1What is online journalism? - Ayo Menulis FISIP UAJY

62 Journalism Online
editing an extract for transmission (getting an audio ‘cut’ or
‘clip’) then discarding the rest; and
editing extracts to be discarded and transmitting the remainder
(usually a full interview).
Each of these approaches has its own additional rules, some of
which can apply to either category. If that sounds imprecise, it is.
Editing is a combination of editorial judgement and technical skill;
it is not an exact science.
When editing for cuts or clips, try to choose a cut where the
interviewee is fluent, yet concise and direct (not always easy) and
where he or she tackles one of the main issues or clearly explains
his or her position on the issue. Avoid summarizing statements.
Although politicians love these soundbites, they often appear
contrived and stale.
On no account should you collude in this sterile exercise by
asking the interviewee to ‘give a 20-second clip on this’ in place of
a proper interview. In addition, you should avoid cuts that just list
facts. These can be marshalled more concisely in your supporting
text. When taking a quick clip, it is tempting to finish the edit midsentence.
This is acceptable if it does not break a Golden Rule. Do
not make the edit on a rising inflection in the voice, as it sounds
unnatural.
When editing interviews, be bold. Do not get hung up with
taking out every pause and hesitation. They are part of natural
speech. Indeed, a pause indicating emotion, thought, indecision or
ignorance should never be taken out. Instead, concentrate on
removing the sentences or whole answers you do not want.
Rather than cutting from the bottom up (like a newspaper subeditor),
try to cut from within the piece to improve the flow and
structure but without altering the sense. Note the rhythm of the
speech. Leave breathing spaces both within and at the end of
sentences. Otherwise you get ‘tight edits’ (words butted too close
together). Remove any reference to material you have already
edited (‘as I said earlier’) and anything that is inaudible (do not
listen too often on headphones or you will convince yourself that
something of borderline quality is acceptable – it may not be when
transmitted).