Stories Evolve - Have We?

I had so much optimism that through journalism I could change the world. It turned out it was not that easy. I had to reach an understanding that through reporting I could lead people to the facts and by doing so they could connect the dots. With any communication, it's a two way street. The intended recipient has be willing to receive the message.

First, there were news papers. Followed by the evening news. "And that's the way it is..." That was followed by cable news and the 24 hour news cycle. Outside of journalism there's talk radio and now, there's social media.

Social media is a lot like the informal way news used to be passed among individuals and groups where people would discuss events in less formal situations. Ideas and opinions were passed back and forth among like minded individuals. There was a danger in this. Misinformation often got reinforced. But, for those who wanted to dig deeper there was also journalism and the academic pursuit of knowledge.

I have an example from my hometown from the late sixties and early seventies. Racial discrimination, fear and hatred colors this story.

Redlining/Discrimination

In the late 60's there were a series of equal housing marches led by a Catholic priest. The first marches were on the south side of the city. A few hundred marchers were met by thousands of angry white protester vehemently opposed to allowing people of color into their neighborhood. White protesters scream racial slurs, unfurled confederate flags, wore white hoods, started fires and threw bricks at the marchers. The police were there to make sure the marchers did not get out of line.

In the summer of 1970 the marches moved to one of the suburbs in the inner ring. The suburb was considered to be affluent and a good place to raise your kids. The streets were safe. The schools were excellent. The city next door had high rates of poverty and crime. Moving out of the city was problematic for people of color because of redlining. The conversation went something like, "I don't want those people moving into my neighborhood because soon they'll take over, and you know what they're like. Besides, my property values will fall. The streets will be filled with thugs and drug users and welfare and their children will take over the schools."

Hatred/Fear/Bigotry

After the marches in the suburb, a new high school was damaged by fire. The opening was delayed for a year. In discussions with friends and acquaintances, I was told the fire was set by angry black people jealous of the advantages the suburb offered to its residents. The conversation was concluded with, "It seems obvious, doesn't it?" About a year later, an investigation reveled that the fire was set by a white teenager. He was a stoner who accidentally set the school on fire. The truth was finally out there. Did it register with anyone? It did with me, but I was already wary of the common knowledge version of the story.

The people who insisted to me that somehow the protesters had burned down the school never acknowledged their mistake. The actual facts did not align with the narrative they had already put in place. This isn't much different that what we're getting from Social Media today. Only it is amplified many times. Today anybody can publish anything. If those thoughts align with prejudices they are offered reinforcing truth.

Listening

We must learn to listen. We must be open to views that might offer new vistas and new understanding. Journalism plays an important part but, can only change minds if people are willing to accept the message. Take consolation that the facts are there and that over time story will evolve and offer a better understanding of the issues. There's only so much journalism can do. We can do our job. Peel back the layers of a story and uncover more, but it is up to the audience to filter the information through their lens. Finally, without journalism we are left with alternative facts, and that's a dark place, indeed.

Still the Same?

As a final note...the city I grew up in is still considered one of the most segregated in the country. According to a report in 24/7 Wall Street, "There are numerous ways to calculate segregation levels. One standard measure, which indicates the proportion of black residents who would have to relocate to match the distribution of whites, pegs the Milwaukee area as the most segregated city in the nation. More than three-quarters of white area residents live in predominantly white 
neighborhoods, while more than one-third of black residents live in predominantly black neighborhoods, each well above the respective average shares for large U.S. metros."

The shaded grey areas show a more diverse mix than when I lived there. That is progress. Yet, as the election demonstrates, fear, hatred and bigotry, stoked by talk radio and social media, still has a strong pull.

Cleaning Up Your Act

Blah - Blah - Blah

With federal grant money in danger of being pulled, what we do now matters more than ever. What you air and what you say matters...all of it. Building audience and loyalty will increase funding. To do that takes a shift in thinking. Change from inward focus to audience focus.

I worked at a couple of music stations in public radio system where the stop sets would often run in excess of five minutes. That ain't nothin' compared to commercial stations that may run 12 minutes of back-to-back to-back-spots. The local ESPN outlet has been known to run 33 minutes of spots and promos in an hour. And yet...the public radio stations mentioned could do a whole lot more to build audience if the announcers would just stop rambling. Nobody cares...except maybe your grandmother. It doesn't take much to cause tune-out.

I used to go to listen to folk singers in clubs. They all seemed to feel they had to spend five or ten minutes setting up the next tune. Not really. It was all so tedious. Then on one occasion, from the back of the room, "Shut-up and play the music!" Laughter rippled through the room, and for that night we heard a lot more music and a lot less talk. He didn't stop telling stories about the music. He just did a better job of editing. What he had to say gave context without drowning us in words.

Fred Jacobs has a blog about improving the commercials in the commercial experience, and at the beginning of the blog he writes about "the era of the PPM ratings methodology has taught programmers about the value of minute-by-minute programming. Meters can migrate on a dime, reacting to everything from a rambling DJ to poor encoding to a weak-testing song."

Public radio should have such an advantage for building audience. No commercials. Yet the numbers often lag. The numbers are important when it comes to listener and underwriting support.

So what are you doing to eliminate the tune out? It could start with "Shut up and play the music." Or...you could focus your breaks. Make them more appealing. Instead of stopping,..move forward. Inform and move on. Advance the story and give context without overwhelming us.

Why Do Commercials Have to Suck?