The time has come to improve local news

When I was a kid I remember reading somewhere that by 2009, we would be living like the cartoon characters "The Jetsons." Wow, I am mad, this was supposed to be the future, where is my JETPACK? Suddenly the recession hit, and journalists are feeling the pain. Broadcast news, and print outfits are laying off hundreds of journalists, or consolidating media operations.

These are challenging times, and the workload today is supersized. Fewer people means more work for remaining staffers. I hear from former colleagues who say it can't get worse. That depends on whom you ask. For example, some Mexican journalists are used to doing a lot more with less. I've been consulting TV stations south of the border for more than eight years. I've seen the future, and you'll find it in newsrooms at Televisa Regional, TV Azteca, and Multimedios. They rely on half, or 60 percent fewer staff than their counterparts in the United states. Much like we used to operate newsrooms in the 60's, and 70's.

So, is it back to the future? Back in the day, most reporters were one-man bands. That means they did the photography, writing, and editing. News management did on-camera anchoring chores, as well as handle production of the show. That was it-- bare bones! There were few writers, producers, editors, or photographers. Everyone wore different hats. Come to think of it, they did lie to us. This was supposed to be the future, I want my JETPACK!

One big factor in all of this is quality. In the 70's working in Odessa, Texas we threw together a newscast. And, boy did we look bad. We went on air without a copy editor checking the story. Also, some reporters were bad photographers, bad editors, or terrible writers. Where does that leave us today? Downsizing has created a series of problems simular to the 60's and 70's. The quality of content has decreased, and local citizens are the big losers. However local viewers have been fighting back by using the off button on the remote control. Ratings for local news continue to plummet. Internet traffic is skyrocketing with viewer apathy.

To survive stations have to step up to the challenge. How do they do this? How do we create a new model? This is what newmediarights.org is all about. We want to explore new ideas. Call it a shift in thinking complete with new business models, revenue sources, and editorial content. Check out this article from the Huffington Post. The popular site is teaming up with doners to launch an investigative fund with an inital budget of almost 2 million dollars. The investigative unit could hire up to 10 staffers who dig around for important stories in your neighborhood. This approach might save local news, and give viewers news that is relevant and meaningful.

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