Production of Development Communication Materials 1

The following are my output from different activities and homework from my Production of Development Communication Materials 1 class.

What are the advantages of radio over other media?

Radio is commonly described as a mass medium because radio can be use on different parts of the country and can reach millions of people at different times of the day. Radio has many advantages as a companion medium when we are alone at home or driving, busy at work by turning on the radio. Through listening, news, events and dramas we hear from the radio, it stimulates imagination because encourage us to supply picture for ourselves. It also surpasses boundaries for as long as the signal is strong and clear. It can reach us wherever we are, mountains or across the ocean. Radio is real-time, the moment the broadcasters start speaking in the studio the listeners can hear it right away. In places where there’s no electricity, radio plays a very important role. By using a battery, people can still be updated with current events; can still entertain themselves through music and drama. It is portable, which means that, you can bring your radio anytime and anywhere. As technology advances, even some mobile phones have built-in radio which you can listen to your favorite AM/FM programs. It appeals to disadvantages groups since is cheap and portable, even underprivileged can afford it. Radio provides music which can ease the pains of chemotherapy, lift a depressed person's spirit, and help insomniacs get to sleep. And finally, as an entertainment medium,  it is not only useful on sending important news or announcement, because of promotions provided by different stations such as contest, raffle draws etc. most people treat it as entertainment.

What are the disadvantages of radio as a form of mass media?

A radio does not have the same advantages as other means of transferring information and entertainment such as the television and the Internet. Radio has also disadvantages: it lacks personal contact even if messages can be sent to many people, there’s not much contact between the sender and the receiver thus there’s a chance of misunderstanding. Most of us are visuals, we like seeing the real picture than reading or listening but radio lacks visuals. We can only listen to it and we cannot see what is really going on in the news or events. Also, it does not hold listeners’ full attention. Since we can only listen to it while doing other things, radio becomes a secondary medium which means that the listener doesn't give its full attention to the message. Thus, some messages can be missed or interpreted in a wrong way. It lacks permanence because the moment the message is sent; it cannot be repeated so the listener should give full attention to what the speaker is talking to get the whole message. Sometimes radio can suffer from interference which means that the listener can’t hear completely messages sent from the studio due to the limited strength of radio signal, atmospheric noise or distortion of sound.

News writing for radio vs news writing for print

Even though print and radio goal is to convey news or transfer information, they also have differences in terms of writing. For attribution or source, broadcast should always put the source first while in print it, is either first or last. Active voice is necessary for both broadcast and print because messages conveyed need to be direct, not wordy and easily understood. A message in active voice provides impact and sense of immediacy. Since broadcasters reports the news as they happen, the present tense is commonly use and should be use as much as possible while past tense is use in print. Finally, it is recommended that leads should be the latest information for all media, broadcast or print in order to grab the listeners’ attention

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Listening Activity: Drama

Title of the Drama: Mr. Lonely from DZWT 540khz

Day and Time you heard the drama: 16 January 2015 / 2:30pm 

Brief description of the episode’s topic or plot:

The topic is all a young woman who fell in love and later married the young man who lost his wife due to giving birth and who happen to be this young woman’s sister. 

Willy’s parents and Alma are always worried whenever they see their son alone staring blankly. Alma, Willy’s sister-in-law devotedly takes good care of her nephew since the passing of her sister from giving birth. She is sometimes worried about his brother-in-law. Alma has a feeling for Willy and later, she confessed it to Willy’s parents. Soon after, Willy also told his parents about his feelings on Alma and that he wanted to ask Alma for a marriage. His father did not hesitate on his decision and even gave him his blessings. Since the feeling is mutual, Alma accepted Willy’s proposal and they got married.

 The problem started after they got married. Willy told Alma his fear of losing her just like what happened to his late wife. Willy doesn't want Alma to get pregnant. Alma felt bad about it; she really wanted to have her own child. He told the problem to Willy’s parents and advised her that they have to talk about it well. But then, Willy’s decision is firm and final. Alma cannot accept the fact that she can never be pregnant because of Willy’s concern.  In this regard, Alma doesn't know what to she is asking for an advice.

