What's Wrong with Trending News?

Why is Journalism Important?

It Matters a Lot Really

NPR reported yesterday there are problems with having algorithms select news content for you. You may recall that Face Book fired its news curators after charges that the curators were biased toward liberal views. Congress got upset. Remember that congress is run by Republicans and they didn't like reports from The Times, The Post and the BBC.  An algorithm is now selecting stories. Instead of real news...something else is up there.

NPR's Aarti Shahani says about a million viewers clicked on a story from a dubious news source that claimed former Fox Commentator Megyn Kelly is a supporter of Hilary Clinton, and that is the reason she got fired by Fox. The story is false, but hundreds of thousands of people clicked on the story and believed it.

Part of the problem is ours. We seek and have friends that think like us and generally agree with our point of view. Social media enforces our opinions by selecting posts for us through algorithms that we 'like' further reinforcing our point of view. 

Trending is not Journalism. Accuracy and fairness in the news are extremely important. Otherwise we will be unable to ferret out the truth. Political candidates will often stretch the truth or omit context. Real  journalist do their job when they dig deeper.

Recently Donald Trump, in an effort to attract black voters, quoted unemployment figures for minority youth that were not even close to accurate. His devout followers believe him. They share his assertions on line with like minded people further cementing their belief in false information.

Trump's numbers are just plain wrong. Of course, Trump wants the facts to fit his narrative that the US is falling apart and only he can fix it. I wanted to know more. The numbers seemed out of whack. I dug deeper.

The actual youth unemployment figures are below as published by the Washington Post.

The economy has changed and become stronger since 2012. According to Pew's research, the economy is no longer the number on issue with voters. Security and safety in the face of growing violence is. Pew says The economy still is important, just not the top concern. Here's part of report published by NPR...

In 2012:

• Jobs. The unemployment rate was a painful 8.1 percent in August, 2012. Many voters feared that as the Affordable Care Act phased in, the job market would get even worse.
• Gas prices. The average price of gas in August, 2012, was $3.69 a gallon, the second highest average on record.
• Federal deficit. As the fiscal year was wrapping up, the annual deficit was $1.1 trillion, or 6.7 percent of GDP.

Since then, a lot has changed in those three areas. Here's how things look...

In 2016:

• Jobs. The unemployment rate has plunged to 4.9 percent.
• Gas prices. Gas prices have tumbled this year, and now average around $2.12 a gallon.
• Federal deficit. For fiscal 2016, the deficit will be $590 billion, or 3.2 percent of GDP.

As the report points out, serious issues remain, not the least of which is the growing income inequality. If you want to know more about the growing anger over income inequality, look at the success of the Trump and Sanders campaigns. And, once you go there, dig deeper to discover the reasons behind the disparity and what might be done to solve this issue.

A serious commitment to finding the truth leads an informed electorate. Search for it. Use it. Support it.

When to Post (Using Social Media)

It matters...

Why?

Maximizing reach is essential in a fractured marketplace. That fracturing is already having an effect of listening. The effects are far reaching according to NPR's Research. Statistics cited in a Washington Post article by Paul Farhi points to a decline in listener-ship among the audience that's under 55.

Perhaps more troubling are the broader demographic trends. NPR’s signal has gradually been fading among the young. Listening among “Morning Edition’s” audience, for example, has declined 20 percent among people under 55 in the past five years. Listening for “All Things Considered” has dropped about 25 percent among those in the 45-to-54 segment.

The implication is that the tent poles (Morning Edition and All Things Considered) continue to appeal the audience garnered in the 80's. That appeal is not so strong among audience segments 54 and younger. 

What About Appeal?

Maybe Morning Edition and All Things considered, created by boomers to appeal to boomers is getting old like its audience. Another consideration is that the rush to create local programming to build content stations could call their own may be pulling down the tent poles. Is that content building audience or driving audience away? Local programming for the sake of being local is not valued by the public radio audience. If that were the case, all those podcasts being offered would be wildly successful. They're not. Local content has to match the expectations and values of public radio's audience no matter the platform.  Radio works best when there is a consistency of appeal.

And what about midday programming in general? The appeal of national offerings has not been consistent with the appeal of the tent poles. It doesn't take much to convince a potential loyal listener to tune away. The problem is magnified by the thousands of offerings on newer platforms.

Don't Throw In The Towel

People are still using radio.  According the Nielsen, 93% of Americans are tuning-in. News/Talk continues to be the top format. The top formats among listeners 25 to 54 are Top 40, Country, and Adult Contemporary. The key public radio is to find out where it's younger demographics are migrating. As Nielsen acknowledges, the audience is shifting to digital platforms.

