In today’s NJ, Allan Loudell has a published piece assessing the current state of and the opportunities for local radio.
This is very good and there is alot to think about here. The entire profession of journalism is rethinking its role and the venues by which they communicate. Of course, they are also thinking about how to monetize this — especially since the traditional media’s usual revenue sources seem to be collapsing, and have yet to come to grips with how to get paid for the content that is still the backbone of much of the newer media. I think that I read Jay Rosen once speculate that as larger papers collapse, venues that can focus on and cover local news extremely well may find a profitable niche. Increasingly, the places I look for very local news is at WDEL and the Community News. I would like more of this news, not less — especially since I think that the City of Wilmington is undercovered. But I’m a news junkie, so asking for More is a knee-jerk reaction for me.
You should read the entire piece, but here is Allan on the opportunities for local radio news:
But for local radio to survive — and I use the term “radio” here loosely, as in broadcasting by cell phone — surely local content remains key.
For “spoken word” stations (news and talk), that means aggressive community involvement and marketing, and yes, local news reporting. In the case of Delaware — with the demise of WHYY TV’s “Delaware Tonight” and newspaper staff cutbacks — that places an even greater burden — and opportunity — for local radio news.
We must creatively use the available resources. For example, harnessing the talent and reach of local bloggers. Challenging our listeners to call or e-mail tips. Using our Web site as an extension for what we can’t do on the air.
And Allan on the “objectivity” business:
Addressing civic, business and church/synagogue audiences, we used to vigorously discuss objectivity and perceived media bias. I would point to examples of both conservative and liberal media bias. I long argued that the bias of U.S. parochialism (more entertainment and sports, less international news), fed by advertising pressure to cater to younger audiences, trumped boilerplate ideological bias. The unstated assumption: Objectivity was the Holy Grail.
[…]
Bloggers — both of the Right and the Left — sought not evenhandedness, but the “truth.” “Don’t give both sides,” I’ve been told. “Just report the truth.”
Allan seems to conclude that given the reduced resources available for reporting, coupled with the unending rush of news each day, that perhaps reporting “the truth” is more work than reporting both sides.
If I’ve represented his conclusion appropriately, I understand this. But I also understand that there are players being reported on who know the imperative to repeating what both sides say. And some of those just say anything because they know no one will call them on it. Pew recently released a poll about the media where distrust in their work seems to hit a new low, and I think that this is directly related to the gaming with objectivity as well as the apparent disappearing of the line between reported news and opinion.
The media is a favorite topic of mine and a major pet peeve, so I’ll stop here. But I’m very interested in what you think — what do you think of the role of radio in reporting local news? What do you think about the objectivity standard?
h/t P. Baumbach — thanks for bringing this to our attention!