Deadline Radio

Most producers and reporters spend their days "feeding the machine" -- cranking out short-form work on a daily, sometimes hourly deadline, with no time for second guesses. However, a lot of news coverage is formulaic and, frankly, dull.

But we can all remember pieces that caught our ears, and helped us understand the world in new ways. Well versed in the art of deadline radio, WBUR producer Allan Coukell leads a discussion examining what makes great reportage and how to make it in a hurry.