In the meantime...

Tighten up your programming. Listen to the way you sound. Take a critical look at promotions.

Let them know you're still here. You're still listening and you're still engaging. Promote on the platforms they're using. Allow users to access what you're offering on their terms. 

It matters when and how you post. I've been looking around for ideas on when I could make the most of my postings on Social Media. There are lots of ideas waiting for you. Some in public radio have hired experts to help with postings. Others don't have the resources to hire somebody dedicated to managing social media. The information on effective posting is out there and easy to use. 

Fast Company has some interesting infographics they published in 2014. Among the advice given...

• POST ON FACEBOOK DURING THE AFTERNOON SLUMP
• SCHEDULE TWEETS FOR LUNCHTIME
• NO ONE IS CHECKING LINKEDIN ON A FRIDAY

Does 2014 seem dated? There are others offering information about best practices for posting. Hubspot offers posting advice on their site. For instance: 

• The best time to post on Linkedin is Tuesday through Thursday during working hours. 
• The best time to post on Instagram is anytime Monday through Thursday except between 3:00pm and 4:00pm.

I still think what we offer matters. The ground is shifting below our feet, but the sky is not falling. I remember the stickers that used to be on the windows in the control oft the first public radio station I worked for. It said...

Think Audience!

Cable News Coverage Can Distort (Update)

Are we missing the point in Baltimore? 

That would seem to be the case based on early coverage on cable news. So much of the coverage was based on speculation...looking for somebody to blame. The use of video wallpaper (The Burning CVS) shown for days distorts what is really going on. Politico's Jack Shafer points out that running the continuous loop of a burning store or burning car distorts coverage. The riot is real news, and it's good for ratings, but there is so much more depth to this story.

Poverty in Baltimore affects one in four, according to Census figures. 

More than 37 percent of Baltimore's children were living in poverty in 2011, up from 28 percent in 2007, according to Census Bureau estimates. The city's childhood poverty rate is unchanged from 2010.Sep 20, 2012

Unemployment in the poorer sections of Baltimore is around 19%.  Forbes published an article by Dan Diamond about why Baltimore burned, and it's really about the two Baltimores. There's a stunning graphic in the article that shows the difference between the two.

The issues surrounding poverty in Baltimore go back a long way. An article published by the Washington Post and Post tv found the roots of Baltimore's ills dating back to the 1950's when high paying jobs started leaving the city.

The riots are en expression of frustration. Martin Luther King, Jr. called riots the language of the unheard. King was not condoning riots, but he understood why they happen.

It Could Happen Anywhere

The poor conditions found in Baltimore exists in many urban centers in the United States. That means the potential for riots are embedded in communities across the country. For example, The median household income in Hartford is around $29,000. The median household income in Connecticut is around $69,000. It's a huge disparity in the richest state in the country. These statistics are based on figures published by the US Census Bureau in 2013. You can look for figures for your community at their website. I found Hartford's statistics on their Quickfacts page.

Some Go Deeper

Forbes, the Washington Post, NPR and others are taking a deeper look at the causes to the riots in Baltimore. It is easy to see it is about more than just race. It's about grinding poverty and the feelings of powerlessness that go along with poverty.

The Power of the Podium

Local public radio stations can take on the opportunity this presents to be involved in a meaningful way with their community. We have a bully pulpit and we can make a difference while serving the our listeners and the needs of the communities we cover. This issue calls for sustained coverage long after the cable networks have moved on to the next plane crash or back to Hilary Clinton's email or Benghazi.

Reporting on Deliberately Misleading Statements

Lost in the shuffle of the debate this week were the deliberately misleading statements made by the candidates. Journalists should not be shy about reporting on the lies, half-lies and misleading statements. Maybe I'm too caught up in my own standards of ethical behavior and integrity  When it comes to our leaders and future leaders it seems to be a matter of course. It seems to be okay to lie and lie again, as long as you get elected.

I was in New Britain for a classic car show. A sign in a toy shop window caught my attention. The sign was promoting the fact that the store sold Boy Scout and Girl Scout Uniforms.  By taking a picture and editing out portions of the sign...by taking the message out of context...I'm misleading you. They do not sell scouts. They sell the uniforms.

