Voice of the people 🗣️
How to make vox pops not suck
The first time I ever did vox pops, I was a cub reporter. It was my first day interning at the local newspaper. The editor looked me up and down — eager-eyed in my cheap blazer, notebook in shaky hand — and said, “Alright, let’s see what you can do.” She sent me out onto the streets to stop passersby and ask them … well, I can’t remember what exactly … something to do with local shops closing down.
Obviously I’ve blocked out this detail because… doing vox pops is terrible. No one enjoys vox pops, right? They’re awkward and time-consuming and sometimes pointless.
And yet, the vox pop persists. Since that internship, I’ve done quite a few more vox pops, in all kinds of places, from a snow storm in Seattle to the Mojave desert. And I begrudgingly admit they add an appealing sonic texture to a radio or podcast story. So, here are a few tips to make vox pops earn their place in your next story…
1. Check your levels
Just because you’ll only be asking a few rapid-fire questions doesn’t mean you can neglect the basics. Ask them something unrelated first (there’s always the classic: what did you have for breakfast?) while you check their levels.
2. Get their name
Speaking of basics – make sure to get the person’s full name. Check spelling and pronunciation while you're at it. Profession and residence or nationality might also be important if it’s relevant to your story.
3. Location, location, location
Pick a place that you’re bound to come across a lot of people. People waiting in line for something can be keen to talk. But bear the background sound in mind - trust me, you don’t want to be editing screeching tram noises out of your piece.
4. Keep it open-ended
Yes or no questions make for bad vox pops. Keep the questions open-ended, and make sure to ask everyone the same questions.
5. Multiple perspectives
Try to interview lots of different people – for diversity of perspective, but also for a range of voices in the final piece.
Jobs
👻 Lewis Scholarship ~ free housing and monthly stipend to support student journalists of color who plan to intern at news media outlets in Washington, D.C. ~ deadline 30 November
👻 Digital Associate Producer ~ ESPN Daily ~ Bristol, CT
👻 Senior Sound Designer ~ Airship ~ Remote, US
👻 Story Editor ~ Weinberger Media ~ New York
Events and training
🎃 On Air LA Annex ~ Santa Monica, CA ~ 1-4 November
🎃 Archives to Earbuds: Podcast as Cultural Artifact ~ AIR webinar ~ 2 November
🎃 Audio Drama Hub Podfest ~ High Wycombe, UK ~ 4 November
🎃 International Women’s Podcast Awards ~ London, UK and online ~ 6 November
🎃 Micro-grants for Podcasters ~ deadline 13 November
🎃 Freelance Nuts and Bolts ~ AIR webinar ~ 16 November
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