Most partially sighted or blind people have access to a recorded talking newspaper, to allow them to keep up-to-date with local news.

Editing the news section of a talking newspaper is a really interesting (voluntary) job. The editor has to produce a complete script on time for the readers to record, and each item of local news must be carefully combed for suitable, relevant items.

Sourcing the Information

The primary source for news is the local press. There is usually both a daily and a weekly paper; while overlap happens, the weekly may have more parochial items which are of interest to listeners. 

The local daily should have a website, where breaking news is listed. Items can be copied from the site, pasted onto a Word document, and then edited; this is a great way of grabbing the key relevant points from wide-ranging articles, and also managing two items which have been printed back-to-back.

Local sports information can be included; results are in the papers but also on websites connected with local teams such as football, or individual sports like snooker.

The local council will have a website, with practical information about new facilities, recycling, spending on projects and so on. Registering for their regular e-mails ensures that time-sensitive detail gets through.

The news script also includes letters to the editor about local issues, and listeners say that they enjoy this section.

Collating the News

Each item should be carefully snipped from the paper, or printed out from the website. It's a good idea to sort into categories as cuttings accumulate; these could include community news, fundraising, crime, or business.

Editing the Items

Every single item needs checking, so that inappropriate references such as "pictured, right" or "yesterday/tomorrow" can be removed. A fine black ballpoint pen works well for print, but items translated into Word documents can be nicely adapted before printing.  In both cases there may be irrelevant or repetitive paragraphs to remove, and even printing errors to correct.

If there is an ongoing story with several cuttings, these will include repetition. It may be managed by creating a new Word document summarising the story from the start up to the final day of editing.

Putting the Script Together

Items can be grouped into sections, announced with a headline such as, "And now some news about local businesses", or "Fundraisers have been busy in our area".

Items from the papers are pasted onto A4 paper, with anything from one to four or five items per page, while printed off items can be several to a page, too, but clearly separate.

The pages can be numbered, to indicate the editor's preferred order, just in case they become separated in the studio. It is good to vary the type of item, for example alternating between items that are pleasant, neutral, or unfortunate such as accidents or crime.

A cover sheet sets off the script, indicating the name of the editor, and including a promo for four or five especially interesting items.

Producing scripts for a talking newspaper is immensely interesting, and it's rewarding to learn that surveys show the service itself is greatly appreciated by its listeners.

This content was provided by one of our users, jacpye