There are journalists and other organizations reporting on these issues. But it seems there are so many misleading statements being repeated over and over that most of the electorate believe them. And, what do the lies say about the people who would lead us? It's okay as long as we win? When do the lies stop? Can you place your trust in somebody who lies all the time?

Lost among all the hoopla about who won the debate was the fact that the winner played fast and loose with the truth.

NPR reported on how the candidates manipulated the statistics they used. Sources included FactCheck.org, Politifact.org and the Washington Post.

Romney Goes On Offense, Pays For It In First Wave Of Fact Checks

One of the biggest disputes was over tax cuts. Obama argued that Romney's plan to stimulate the economy includes a tax cut totaling $5 trillion that, Obama said, isn't possible because the Republican nominee is also promising to spend money in other places.
Romney flatly disputed that number. "First of all, I don't have a $5 trillion tax cut," he said.
Who's right? The Washington Post's Fact Checker says the facts on this one are on Obama's side. The New York Times notes that Romney "has proposed cutting all marginal tax rates by 20 percent — which would in and of itself cut tax revenue by $5 trillion."

What set me off was a mailing from Linda McMahon. It says, "Our Seniors Depend on Medicare But, Chris Murphy cut $716 Billion from Medicare." McMahon takes the facts out of context. 

"That amount — $716 billion — refers to Obamacare's reductions in Medicare spending over 10 years, primarily paid to insurers and hospitals," says PolitiFact. So there is a basis for the number. But, it adds, "the statement gives the impression that the law takes money already allocated to Medicare away from current recipients," which is why it gets only a "half true" rating.

Simply reporting on what the political candidate had to say is not enough. Dig a little deeper. Inform your readers, viewers and listeners by putting the politicians comments in full context. (Nobody is selling Girls Scouts...At least, not at this toy store.)

The barrage is only going to intensify over the next five weeks. Spending for 2012 has already surpassed 2008. 

Who Owns the News

Who Owns the News Media: The 2012 Database

The Pew Research Center Project for Excellence in Journalism released their 2012 database on who owns the news media. The interactive charts give readers a good overview of who is doing what.

The first charts I clicked into dealt with circulation, viewership and listeners. The information gives size of audience by company. NPR comes in fourth among radio networks. The problem there is NPR does not own any radio stations.

Dig in a little deeper and you will find who the owners are.

 For Radio they are: 

• CC Media Holdings Clear Channel -  160,099,000  million listeners - CC Media Holdings Clear Channel owns 829 stations with 2011 revenue of $251 million. 
• CBS - 82,178,500 million listeners - CBS owns 125 stations with revenue reported to be  $135 million.
• Cumulus Media Inc - 46,266,900 million listeners - Cumulus Media Inc owns 514 stations with 2011 revenue of $96.5 million.

Other Statistics

• The top on-line news sites are The Washington Post, Topix and USA Today.
• The top networks based on viewership are Comcast, Walt Disney and CBS.
• The top news channels on cable are MSNBC, Fox News and CNN.

You can find out a lot more here: Who Owns the News Media.

A Call For Fox To Help Fund NPR

An Op-Ed piece in the Washington Post by Steve Coll calls for commercial broadcasters and cable outlets, like Fox News, to fund public broadcasting. The idea is not new. I've heard the idea discussed since the early 8o's when I was studying Mass Communications. The idea is, a set aside from commercial broadcasters would be the best way to fund public broadcasting. This would help ensure Public Broadcasting's future and help it fulfill its mission to serve under-served communities.

Public Radio is grappling with this issue. Despite growth to about 30 million listeners in the past decade, public radio stations are looking for ways to increase diversity in its audience. Steve Coll included in his article the BBC's handling of criticism that its coverage was left leaning. BBC managers studied their coverage and did not find they leaned in any particular direction but, did find they were not covering stories that appealed to conservatives. According to Coll, the BBC solved their problem by broadening their coverage. Coll recommends a similar self-examination for NPR.

At the recent PRPD Conference in Denver, a panel that included representatives from the CBC talked about how they broadened their coverage to be more inclusive. (Panel: The Next Step Up: Inclusiveness -  Farai Chideya (Moderator); Keith Woods, NPR; Kashmir Birk, Bioss; Susanne Marjetti, CBC)   The CBC deliberately became more inclusive in their coverage to reflect the diversity of their communities served.  The panel members from the CBC their audience grew. Not just numbers, but also in diversity.

I strongly recommend this piece. There are many more ideas that can be drawn on to build a stronger Public Broadcasting system.


Steve Coll, a former managing editor of The Washington Post and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, is president of the New America Foundation.