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Rundown sheet for a 30 minute magazine program 

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The four horsemen of communication

Many of communication gadgets and equipment we are using these days were because of the inventions of the 4 horsemen that led the discovery of communication. They were Thomas Alva Edison, Samuel Morse, Alexander Graham Bell and Guglielmo Marconi.

Samuel Morse used pulses of current to deflect an electromagnet which moved a marker to produce written codes on a strip of paper – which is called the Morse Code. His inventions lead to the development of telegraph and computer. While the development of movie camera and cine projector was due to the effort of Thomas Alva Edison. He invented the phonograph and Kinetoscope. The phonograph was the first machine that could record and reproduce sound while the Kinetoscope record and reproduce objects in motion which leads to. And through the phonograph, Alexander Graham Bell designed devices that could transmit speech electrically - the telephone.  And we are enjoying the convenience of using mobile phone and wireless radio because of the invention of wireless telegraph by Guglielmo Marconi.

During our visit to the Newseum, I was so amazed to see various collections of gadget and equipment used for communication through ages. Three of which attracts my attention are the printing press, the radio station and the camera.

The printing press ~ nothing can beat the original, old but most reliable and doesn't cost you much.  All you need are paper and ink then you can now produce a meaningful communication material. I prefer the printing press because even though there’s no electricity I am still able to produce my communication material. These printed materials about proper breastfeeding I can distribute to many mothers in remote areas or places away from the town through a short seminar or meeting. They can always keep it and read it whenever they want it.

The radio station, small yet cozy. Complete with console, microphone and computer,

ready to transmit information. I find it useful and interesting. Why? Because it has no boundary, it can reach as far as the transmitter can reach. It is use as source of information by many. It’s economical and handy. By creating a short jingle or a drama about proper breastfeeding, breastfeeding mothers near or far will be informed.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Do you agree? I do. The camera, with it we can take pictures and it generate photos.

In this age of multimedia and mass communication, visual communication is more powerful than verbal. I’m a visual person, I like looking at pictures quite than reading. And according to Neil Fleming 65% of people are visual learners.  We easily pick up information with our eyes. By taking pictures of mothers breastfeeding properly at health centers or hospital, print it out with a caption “Proper Breastfeeding” I would be able to send the right information to my target audience.Then we had a chance to watch a DJ while broadcasting a short news and playing music live. After which we went down to the drama station and watch a recording of drama where we learned some elements and techniques of drama taping. Well, according to DJ Nick before you start the program make sure that everything is

ready and working, the computers, the headset and the console. He also stated that music should be wholesome rock and country music. Since Magic 99.9 is Catholic owned, everything that is played and words use while telling news or making a statement should abide with the vision and mission of the station. Most importantly, the voice should be dynamic and casual as much as possible. Behind that music, the voice has a great impact to the listener. The voice should be appealing at all time or else you will bore your listeners. He also added that FM is not all music. You should change the tune sometimes by adding short news or commercials and inserting station ID, bumpers and stingers.

Elements I found it relevant during the drama taping were the sound effects, the actual talents and the powerful mic. These sound effects added within and between scenarios are the one making the drama comes to life. Without the sound effects, the drama would be boring and tedious. Another one is the mic, it’s so incredible that it can clearly catch any sound around. That mic is really useful for the listeners to hear the conversation audibly. Of course, there’s no drama without the actual talents. These 3 works hand in hand in order to deliver us an entertaining and enlightening story. One of the casts,  had shown us various techniques they use when recording a drama.  The plastics ~ it sounds like walking on a

grassy mountain when they step on it. The coconut shells ~ the sound of a horse running or walking. The cupboards ~ use to produce a casual or creepy sound of the door opening or closing. The small portions of board and slipper or sandal ~ use to produce a sound of person walking either in the house, a woman or a man. The doorknob ~ uses to produce the sound of calibrating gun. I noticed that the actors move their body near and far from the mic with regards to the approaching and fading voice.  And for sounds they are not able to produce are generated by the computer downloaded from the internet.

