Social Media-Social Networking sites

 

 

A social networking service (SNS) is an online vehicle for creating relationships with other people who share an interest, background. Social networking service users create a profile with personal information and photos and form connections with other profiles.

These users then use their connections to grow relationships through sharing, emailing, instant messaging, and commenting. Social networking services may also be referred to as a "social networking site" or simply "social media."

·         A social networking service (SNS) is an online vehicle for creating relationships with other people.

·         Social networking services are more commonly referred to as "social networking sites" or "social media."

·         Social networking services business models are based on online advertising.

Successful specialized Social networking services include YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest, and TikTok.  Facebook alone have over 2.91 billion users worldwide.

Social Networking Service Characteristics

While social networking services may take many forms, and has several characteristics

Some characteristics include:

·         User-generated content, such as photos, videos, and posts that inform other users about the activities and interests of the poster.

·         The ability to connect individuals from all over the world, though some platforms recommend that individuals know one another in real life before connecting online.

·         They are free. Their business model is based on breadth of membership, therefore charging for use would be counterproductive. Still, the possibility remains that if a network grew large and useful enough, charging a fee may be possible.

·         They connect people with common histories, such as school attendance, work colleagues, or people who share a common interest.

·         They may help forge and develop relationships between people who share a profession or business network.

·         They may be used to help individuals find information, products, services, or resources that are relevant to them.

 

Social media dramatically change the media landscape of the 21st century and consequently the way people communicate with each other, bringing a new way to conceptualize public opinion.

 

 

What Is Social Media?

The term social media refers to a computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks and communities. Social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content, such as personal information, documents, videos, and photos. Users engage with social media via a computer, tablet, or smartphone via web-based software or applications. More than 4.5 billion people use social media, as of October 2021.

 Social media is an ever-changing and ever-evolving field, with new apps such as TikTok and Clubhouse coming out seemingly every year, joining the ranks of established social networks like Blog, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

All social media involve some sort of digital platform, whether that be mobile or stationary. Social media allow some form of participation.

BLOG 

A blog is a website where someone regularly records their thoughts or experiences or talks about a subject. In the early 2000s, blogging emerged in a variety of forms when several political blogs were born. Today, there are more than 570 million blogs on the web. 

 

A blog, a shortened version of “weblog” is an online journal or informational website displaying information in reverse chronological order, with the latest posts appearing first, at the top. It is a platform where a writer or a group of writers share their views on an individual subject.

What is the purpose of a blog?

There are many reasons to start a blog ; the main purpose of a blog is to connect you to the relevant audience.  

Blog structure

The appearance of blogs has changed over time, and these days blogs include a wide variety of items and widgets. However, most blogs still include some standard features and structures.

Here are common features that a typical blog will include:

·       Header with the menu or navigation bar.

·       Main content area with highlighted or latest blog posts.

·       Sidebar with social profiles, favorite content, or call-to-action.

·       Footer with relevant links like a disclaimer, privacy policy, contact page, etc.

 

Blogs need frequent updates.

Blogs also promote reader engagement.

Readers have a chance to comment and voice their different concerns and thoughts to the community.

Blog owners update their site with new blog posts on a regular basis.

Definition of a blogger: A blogger is someone who runs and controls a blog. He or she shares his or her opinion and knowledge on different topics for a target audience.  A blogger is someone who writes regularly for an online journal or website.

 

 A political blogger might provide weekly commentary on current events.  A personal blogger keeps a website which may include diary-like entries, photographs, and links to other sites. Such a blog is a record of how the blogger spends her days — vacations, weekend outings, books and movies she's watched, and so on. Fashion bloggers might take photos of outfits or link to shopping sites, and pop culture bloggers might recap last night's TV shows. Blogger comes from blog, first used in 1998 as shorthand for weblog.

 

Social media allows you to do at least four important things: 

·       Discover new ideas and trends.

·       Connect with existing and new audiences in deeper ways

·       Bring attention and traffic to your work.

·       Build, craft and enhance your brand.  

