[Imc] Pay for your stories

[Kranich, Kimberlie]

Hey, Women IMCers.
WINGS, the Women's International News Gathering Service, pays for stories.
The program is a weekly (not yet airing on WEFT but the Programming
Committee is considering adding it to the schedule).  I met WINGS' executive
producer, Freida Werden, at the Grassroots Radio Coalition Conference.
Here's the info. from their website on how to submit a story and the  pay
scale:

Kim
Producers' Guide For Submitting Stories To WINGS
(Revised 02/15/2000) 
Formats: 
	WINGS distributes a weekly half-hour radio program called WINGS
WEEKLY (27 to 29 minutes). One program a month is a newscast, the others are
news-related current affairs. 
	1. Newscasts contain 5 to 9 stories, usually 3 to 6 minutes each. 
	2. Current affairs programs may be documentaries, speeches,
conference-coverage, extended interviews, or, rarely, topical audio art.
(Final cut may be no longer than 28 minutes.)
Subjects: 
	Stories should be news about women's actions or views on world
events -- and must be of international interest. Frequent topics include:
women & human rights, the environment, law, politics, labor, economics,
international relations, grassroots organizing, and technology. WINGS
doesn't use essays, editorials, publicity pieces, or self-help features. 
What To Tape: 
	The heart of a WINGS story is women speaking for themselves, We want
well-recorded, intelligent, passionate statements. Crowd sound, music from
the event, etc. are a plus. 
Scripting/Cuts: 
	Women (preferably from the regions covered) speaking for themselves
are the focus of most WINGS stories. Narration should be factual,
non-judgmental, & brief. Lead usually relates story to current events. We
like outcue to mention WINGS, e.g.: "For WINGS, this is Lana Langue in
Paris, France." 
Technical Formats: 
	Please submit tape in monaural, on cassette, minidisk or open reel.
If you send your master, keep a safety dub. If you send us a dub, make it
from the master in real time. Label with any noise reduction used (e.g.
"Dolby B") in recording. Currently, WINGS does use D.A.T. You may send us: 
	1. story or show already mixed (may have been aired locally or by
another network); 
	2. selected segments, rather than a finished story, probably
including your narration recorded on tape; 
	3. raw tape of an event or interview with facts for a script. 
Sending Tapes: 
	Deadline for newscasts is first Tuesday of the month. Be sure to
seal packages securely - tapes have fallen out en route! PUT YOUR NAME ON
YOUR TAPE, PLUS THE NAMES OF THOSE APPEARING IN YOUR PIECE (SPELLED
PROPERLY), THE TOPIC AND THE DATE RECORDED. THIS INFORMATION IS ESSENTIAL!! 
Phone: 
	You can reach our staff or our answering machine 24 hours a day.
Sound recorded over the phone is usually poor -- if a story is urgent, let's
discuss express delivery of your tape. Reporter query line (U.S. & Canada
only) 1-800-798-9703.  www.wings.org
Criteria: 
	We try to use as many stories as possible. Criteria include sound
quality, timeliness, geographic diversity, and international importance. 
Editing: 
	Stories you send to WINGS may be edited by staff. Usually this is
done for time, to avoid bad sound, tighten the focus, or eliminating
editorializing. Please listen for problems in your work - es[ecially the
temptation to use that great line from an interview that can't quite be
understood the first time you hear it - remember, the radio listener only
hears it once (usually over traffic, noise, or kids' screaming)! 
Feedback: 
	We'll send you comments and appreciate yours, too. 
Pay: 
	FOR ITEMS IN THE NEWSCAST: $30 per story if tape originates in U.S.;
$35 if recorded abroad. Fees are for tape actually aquired in a WINGS news
story. If used in another story, we'll pay again. FOR 1/2-HOURS or LONGER:
You're paid 50% of net from sales. A half-hour sent to our regular
subscribers will earn you at least $60. More sales; more pay. We'll send
copies of programs that include your work to you & participants whose
address you supply. 
Returns: 
	WINGS files tapes we receive for future & follow-up; let us know if
you need your original or a copy of it returned. 
Reporters: 
	We work with women who are new to radio as well as with experienced
reporters. You will need access to professional audio recording equipment,
however. 
Equipment: 
	Tape for WINGS should be recorded with a professional tape recorder
& microphone. The least expensive professional cassette recorder at the
moment is a Sony WMD3, which includes a microphone, for about $250. This is
a small recorder, very handy to carry. For other equipment recommendations,
you can e-mail wings at wings.org <mailto:wings at wings.org>. 
