog’s shoes”, a vital part of that is ‘everyone around here’.

By mentioning that you’re asking ‘everyone’, I’ve found a distinct difference in people’s concern at suddenly being asked a question on tape. They tend to immediately grasp that they’re not being singled out and that they’re just adding to a pile of opinion.

If there’s still concern on their face, a follow up of “don’t worry, I don’t need your name or anything” tends to alleviate their worries.

 4. Milk the good ones (not literally)

So often I’ve heard the raw recording of a vox someone’s done for me where they’ve got a great speaker, who hasn’t quite worded their answer right. And it’s unusable.

If you’ve got someone with a strong opinion and who’s stopped to talk to you, make the most of them. Don’t be afraid to ask the same question twice. Three times. Four. Don’t worry about wasting their time – they’ll tell you if that’s the case.

Don’t be afraid to guide them with tricks like “repeat after me and finish the sentence: ‘I like dog’s shoes because'”. So long as you’re not guiding their thoughts or putting words in their mouth there’s nothing wrong with pursuing the same question until you have them voicing their opinion in the clearest and strongest way.

And while we’re at it, here’s everything a vox pop shouldn’t be.

It was created as some sort of jokey test vox when Radio Lincolnshire launched, broadcast for fun on the station’s first birthday.

My first post on this blog is dedicated to the wonderful world of student radio. And rightly so. For me it was the best fun ever, provided the best training ever, and I’m confident I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.

WHERE DO I START in trying to justify why it’s ‘the best’?! I could write a (short) book on the matter, but that won’t hold your attention, so I’ll try and pick out just five points. They’re mostly based on why student radio could be good for your career, rather than all the creative and fun reasons…

Me being a ‘student radio type’ on Edinburgh Fresh Air

1. It’s where the big names look for new talent.

It’s not a very romantic notion of why you should partake in student radio, but it’s true. There’s no other voluntary radio sector that has the remarkable attention from industry giants that student radio does. Radio budgets are tight. So it says a lot when BBC Radio 1 and Global Radio compete over who should pay out as main sponsor of the awards, only to decide it’s mutually beneficial to sign a three-year deal costing them thousands every year for the honour of sharing it.

It’s not just them, each award category has a big-name sponsor and big-name interest. At a time when radio presenters are newly-employed on salaries of peanuts and cuts are being made wherever possible – those very same employers line up to financially support what they see as a vital source of talent for the future of their industry.

2. Experience.

Simple. The more time you spend doing radio the better you’ll be at it. Sure, it’s helpful to have guidance and teaching along the way where possible, but it’s the hours of creating terrible features, conducting awful interviews and making horribly-bad radio (which at the time you think is great) which is invaluable. Being told how to make radio, or taking a course where you’re allowed one hour structured broadcasting a week – is not enough.

Student radio can provide hours of airtime that you can fill with all your early mistakes, and give you the freedom to be excited about what you’re doing and make you want to learn more and practice more. There are no professional radio stations, and remarkably few community and hospital station that afford you such true freedom (though don’t get me wrong – community and hospital radio are remarkably important in many of the same ways student radio is).

3. Networking. Or…accidental networking.

A lot of radio people say…

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”.

No. Of course not. When wheeling out that phrase most forget to mention that you have to have skill and ability before people take notice of you – networking can’t solve everything. However there is, in radio or pretty much any industry, still plenty to be said for who you know. Perhaps a better phrase would be…

“If you’re very good at radio, having a good network of people in the industry may well help your career at some point”.

It’s not so catchy, but I think it’s better. So let’s assume you’ve done some student radio and become pretty good at some radio-type-skills. It’s astonishing how by doing student radio, attending a student radio conference or two, heading along to the awards and so on – you can accidentally build up an incredible network of contacts. At the time it may just seem like ‘I said hello to Jim from LSR’ or ‘I ended up meeting that tech-bloke from Xpress Radio’, but have enough of those little connections and five years later you realise you sort-of know half the radio industry.

4. It’s full of DO-ERS and POTENTIAL!

People are remarkably lazy. Some think they can sign up to a media course and magic up a media career. Of course, you need some experience to go alongside it. To get on in student radio you have to at least bother to sign up, make a demo, turn up for a radio show (and hopefully prepare it too) on a voluntary basis. Those who are really passionate end up entering awards and getting involved with SRA stuff.

So almost by default you end up with a bunch of people who are passionate and motivated about radio, which is perhaps why if you’re involved in student radio you probably know someone right now (or a few people) who will go on to a paid radio or media career. So just by being part of that group you’ve improved your chances!

5. It’s fun.

The old ones are the best eh? But yeah, it’s masses of fun. The friends, the parties, the ridiculous radio programmes and the incredible achievements you’re so proud of because you feel like you gave Radio 1 a run for their money despite your £10 budget.

Hang on though – obviously I’m totally biased. But if you want to work in radio and are in any doubt as to whether getting involved in student radio is worth it – it is. And I’m not just talking about your local station, embrace the Student Radio Association too, and all it has to offer!

What your favourite bit about student radio?