 

FACEBOOK

Facebook is a social networking website launched in February 2004

Facebook, with more than two billion users worldwide, is the most powerful and influential of the social networks. It is a great way to connect with family, friends and friends of friends. It remains mainly a personal network for most people, but it is useful for business and professional outreach as well. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and others when he was a student at Harvard; though when the site was initially launched, it was restricted to Harvard students only. Later the privilege was extended to high school students and later to everyone that is 13 years or older (Boyd, 2007). As of July 2010.  Facebook was ranked as the most used social

network worldwide.

YouTube

 YouTube provides   forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and 

acts as a major distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers, large and small.

YouTube is based in San Bruno, California and uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. In November 2006, within a year of its launch, YouTube was purchased by Google Inc. in one of the most talked-about acquisitions to date.

 

YouTube has entered into a number of partnership relations with content providers such as CBS, BBC, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, NBA, The Sundance Channel and many others (YouTube, 2005). YouTube offered the public a beta site of the site in May 2005, six months before the official launch in November 2005. The site grew rapidly, and in July 2006, the company announced that more than 65,000 new videos were being uploaded every day, and that the site was receiving 100 million video views per day (YouTube, 2005).

 

TWITTER

Twitter gained a lot of popularity first because it offered more different options such

as micro blogging and secondly because it was used by some celebrities. Twitter is a free social networking microblogging service that allows registered members to broadcast short posts called tweets. Twitter members can broadcast tweets and follow other users' tweets by using multiple platforms and devices. Tweets and replies to tweets can be sent by cell phone text message, desktop client or by posting at the Twitter.com website

 

 

Tweets, which may include hyperlinks, are limited to 140 characters, due to the constraints of Twitter's Short Message Service (SMS) delivery system. Because tweets can be delivered to followers in real time, they might seem like instant messages to the novice user.

 

 GOOGLE BUZZ

Google buzz is a social networking and messaging tool that integrates a web-based email program which will work through the popular Gmail service, will allow users to post status updates, photos and links to members of their network, as well as pull in their activity on other sites like Twitter or Facebook .

 

 

 

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Feature Writing and Types

Defines a feature article as “a newspaper or magazine article that deals in depth with a particular topic.”

FEATURE WRITING 

A feature story is a piece of news item written with a particular intention i.e. either to make audience aware of a particular matter, to instruct or to entertain. 

Unlike a general news story, the feature might be prejudiced and sometimes can be used to express the emotion of the writer.  But a feature need not be on a topic of current discussion but can be a general topic. A feature story is normally slightly bigger than an ordinary news story. 

HOW TO WRITE A FEATURE - STRUCTURE OF A FEATURE 

 Headline : Headline should be as catchy as possible. The reader decides to read the news only if the headline is attractive. 

 The introduction: The introduction should be attractive and should persuade the reader to read further. It can have quotations, anecdotes and can be made dramatic and sensitive. 

 The body : Of the feature should present the details of the story. The various and opposing ideas regarding the story are presented in the body. The story should maintain its rhythm and tempo throughout.

Conclusion : The conclusion should be able to convince audiences of a particular perspective and should end with a punch line so that the reader will be reminded of the story when it is mentioned again.

The APPLAUSE Formula

According to a popular theory, a feature story must subscribe to the APPLAUSE Formula, where each letter of the word APPLAUSE stands for the following values:

A    Appeal -Appeal: A feature must evoke interest.  At some level and somewhere, it must appeal to the senses of the readers.

• P        Plain Facts -Facts are stranger than fiction
• P        Personalities Readers like celebrities. If a feature narrates the personal story of an individual who is important enough, readers will lap it up. An interview or a biographical piece can be very interesting depending on who it deals with. 
• L       Logic Obviously, a feature story has to conform to logical considerations
• A      Action A feature should ideally incite people into action. Only then, it fulfills its objective.
• U       Universal/ Unique  feature should have a decidedly universal orientation. It needs to be useful to all and sundry. It can’t necessarily target a certain section of readers alone. .
• S        Significance The feature has to ideally deal with a subject matter that has impact on people’s lives. In some way or the other, the feature should have some relevance in the daily lives of people.
• E                   Energy/ Enthusiasm  feature should be emphatic in its approach. It should be convinced about its own subject matter. In other words, a feature story needs to be energetic and enthusiastic in nature.

• types of feature stories:

• Colour Piece: A feature story that essentially tries to enlighten readers on a particular theme or subject.

  Fly on the Wall: A feature story that is conceived and narrated unobtrusively and mostly without the explicit permission of the subjects.

