INTRODUCTION

People claim to listen to radio more for music than for any other reason, although studies are clearly showing that this is changing owing to a growing reliance on other audio media sources. The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism’s State of the News Media 2016 study found that news/talk/information was the most listened-to format on radio. The study indicated that 9.6% of U.S. radio listeners chose the news/talk/information format over all others including pop contemporary hit music, adult contemporary music, and even country music. The study also noted there were 29 terrestrial radio stations broadcasting with the all-news format.

The 2016 Pew State of the Media study found that 25% of American adults get their news from radio. That compares to 57% getting their news from television and 38% getting their news from digital/social media sources. Further, of the 38% who get their news from digital sources, 28% obtained their news specifically from websites or news apps. Newspapers trailed all media, with only 20% of all Americans getting their news from print. Interestingly, Nielsen reports that young listeners are contributing to the increase in radio news audiences. The number of Millennials, those aged 18 to 34 and born between 1982 and 2004, listening to radio has increased faster than any other demographic. Studies also indicate that Americans get their news from radio or logging onto a radio station’s website, especially to obtain information about politics. The Pew Research Center found that 44% of those surveyed got their news about the 2016 presidential election from radio. However, it is worth noting that local TV news, at 57%, and cable TV news, at 54%, beat out radio news.

FIGURE 5.1
News/talk/information radio is the most listened-to format

Source: Courtesy of Nielsen Media Research publicly available data

FIGURE 5.2
Steve Jones

Source: Courtesy of Steve Jones and © 2017 American Broadcasting Companies Inc.

FIGURE 5.3
Almost half of radio listeners state that news is the reason they tune in to radio and a third state they listen to radio for information such as being informed in times of an emergency. Other reasons cited for listening to radio is to get updated weather, listen to talk shows, traffic reports, and sports programming

Source: Courtesy of Jacobs Media

According to Nielsen, the news/talk/information audience is highly educated and consists of high-income earners. Practically all the nation’s more than 11,000 commercial stations (4,646 AM stations and 6,755 FM stations) program news to some extent—with CBS and ABC being the primary deliverers of the news. Radio’s tremendous mobility and pervasiveness has made it an instant and reliable news source for millions of Americans.

FIGURE 5.4
CBS Radio News logo

Source: Courtesy of CBS News

Says former WBZ General Manager (GM) Ted Jordan:

In one sense we suffered from the same market compression as everyone else. But in other ways, it’s easier today as there was more AM competition. All things considered, the news quality is as good, but now the systems in place are better, the networks we use (ABC and CBS) are better and more responsive, and the stringers are better. We used to have our own Washington, D.C., bureau because we didn’t trust the networks to deliver the story. Now we can. They have really become responsive to the needs of the local stations. There is now a greater sharing of resources at our operations. We have a dotted-line relationship with WBZ TV. Their newspeople give updates on our air and our anchors appear on television. We are able to co-brand the stations and get a larger share of mind.

Adds Jay Williams,

Radio stations have been able to cut costs by reallocating resources, partnering with a TV affiliate or a local newspaper, making use of portable, easy-to-use digital technology to report from the scene, and working more closely with networks and outside stringers to get follow-up reports on key stories. As to the talk that there are fewer real news sources today, I know Ted Jordan, of WBZ, believes that isn’t the case. Just the opposite, in fact.

A Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) study in 2017 found that 75.2% of AM stations and 65.6% of FM stations broadcast news daily. Overall, nearly 70% of stations broadcast news daily and that is an increase of three percentage points from the previous year’s survey. The good news about these findings is that the numbers are up from what the previous year’s study revealed. Logically, the RTDNA study revealed that the larger the radio newsroom, the greater the amount of locally produced news.

Ethnic news radio has suffered in both news coverage and listenership numbers in past years, for instance when Disney purchased New York City’s KISS and WBLS in 2012 and began simulcasting the two stations. As a result of the two stations’ merger, The Tom Joyner Morning Show and The Michael Baisden Show, the most listened to news and talk shows among African-Americans in New York City, were canceled.

