Sharing a professional culture is also sharing the same language.
Here is a short glossary.
Anchor intro: script read by the anchor to introduce the report.
Back announcement (or B/A): script read by the anchor after a report is played out.
Intro/headline sentence: beginning of a report.
Last line: ending of a report.
Lead item: first piece of news in the broadcast
Copy: script that contains no actualities
Reader/Voicer: script of a news stories with no actuality, read on air
Actuality: recorded interview extract
Package (wrap): recorded report that includes both the journalist’s voice and an actuality
Running-order sheet: a document redacted by the anchor that helps the engineer with the broadcast
These terms are just a few examples. To the average Joe, these words make no sense. For a radio broadcasting team, they are everyday words: this shared vocabulary is a sign of a shared culture.
Be respectful of processes
Sharing a professional culture also means respecting the various processes that allow everybody to work on their share of the broadcast.
For example, let us imagine a journalist who would leave his report in the wrong place of the radio’s network system, instead of properly storing it in the shared folder. This journalist then goes home, feeling sure that he has done his very best, as he has recorded his report. His colleagues in charge of getting the broadcast of the following day ready will waste hours looking for his work. Had the reporter respected the correct process, his colleagues would have saved precious time, and worried a lot less.
When in doubt, refer to your hierarchy
Sometimes, a journalist is faced with a particular situation, a dilemma, and does not know which decision to make. In such cases, you should never hesitate in talking the problem over with their boss.