Summary of the News

More than half of the people inter viewed in a National Association of Broadcasters survey said that their chief source of daily news is the radio. The next question is: What kind of news are they getting? To find out, a special committee of the National Association of Radio News Directors took a one week look at the four news associations (Associated Press, United Press, International News Service, Transradio Press). Last week, the committee issued a 12,000-word report described by N.A.R.N.D. President Sig Mickelson as a "fact-finding rather than a fault-finding project." If not faults, the committee found plenty coming," of the flaws. report "The most declared, "is glaring in short the field of writing." Some press associations "use their radio circuits to break in green men: When they begin to get good they are transferred to the newspaper wire." Thus, radio wire services largely fail in "their obligation to write brightly, intelli gently, informatively, entertainingly." The committee found that stories for the broadcasters were sometimes grey-bearded on arrival -- anywhere from sev eral hours to several days late.

As for the individual services, the Associated Press "does a workmanlike job," but should have a "sharper approach . . .

Sometimes you can read halfway through an A. P. story before realizing you've got something hot." United Press' figures "in accident and disaster stories . . . are in variably higher than A.P. figures, and invariably have to be revised downward." U.P. also showed "a predilection for the tired adjective." International News Service summaries are "well and tightly written." But I.N.S.

has too much "preoccupation with crime." Transradio won praise for its "excellent" Washington report, but was censured for "using long, involved sentences." One thing radio wants for its listeners, said the committee, is more "quirks, chuckles and brighteners." But, the investigators said sadly, when the news services did try for the light touch they often "belabored the kick line before it was reached" and "some [of their stories] have no point."

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