FIGURE 5.5
Most all radio formats broadcast news throughout the day. Aside from the stations whose formats are news/talk/information, country and adult contemporary stations broadcast the most news for listeners

Source: Courtesy of the Radio Television Digital News Association

FIGURE 5.6
Changes in the amount of news provided by stations across markets in 2017

Source: Courtesy of the Radio Television Digital News Association

In Boston, the nation’s tenth largest media market, iconic WBZ NewsRadio 1030 continues to dominate. Mark W. Hannon, Senior Vice-President and Market Manager for CBS Radio, Boston, says:

There’s no secret sauce, other than being completely reflective of your marketplace as WBZ has been for 90-plus years. During horrific circumstances like the Boston Massacre, WBZ is the go-to place to get news and information, and when people face difficulties and tragedies, they turn to things that they can trust, and in our case, that’s WBZ Radio.

FIGURE 5.7
Radio stations broadcast almost 80 minutes of news per day. Based upon the size of the station’s market, the amount of news broadcast per day ranges from 55 minutes in small markets to nearly 80 minutes in large markets. Stations in larger media markets can afford to devote more resources to delivering news for listeners

Source: Courtesy of the Radio Television Digital News Association

FIGURE 5.8
Holland Cooke

While WBZ may have been somewhat slow adjusting to the Portable People Meter (PPM) world in 2009, it quickly made up ground, “creating content blocks, giving listeners an opportunity to hear more content without it being broken up, simulcasting CBS Evening News and we deploy our reporters in ways we can optimize our resources” with sister station, WBZ-TV. “Our assignment desks speak with each other. This is a time of full cooperation.”

Hannon suggests that “the struggle is to deliver content, adjust to technology, and respond to the new ways people are consuming news,” noting that “how we get that content to consumers needs to continue to evolve … Twitter, social media … to get the content to them where they reside vs. waiting for them to come to us.” The focus on “strengthening the brand is to embrace the technology. We’re trying to get a foothold in Twitter so WBZ lives and breathes in a space where younger demographics are living.” That plan is working. WBZ won the 2013 NAB Marconi Award for News Talk Station of the Year and Mark Hannon garnered the 2013 Radio Wayne award as Market Manager of the Year. The station’s two networks, “ABC and CBS, have maintained great quality and continue to be great resources,” Hannon says, and predicts that

the future is bright. We’re back to sharing resources with WBZ-TV and the Sports Hub FM, and we’re good at migrating our content to the website and online. If we stay local, reflect the market, and have great content, we’ll be fine.

THE NEWSROOM

The number of individuals working in a radio station newsroom will vary depending on the size of a station, whether it is part of a cluster operation or a single outlet, and its format. While some stations have huge news operations that employ large numbers of individuals, on average a station in a small market employs one or two full-time newspeople. Of course, some outlets find it financially unfeasible to hire newspeople. These stations do not necessarily ignore news, rather they delegate responsibilities to their deejays to deliver brief newscasts at specified times, often at the top of the hour. Stations approaching news in this manner make it necessary for the on-air person to collect news from the wire service while music is playing and broadcast it nearly verbatim—a practice known as “rip ‘n’ read.” Little, if any, rewriting is done because the deejay simply does not have the time to do it. The only thing that persons at “rip ‘n’ read” outlets can and must do is examine wire copy before going on the air. This eliminates the likelihood of mistakes. Again, all this is accomplished while the music is playing. NPR reporter Corey Flintoff warns against neglecting to examine wire copy before airtime. “We’ve all been caught with stuff that appears to scan at first sight but turns out to be incomprehensible when you read it.”

In larger markets, music-oriented stations rarely allow their deejays to do news. Occasionally, the person jockeying the overnight shift will be expected to give a brief newscast every hour or two, but in metro markets this is fairly uncommon. There is generally a newsperson on duty around the clock. A top-rated station in a medium market typically employs four full-time newspeople; again, this varies depending on the status of the outlet (one of a cluster of stations) and the type of programming it airs. For example, easy listening stations that stress music and de-emphasize talk may employ only one or two newspeople. Meanwhile, an AC station in the same market may have five people on its news staff in an attempt to promote itself as a heavy news and information outlet, even though its primary product is music. Certainly some music stations in major markets hire as many as a dozen news employees. This figure may include not only on-air newscasters but also writers, street reporters, and technical people. Stringers and interns also swell the figure.