  Behind the Scenes: A feature story that shifts its focus from the principal event to the background and narrates an interesting tale.

  In Disguise: A feature story that is told while the storyteller is a part of the event.

  Interview: A feature story that develops itself around questions asked to a respondent, who is usually in a place of prominence.

  Profile: A feature story that is based on the exploits of a particular eminent person with or without his/ her interview.

  How-To: A feature story that is dependent on research and helps readers in solving a problem or deciphering a scenario.

  Fact Box/ Chronology: A feature story that provides plain and simple facts mostly in a chronological order.

  Backgrounder/ A History of: A feature story that provides detailed information.

  Full Texts: A feature story that is nothing but extracts from a book or transcripts of an interview.

  Testimony: A feature story that is the first-person account of an individual.

  Analysis: A feature story that scholarly analyzes an event.

  Vox Pop/ Expert Roundup: A feature story that accumulates opinions from the general citizenry and thought leaders concerning a subject.

  Opinion Poll: A feature story that conducts a research of opinions and presents a generalized summary of the accumulated opinions.

  Review: A feature story that reviews a work of art and presents a generalized opinion.

  While news items are extremely important, feature stories play the extremely critical role of building opinions and inciting actions. Features are extensively used for the purpose for advocacy as well.

  Feature writing is a skill that is acquired over a period of time. Proper training modules are required to turn a naturally gifted writer into a feature writer. 

SOME KEY POINTS OF FEATURE WRITING

 1. Focus should be on the topic and the topic should appeal to the audience. The feel and emotion that the writer creates determine the success of the feature. 

2. Be clear what the feature should do,that is t to inform, persuade, evaluate, evoke emotion, observe, analyze 

3. Accuracy is important. Make sure that the details are correct. 

4. Write for the audience. Know the audience’s taste and write. 

5. Interviews should be detailed and it would be better if the writer can meet the interviewed rather than talk on the phone  

6. Use Anecdotes (Life incidents), quotations and stories to make the feature attractive. 

7. Use the same tense form of the verb throughout the feature unless the situation demands 

 8. Write in Active Voice. Avoid lengthy, complex sentences and paragraphs. Use Active Voice of the sentence. 

 9. Collect details from various sources before writing a feature. Update information and talk to experts on the topic before writing. 

10. Check the grammar & spelling before sending for publication

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RADIO DRAMA - Elements of radio drama

 

Writing a radio play is about painting a picture with words and sounds. 

The Meaning of Drama The English word “drama” derives from the Greek word “dran” meaning “to do.” Thus, a drama is a story performed or “done” by actors on stage, radio, film, television, in an open field, or even on the street. 

Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story.”

n the 1940s, all the way to the 1950s, radio was the major popular entertainment. It was more than just a source of news: music and novels were also a major part of people’s everyday lives. 

The first play written specifically for radio was A Comedy Of Danger, by Richard Hughes, which aired in January of 1924, commissioned by the BBC in Britain. 

In the U.S., it is believed that the first radio drama was a show called The Wolf, adapted from a play of Charles Sommerville by Eugene Walter, also in 1924. 

But radio dramas have their roots set in another type of broadcasting, way before the technology for radio was developed. Between 1900 and 1920 people used a network of lines to listen to live performances – this was called the théàtrophone.

Radio Theatre, the performance art of combining voice talent, sound effects, and music before live studio and broadcast audiences, was popular during the Golden Age of radio (1930 to 1950)

Drama, to some extent, shares the same qualities as other literary forms that tell a story. Every playwright, like every novelist, has a story to unfold. But the manner and method adopted is  depending on the medium through which it is presented. The writer of the short story cannot resort to the lengthy manner chosen by the novelist. Nor can @e dramatist adopt the technique used by the novelist or the short story writer. Nevertheless, they all have one purpose-to tell a story. 

Define audience

As a writer we need to decide who our audience will be and what our intention is. 

For example do you want to:

• make your audience laugh?
• comment on a current or historical event?
• tell a story?
• convey a message?

Elements of radio drama

The elements of radio drama are the same as those of stage drama:

• role: characters in the play
• time: when the action takes place
• place: where the action takes place
• action: what happens in the drama
• tension: conflict within and between characters and their environment
• focus: the ideas, feelings, or characters that the playwright wants us to concentrate on in a particular moment.