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Waste segregation infomercial
The following are simple script and short video about waste segregation. Please pardon for the output is created by an amateur.

A. The script

B. The video

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New varieties and benefits of organic potatoes

Whether mashed, baked, roasted or fries, people often consider potatoes as comfort food. It is an important food staple and the fourth most important food crop in the world. The Americans introduced potatoes and other crops in the highlands in 1930's to 1940's. They and other nationals has greatly influence agricultural development in the region. But it was the potato that created the big business opportunity for the Cordillera farmers particularly in Benguet. However, according to Ganga, potato is also one of the most chemically-sprayed crops in the Philippine highlands. In relation to growing concern of environmental degradation, health problems and farmers’ debt, organic farming has been adopted in the highland Cordillera. Benguet State University was known to be the first to introduce organic farming specifically on first organic potato varieties. In the aim to improve potato production, the Northern Philippines Root Crops Research and Training Center (NPRCRTC) conducted research and trials on different varieties of potato. Four came out to be resistant to blight and adaptable to the environment. These four varieties are CIP 13.1.1, CIP 380251.17, Phil. 5.19.2.2 and CIP 676089.

The scientific name of potato is Solanum tuberosum wherein Solanum is derived from a Latin word meaning "soothing". Potato is very popular food source rich in fiber, good source of vitamin B6 and potassium, copper, vitamin C, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, dietary fiber and pantothenic acid. The Institute for Food Research in the UK have identified that there’s a blood pressure-lowering compounds found in potatoes called kukoamines. For women who always wanted to look young and vibrant, potato also contain a various phytonutrients that are good antioxidant such as carotenoids, flavonoids, caffeic acid and patatin that fights against free radicals.

Farmers as well as consumers will surely benefit from these new varieties of potato. These Farmers can save costs on chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides since organically grown potatoes are pest, disease and weed resilient. For that reason, farmers are able to save some cash or from getting a loan. And because the produce is organic, they can sell it on the prevailing value at the market which is higher compared to chemically grown potato. Consumers these days are very health conscious; they are crazy about organically produce vegetables thus increasing demand in the market which requires farmers to produce more. Therefore more profit on their part. As for the consumers, organically grown potato is free from health harming chemicals thus a better nourished plant provide better nourishment to people. It tastes better and can be stored longer. Due to excessive use of chemicals over the years, the soil nutrients had continued to decline, organic farming can also foster the life of the soil by restoring its mineral content hence helps in conserving our now degrading environment.

As Asian Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) fully implementation this 2015, Benguet province is doing its best to help vegetable farmers compete with the global market hopeful that these new varieties of potato would boost productions and would somehow pass the requirements of fast-food companies that offers fries and potato chips in the country. In addition Benguet is positive that potato can go global and would be able to supply international food chains. Academe and stakeholders are encouraged to help the vegetable industry thrive against the imported vegetables from China. 

References:

ShagolL, C. and Tad-awan, B. Ph.D.(____). Genotype X environment interaction in 

potato grown organically in six different locations of Benguet.  Genotype X

Environment Interaction in Potato Grown Organically. Retrieved March 19, 2015,    from http://www.eisrjc.com/documents/Genotype_X_Environment_Interaction_1325747625.pdf

(2015).  About potatoes. The World's Healthiest Foods.  Retrieved March 17, 2015,

from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48

Catajan, M.E. (2014, November 21).  Growing potatoes in the world. Sun Star Baguio. 

Retrieved March 18, 2015, from 

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48

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Marijuana to yacon poster

A poster encouraging farmers to plant yacon instead of marijuana.

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A photo on the benefits of breastfeeding

Due to the so called modernization and development, a lot of young mom opted to bottle-feed their babies. Some of the reasons they are working or worried about their bodies, unaware on the benefits of breast milk to their babies and benefits of breastfeeding on their bodies. This photo depicts on what benefits a mother and her baby acquire through breastfeeding.