Sound Reporting, Second Edition: The NPR Guide to Broadcast, Podcast and Digital Journalism

An indispensable guide to audio journalism grounded in NPR’s journalistic values and practices, with tips and insights from its top reporters, hosts, editors, producers, and more.

A lot has changed in media in recent years, but one thing that remains steadfast is National Public Radio’s (NPR) position as a trusted source of news in the United States. Now producing dozens of shows and podcasts, plus livestreams and coverage on other media platforms, NPR is the leading authority on reporting, writing, and delivering audio news and storytelling to today’s diverse audiences. In this completely revised guide, audio journalism trainer Jerome Socolovsky offers a look into just how NPR does it, following the same journey a story would from idea to the moment it reaches its listeners.

Based on more than eighty interviews with producers, reporters, editors, hosts, and other NPR staffers, Sound Reporting reveals how stories get pitched; how they are reported, produced, written, edited, voiced, and tailored to multiple media formats; and how shows and podcasts are put together. It begins with a presentation of NPR’s values and includes a new chapter on journalist safety, a topic of timely importance. Podcasts, now part of the mainstream of the media universe, are treated alongside traditional programs throughout.

In these pages, the voices of NPR staff offer a glimpse into their profession. Discover how correspondent Ruth Sherlock overcame seemingly insurmountable odds as she raced to the scene of a devastating earthquake in Turkey, the four main ways Ramtin Arablouei incorporates music into podcasts, and how ＂Weekend Edition＂ host Ayesha Rascoe touches listeners so deeply she received a pair of homemade potholders in the mail from one of them. Reading this book is like sitting in a room full of top-notch producers, seasoned correspondents, trusted hosts, and rigorous editors--all telling you inspiring stories about their craft to help you learn from their experience.

At a time when the legitimacy and authority of journalism are under critique, transparency into how the news is made is more important than ever. This book offers a fascinating look behind the scenes at a premier public media organization and will be a trusted resource for anyone in or exploring a future in audio journalism.

Jerome Socolovsky reported for National Public Radio (NPR) from Spain and served as editor on ＂Morning Edition＂ and the national, international, and culture desks. Since 2018, he has served as NPR’s audio journalism trainer. During an award-winning career of more than three decades in digital, audio, and video journalism, he has also been an international correspondent for the Associated Press, religion reporter for Voice of America, and editor-in-chief of Religion News Service. He lives in Washington, DC.