Checklist Of Things To Carry When You Go To Record: 
*	Always: Microphone, mic cord, tape recorder, cassettes (always bring
at least one spare), cassette labels, pen & paper, batteries (check them
before you go!), headphones. 
*	Often: Masking tape (to tape your mic to a podium mic and to tape
your cords to the floor so no one will trip on them), mic stand (table type
or floor type), electrical outlet adapter (to plug your tape recorder into
the wall), extension cord, adapters & cords (used to plug your tape recorder
into a sound system - basic plug types are mini, RCA, phono, and XLR). 
Types Of Connectors: Your mic cord plugs into the mic with an XLR (also
called a cannon). A phono plug is about 1/4 inch wide, and a mini is much
smaller - but not as small as a micro-mini. An RCA is like a mini with a
"collar" to hold it on. All plugs are either "male" or "female" (figure it
out).
Tape: 
	Expensive cassettes are probably wrong for your machine. You
probably need normal bias. Use a good brand like Maxell, TDK, Ampex, Agfa,
Fuji, Memorex, or Scotch; avoid Realistic, Panasonic, & brand X. If you
can't get cassettes in your part of the world, ask us for a few of the BASF
music-grade duplicator series we use. We can tell you our supplier. Listen
back before sending open reel tape. Tape that is scratched, bent, or badly
spliced can ruin your story. 
Tips For Good Recording: 
	1. Sound Levels. If you record at too low a level, tape hiss spoils
your recording. If levels are too high, the sound is distorted. Experiment
with your own machine, but a good average may be about -3 on your meter.
Women's voices need to be recorded higher than men's - needle can go into
red for most women without distorting. 
	2. Recording Interviews. 
	a) Hold your microphone about 4 inches from the subject's mouth, and
at the corner or below the mouth to avoid "P-POPS" on the tape. 
	b) Your hand on the microphone can make noise - hold it carefully
and don't let the subject hold the mic herself. Background noise is a very
serious problem that can make your interview unusable. Listen through your
headphones before you start, because mics amplify noise. If necessary, move
to get away from traffic, footsteps, doors opening, compressors. Turn off
air conditioners if you can. If you can't find a quite place, turn your
subject so your mic is pointed away from the noise source, keep it very
close to the subject's mouth, and try to block the noise with your body and
theirs. 
	c) Noise bouncing off hard surfaces can also ruin your tape. An
echo-y room (whether a cathedral or a ballroom) is bad to record in, and so
is being near a large window or a hard wall. Listen through the headphones.
Try to point both your subject and your mic toward a surface that doesn't
baoune sound. Try pointing the mic down toward the mouth from above, using
the subject's body to help block sound. 
	3. Recording Speeches: You can't get good sound by sitting shyly in
the audience. Your mic has to be properly placed or you've wasted your time.
You're the press, so ask permission to record and set up early. Best method
is to tape your omni or lavalier mic to the podium mic (make sure speakers
will use that mic!). Don't lay your mic down on a table to record - sound
will bounce. If you lack a mic stand, prop your mic up to point toward the
speaker. For a really powerful speaker you can get usable sound from 2 or 3
feet away. Plugging Into A Sound System: Listen through headphones - many
systems have a bad hum, especially in older hotels. Be sure you know whether
the output of the mixer is mic or line level and use the correct port on
your recorder. As a last resort at an event, hold your mic near a
loudspeaker. If you are unsure of the quality of your recording of a speech,
ask for an interview afterwards...Don't forget to release your "pause"
button! 
Do Your Best: 
	WINGS reaches over 130 radio stations, and is heard in over 60
countries by an estimated 1.3 million people. Listeners depend on you to
report what women are doing and saying in your part of the world, and they
care very much about your reports. Be honest and factual and let the tape
you use convey the women's feelings and attitudes, as well as their ideas.
Your work makes a difference and is truly appreciated. Thank you. 
WINGS will gladly send a sample of the newscast to interested producers.
Call or write: 
Frieda Werden, Producer 
WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service 
P.O. Box 33220 
Austin, TX 78764 USA 
Phone 512-416-9000 FAX 512-416-9003 
E-mail: wings at wings.org <mailto:wings at wings.org> 

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