During the prime listening periods, when a station’s audience is at its maximum, newscasts are programmed with greater frequency, sometimes twice as often as during other dayparts. The newsroom is a hub of activity as newspeople prepare for newscasts scheduled every 20–30 minutes. Half a dozen people may be involved in assembling news but only two may actually enter the broadcast booth. A primetime newscast schedule may look something like this:

Midday and evening are far less frenetic in the newsroom, and one person per shift may be considered sufficient.

A standard-size newsroom in a medium market will contain several pieces of audio equipment, not to mention office furniture such as desks, computers, file cabinets, and so on. The standard audio production equipment that is found in all radio station studios is used by the newsperson. Also, the modern radio newsroom will also be equipped with various monitors to keep newspeople on top of what is happening at the local police and fire departments and weather bureau. Various wire service machines provide the latest news, sports, stock, and weather information, as well as a host of other data. Depending on the station’s budget, two or more news services may be used. Stations with a genuine commitment to news create work areas that are designed for maximum efficiency and productivity. Jim Farley, Vice-President of News and Programming at WTOP, says news stations have “Lots of computers, video monitors, and smartphones. Many of our reporters use their iPhones for reporting from the field. Oh, and a working coffee pot!”

New equipment and technology continue to streamline news coverage for radio journalists. Tim Scheld, WCBS-AM’s Director of News and Programming, stated that new technology has been an exciting addition to radio news. In an interview with Radio Ink, he said:

FIGURE 5.9
The WTOP newsroom and editors’ desk. From left to right: film critic Jason Fraley, Morning Drive Editor Mike Jakaitis, and Editor Desiree Smith

Source: Courtesy of WTOP-FM, Washington, D.C.

First off, the equipment we use out on the street has changed significantly in the past ten years. Smartphones are smarter. They allow reporters to take photos, tweet, post onto Facebook, record audio, and connect via broadband to deliver high quality live audio. The technical developments in the past few years have been breathtaking, and we continue to test new avenues all the time. We are also now seeing social media play a larger role in the delivery of news to consumers. While some might consider it competition to the traditional media, I actually view it as an opportunity for us to expose our reporting and newsgathering to an audience that may not normally consider radio news as a source of information. It’s an exciting time for us. Challenging, but exciting.

FIGURE 5.10
The SiriusXM channel lineup boasts nearly 20 news/issues radio stations from which its subscribers may choose

Source: Retrieved from www.siriusxm.com/channellineup

Indeed, a visit to WCBS-AM’s website allows listeners to not only listen to the station but also “like” its Facebook page and follow its news updates on Twitter.

In situations where newsrooms have been combined and consolidated, more personnel, equipment, and space may be in evidence since it may be serving a myriad of stations. Cluster operation newsrooms accommodate reporters and newsreaders assigned to the various stations under the one roof.

News in satellite radio originates from a host of outside sources. Originally operating as two independent satellite radio entities, XM and Sirius, the two companies merged to become SiriusXM in 2007. SiriusXM provides feeds (channels) from Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg Radio, BBC World Service, NPR Now, and others. Satellite radio is not in the business of generating news itself, so the “newsroom” (as we have been referring to it) does not exist at SiriusXM, although this may change in the future.

THE ALL-NEWS STATION

Stations devoted entirely to news programming arrived on the scene in the mid-1960s. Program innovator Gordon McLendon, who had been a key figure in the development of two music formats, beautiful music and top 40, implemented all-news at WNUS-AM (NEWS) in Chicago. In 1965, Group W, Westinghouse Broadcasting, changed WINS-AM in New York to all-news and soon did the same at more of its metro outlets: KYW-AM, Philadelphia, and KFWB-AM, Los Angeles. While Group W was converting several of its outlets to nonmusic programming, CBS decided that all-news was the way to go at WCBS-AM, New York, KCBS-AM, San Francisco, and KNX-AM, Los Angeles. Other stations that migrated to an all-news format in the 1960s were WTOP-FM in Washington, D.C., and KNX 1070 in Los Angeles.