Character

A radio play generally has fewer characters than a staged play. It can difficult for an audience to distinguish between a number of characters by voice alone. The audience learns about the characters through what they say and what others say about them, and the sound of their voice. Characters have to have distinctive voices.

The audience needs to be able to tell one character from another. The character's voice needs to tell us a range of information about the character, for instance their age, ethnicity, social background and what they think and feel about the events in the play.

All good drama makes a connection with its audience. This can be achieved with a sympathetic character or by using a situation that is familiar to the audience.

 Radio play needs special treatment both in scripting and presentation. Unlike the stage play (or TV play), 4hich has the visual props to support it, Radio play is totally dependent on the audio actor. 

Dialogue

Dialogue is essential to define sounds heard in a radio play. A listener might interpret a sound in a number of different ways, unless there is dialogue from the characters to set the scene. 

Writing dialogue for a script is different from writing prose. The words need to sound the way people speak. 

The words that a character uses will tell the listener about the character's background. This sort of information might be shown by costume on stage. It is important to think about what we want the audience to know about a character, and the kind of language that the character would use that would give us this information, and how it might change in the play.

Action

As the audience cannot see what is happening on stage, you need to tell them. Characters need to describe what they are doing, or to describe what they can see others doing.

Radio play scenes tend to be shorter than stage play scenes. This is because radio plays tend to be shorter than stage plays and because radio plays do not have as many pauses in the dialogue for action.

Time and place

As there is no set to show the audience where the action will take place, a radio scriptwriter must create a picture for the listener using a combination of music, sound effects, and dialogue. Characters may need to talk about where they are and what they can see more frequently than in a stage play. Time and time that you choose and change location quickly and easily using words and sound. By using sound effects it is possible to evoke time of day, season, location, and era.

Tension

Tension can be developed by using silence, changing the length of scenes, locations, and the use of music as well as the events in the play. Dialogue can be faster or slower.

ELEMENTS DF A RADIO PLAY 

Sound ~ Your play will be heard by hundreds of people and not seen as people who flock to the theatre. You are denied the techniques available to the stage director, namely, costumes, set designs, lights, properties and the physid appearance of the actors. The radio dramatist has to work with dialogue, music and bund effects and sometimes even silence, to create pictures in the minds of the listener.

Vocal work/Dialogue

· Seeing that there is no visual action in your radio play, your vocal work must tell the story.  

· Use emphasis (Exaggeration) and vocal technique (Breath support), vocal variety (Pitch and tone to convey emotion)

· Use comic relief through dialogue

· Establish an emotional state for the characters at all times.

· Use heightened language (Vocal expression serves not only the development of the plot and character, but it also presents the view of the writer.

radio drama

tamil radio drama watch?v=i_HoPfh0S6I

Coimbatore radio station

college drama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0S4LJsJ_EU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JetOlvcsvrYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JetOlvcsvrY

social development drama

https://alexobt.wixsite.com/playscripts

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How to Interview Guests on Radio /Television Show

 

If you plan on interviewing someone for a radio show you need to be prepared.

Research the person or topic to be covered. Find out about the person you're interviewing and the subjects you will discuss. Depending on the interview length and style, your conversation may take different paths. If you're taking audience questions, consider the possible questions you might get.

Prepare your questions. You can     plan for many questions ahead of time. Don’t plan to ask the most interesting questions first; try to spread it out to keep your audience interested.

Prepare your guest. Tell your guest what you would like to ask during the interview. Tell her the questions or types of questions you’re going to ask. Tell her how long the answers should take. It’s always good to keep the guest happy, especially if you’d like her to return.

Know generally what your guest is going to say. 

You should have a general idea of what your guest likely is going to talk about. This way, you're less likely to be surprised by anything and better prepared to ask follow-up questions of your guest.

Plan for quick back-and-forth discussion.  People do not like to listen to long stories or complicated explanations. Plan out questions that are interesting but that can be answered easily.

Be prepared to close the discussion. Plan for and talk to your guest about how the discussion will end and what will happen next. Otherwise, your interview could go on far too long or you guest could just sputter on indefinitely.

