LESSON 17 - lead time

Word-of-the-week: LEAD TIME

Related expressions
1. lead time  – period of time that reporters and producers need to prepare stories and information for publication or broadcast
You don’t have much lead time to write this article, so I suggest you hurry up.

2. to unfold - if a situation or story unfolds, it develops or becomes clear to other people
We decided to stay and see the situation unfold.
 
3. to juggle – to succeed in arranging your life so that you have time to involve yourself in two or more different activities or groups of people
I admire my friend, who is a mother and a professional, as she manages to juggle her work and family life.

In context
I’d like to start today’s lesson with a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt who said:”Never before have we had so little time in which to do so much”. Our pace of life is hectic. We rush to work, then back home, trying to juggle our jobs and home responsibilities. We constantly complain that we never have enough time. Luckily technology has come to our rescue and that is why we can do so much in the time we do have.

For the media professions, technology has brought many novel ways of documenting stories. It has shortened the lead time required for preparing and broadcasting events. There are more talk programs and live “spot” news coverage where reporters or experts speculate about events as they unfold, because what is important for journalists is the ability to deliver news quickly. They can use platforms like blogs and social media such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

The above social media platforms provide another advantage: mass interaction. Readers not only have access to a wide range of articles but additionally have been given the ability to provide feedback to the writer. Does that mean anyone can be a journalist? I believe so, but that is the topic of our next lesson.  

Read more
www.mediaresearchhub.ssrc.org

JOURNALISM IN THE AMERICAS


Listen and repeat
LISTENING/LESSON 17