Consider This from NPR Why this episode wouldn't work in print
23 snips
Nov 1, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Frank Langfitt, a roving national correspondent, and Laura Sullivan, an investigative journalist, explore the art of audio storytelling. They reveal how transitioning from print to radio changes the narrative, emphasizing the need for simplicity in language. Frank shares a captivating tale of tracking elephants by sound, and they discuss the magic of audio capturing emotions that print can’t convey. The duo also offers tips on interviewing techniques that enhance dialogue, highlighting the depth and humanity that audio can deliver.
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Write For The Ear, Not The Page
- Radio writing must be shorter and sound like natural speech rather than formal print prose.
- Frank Langfitt found radio liberating because it let him write the way he speaks, making stories feel more organic.
Think In Scenes And Characters
- Radio storytelling functions like theater or film with scenes and characters moving on and offstage.
- Frank Langfitt often builds multiple scenes with different characters to create an organic narrative flow.
Snoring Elephant Became The Story
- Frank Langfitt describes tracking and darting an elephant in South Sudan and how his written account fell short.
- The recorded sound of the elephant snoring became the most powerful element of the story.