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three stages of programme production

 

There are three stages of programme production 

1. Pre production

2. Production 

3. Post production 

Pre-Production This stage includes everything you do before entering the studio or reaching the shooting location. It involves idea generation, research, scripting, discussions with all the crew members and talents (actors), arranging equipment, video / audio tapes, properties, costumes, sets designing or location hunting and booking of editing shifts. The first thing to know about any and every production is what you want the programme to look like, just like you need to know what you want to cook. 

• This is the pre production stage. 
•  need a clear idea of what you want to make. 
•  understandable by the audience. 
• Once the idea is clear, the next stage is how to get from the idea to the television image. 
• To translate an idea on screen effectively you need a good and detailed script. 

Production This is the stage 

• when you are on the studio floor or on location and are ready to shoot or are actually shooting. 
• It includes managing all the facilities, handling of talent and crew members, 
• controlling the crowd, 
• shooting without hurdles and
•  solving any problem related on the spot at that time.

 Post-Production This is the third stage of programme production. 

• It is the stage when you get the final shape of the programme, 
•  It includes cutting the recorded visuals into appropriate length, arranging the visuals in a proper sequence, 
• use of desired effects for the visuals or text / captions, commentary recording, music/song recording, and 
• inal assembly of the entire programme

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The Main Elements of Radio Production.

 

(i)Studio: The radio studio is a room where radio programmes are recorded. For producing a radio programme, you need a ‘sound proof’ studio where human voice can be recorded or broadcast in the best manner.

 (ii)Microphones:, we use a microphone For our voice to be recorded in a studio. They amplify or in other words,increase the volume of our voice.When we think of radio, the microphone is the most important element using which we present our programme. There are basically three types of microphones and they are known by their directivity.

(a) Uni-directional microphone : As the name suggests, this microphone picks up sound from one direction. In a radio studio, the announcers, presenters and newsreaders use this type of a microphone. A microphone is very sensitive and you need to use it carefully. You should be at the right distance from it when you speak. Otherwise, your voice will not sound good. Even if you turn a paper or breathe heavily, the microphone will pick up that sound and your programme or your voice will be affected.  

(b) Bi-directional microphone:- Here again as the name (bi) suggests, the voice or sound is picked up from two directions. It is a better device to recording an interview in a radio studio.

(c) Omni-directional microphone:. Omni-directional microphone, it picks up sound from all directions. This type of microphone is used when a number of voices are used in a single programme like a radio discussion or a radio drama.

 There are many other types of microphones which come in different sizes and lengths.

A small microphone which is called a lapel microphone, and  clipped on the collar. This is which is actually a uni-directional microphone. These microphones are not normally used in radio.

 Then there are long microphones called gun microphones used in sports production. These microphones are often omni directional ones.

There are also cordless microphones. We might have seen them being used in stage shows. They do not have any cables or wires attached to them. They have a small transmitter in them which can send the sounds to an amplifier.

(iii) Sound effects : Sound effects in a radio programme give meaning and sense of location. It adds realism to a programme and helps a listener to use imagination. Sound effects can be used in two ways:

(a) spot effects or effects that are created as we speak and

(b) recorded sound effects. s.

 (iv) Music : Music is the soul of radio. It is used in different ways on radio as already discussed in the earlier lesson. Film songs and classical music programmes are independent programmes on radio.

Music is also used as signature tunes or theme music of various radio programmes.

Let us see what music does to any programme.

 a. Music adds colour and life to any spoken word programme.

b. Music can break monotony.

c. Music is used to give the desired effect of happy or unhappy situations, fear or joy.

d. Music can suggest scenes and locations. For example, you have to create a bright early morning situation. This can be done by playing a pleasing note on the flute along with the sound of chirping birds.

(v) Artificial echo

An echo is a technical input , used in radio programmes.

(vi) Filter or distort. This sort of effect called distort is produced using technology. Some times distort is used along with echo. Think of someone speaking from a mine 100 feet below the earth. To make it realisitic, distort and echo are used.

(vii)Human voice: The main stay in any radio programme is the human voice. Think of the voice of an announcer or newsreader on radio.

There are two aspects of the use of human voice in radio production.

 Firstly, there has to be a well written script to be spoken and then someone has to speak orread it before a microphone in a studio.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3fL0jjA768

https://youtu.be/9q7tN7MhQ4I

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