How Dyrons Journal works

The following gives an insight into how the Dyrons Journal talking newspaper service works, explaining each part of the process. A rota system ensures that the week-by-week responsibility is spread around the volunteer team.

The Team Leaders

There are four Team Leaders who take turns to manage the weekly recording process. A Team Leader starts work at our base in the Courtney Centre, Newton Abbot at about 12.45 on a Thursday afternoon, by collecting copies of the Teignbridge edition of the MDA, the Teignmouth Post and the Dawlish Gazette. They mark up each copy of the paper, allocating stories to themselves and to the two readers who will be reading with them.

The Readers

Two readers join the Team Leader at about 13.15. They have about 45 minutes to familiarise themselves with the stories they have been allocated. In some cases it is necessary to edit the stories to keep them to a manageable length for recording – and listening – purposes. However, we take very seriously the need not to alter the sense or the balance of any story. The Team Leader separately edits the material for What’s On and sport (probably during the morning), as well as their own allocated stories.

The Sound Engineers

There are six trained sound engineers. One of them arrives at about 13.45 to set up the recording equipment and prepare to start recording at about 14.00. The equipment consists of a laptop with Kards 2 software, a sound mixer and headset microphones.

Once the recording starts the engineer is responsible for the sound levels and the sound quality of the recording. S/he may on occasion also need to add pre-recorded items.

Once the recording (lasting about 90 minutes) is completed the engineer is responsible for going through to take out errors which were made during the reading, using separate audio editing software. This takes 30-40 minutes after which the sound files are converted from the wav to mp3 format in preparation for copying onto two master USB sticks.

They then use these master sticks to produce the 60 or so USB sticks which are sent out each week, using two high speed copiers which between them can copy 26 sticks at a time.

The Dispatch Team

While the engineer is editing the recording, the readers register the wallets containing the USB sticks which have been returned by listeners over the past week and prepare to dispatch the new ones.

Royal Mail deliver returned wallets to the Courtney Centre so that they are waiting for the volunteers on a Thursday afternoon. Each wallet is opened and the usb stick is put aside to be re-used for the new recording. The return of each wallet is registered and provided a listener has no more than three USB sticks outstanding, they receive a copy of the latest edition.

A mail sack is filled and one of the volunteers takes it to the Royal Mail Delivery Office on the other side of Newton Abbot. Later in the day the sack is sent to the Sorting Office in Exeter and with any luck listeners receive their copy the following morning.

Listening to Dyrons Journal

How to receive Dyrons Journal

How Dyrons Journal Works

How to Volunteer

Fundraising and Donations

History of Dyrons Journal

Want to receive the latest Dyrons Journal?

We can dispatch the journal to you on a USB memory stick that can play on any audio device which can handle MP3 files. We can also loan such a device if required

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How Dyrons Journal works