What is a vox-pop? Write a note on the vox-pop.

‘Vox populi’ is the voice of the people, or ‘man in the street ‘ interview. The useof the opinions of the ‘ordinary’ members of the public adds a useful dimension to news coverage, to magazine shows, and to radio documentaries.

 

the principle is for the broadcaster using a portable recorder to put one or possibly two specific questions on a matter of public interest to people selected by chance, and to edit together their replies to form a distillation of the overall response.

 

The vox pop aims to present only a sample of public opinion. The broadcaster cannot claim that it is statically valid. This is because gathering material out in the streets for, say, an afternoon magazine programme will almost certainly over- represent shoppers, tourists, and the unemployed; and be low on businessmen, motorists, night-shift workers or farmers!

 

It is easier to select a specific grouping appropriate to a particular topic - for example if the question is to do with healthcare, then the broadcaster standing near the gates of a hospital will get his relevant responses, because he is apt to meet patients, nurses, and other people who may have a valid opinion on the questions he poses. It is ethical to mention the location of the vox pop on your programme, so the listener knows where and when it was gathered.

 

Phrasing the question

 

The question is the most important part of the vox-pop. It is important that the question be phrased so that it contains the point to which reaction is required. The more complex and varied the questioning, the more difficult will be the subsequent editing.

 

The vox-pop producer must remember that he is not conducting an opinion poll, or assembling data. The objective of vox-pop is to make interesting radio which has to make sense in a limited context.

 

The characteristic of the vox -pop is that in the final result, the interviewer’s voice does not appear. The replies must be such that they can be joined together without further explanation to the listener, and hence the technique is distinguished from simply a succession of interviews. the conversations should not be so complex that the interviewee’s contribution cannot stand on its own.

 

Choosing the site

 

If the questioning is to be crried out among a specific group, this may itself dictate the choice of location.

 

If the material is to be collected generally, then the site or sits chosen will be limited by technical factors, so as to permit easy editing at a later stage. the background noise should be low but essentially constant. the listener expects to hear some background actuality, so it cannot be excluded altogether.

 

The recorder

 the machine and its microphone should be tested before leaving for the vox-pop.on site a further check must be made to ensure that there is an adequate speech level against the background audio or noise. In order to maintain the same background level, it is preferable to use a machine with manual rather than automatic recording controls.

 

Different speech volumes can be compensated for by the positioning of the microphone relative to the speaker. To simplify the editing, only the actual replies may be recorded. this can be done by using the pause button effectively.

 

The editing

 

the editor should remember that spontaneity, variety, insight and humour are the hallmarks of the good ‘vox-pop’. The first step would be to remove anything that is not totally intelligible. This must be done before the editor’s ear gets attuned to the sound. The rejection of material which is not of first class audio quality is the first prerequisite. the finished product should not be a confusing jumble.

The editor should not keep in too many similar answers, otherwise the vx pop will be repetitive and boring.

In case one of the answers are good but lengthy, the editor may cut the audio into sections, and place them in different places within the vox-pop.

 The editor must look for a good comment to end the vox-pop on.

Used properly, the vox-pop is another colour in the broadcaster’s palette.  It provides contrast with studio material. It reflects accurately what people are saying. It helps the listener to identify wit the radio station and enhances its credibility.