FIGURE 5.11
The nation’s top 10 revenue generating stations in 2016

Source: Courtesy of BIA/Kelsey

Since its inception, radio news has become quite profitable too. WTOP-FM in Washington, D.C., was the nation’s top revenue generating station, bringing in a whopping $67.5 million in advertising revenue for the 2016 fiscal year. Of the top 10 highest revenue grossing stations in 2016, half of them were news and/or news/talk formats. The fourth highest grossing radio station in 2016 was WFAN-FM, a sports/talk format.

FIGURE 5.12
WTOP logo

Source: Courtesy of WTOP-FM, Washington, D.C.

Because of the exorbitant cost of running a news-only operation, it has remained a primarily metro-market endeavor. It often costs several times as much to run an effective all-news station as it does to run one music station. This usually keeps small-market outlets out of the business. Staff numbers in all-news stations far exceed that of formats that primarily serve up music. Although a lone deejay is needed at an adult contemporary or top 40 station, all-news requires the involvement of several people to keep the air sound credible. In large markets, the newsroom staff can be a large operation, with many people contributing to the daily gathering and delivery of news.

Even though the cost of running a news station is high, the payback can more than justify expenditures. However, this is one format that requires a sizable initial investment, as well as the financial wherewithal and patience to last until it becomes an established and viable entity. Considerable planning takes place before a station decides to convert to all-news, since it is not simply a matter of hiring new jocks and updating the music library. Switching from a music format to all-news is dramatic and anything but cosmetic.

AM has always been the home of the all-news station. There are only a handful of FM news and information outlets. The format’s prevalence on AM has grown considerably since the late 1970s, when FM took the lead in listeners. The percentage of all-news and news/talk formats on AM continued to increase in the 1980s as the band lost more and more of its music listeners to FM. However, all-news stations in a handful of metro markets keep AM at the top of the ratings charts. In the early 1990s, it was common to find one AM outlet among the leaders, and almost invariably it programmed nonmusic. This has changed little in the late 2010s. Some media observers predict that all-news will make inroads into FM as that band gives over large segments of its music audience to digital technologies. At the start of 2016, BIA/Kelsey reports there are 32 radio stations throughout the U.S. that identify themselves as having an all-news format.

All-news stations are keeping pace with technological advancements. Tim Scheld, Director of News/Programming at WCBS Newsradio 880, says, “The biggest, most successful radio news operations in America embraced digital long ago. They have full service, active websites and are delivering radio news via digital platforms like TuneIn and Radio.com. All of the traditional news operations are expanding their brands to the digital space. The next frontier is social media.”

FIGURE 5.13
Number of all-news stations around the nation

Source: Courtesy of BIA/Kelsey and State of the News Media 2016, Pew Research Center

FIGURE 5.14
WTOP-FM is in a major radio market and has a very large group of individuals working to deliver the news

Source: Courtesy of WTOP-FM, Washington, D.C.

FIGURE 5.15
Andy Ludlum

TRAFFIC REPORTS

Traffic reports are an integral part of drive time news programming at many metropolitan radio stations. Although providing listeners with traffic condition updates can be costly, especially air-to-ground reports that require the use of a helicopter or small plane, they can help strengthen a station’s community service image and also generate substantial revenue. To avoid the cost involved in airborne observation, stations sometimes employ the services of local auto clubs or put their own mobile units out on the roads. A station in Providence, Rhode Island, broadcasts traffic conditions from atop a 20-story hotel that overlooks the city’s key arteries. Fixed cameras at key traffic locations are also used.

FIGURE 5.16
KNX 1070 Newsradio logo

Source: Courtesy of KNX 1070 Newsradio, Los Angeles, CA

David Saperstein says, “Companies like Metro Network provide stations with outside traffic reporting services in a manner that is more cost- and quality-effective than a station handling it themselves.”

Traffic reports are scheduled several times an hour throughout the prime commuter periods on stations primarily catering to adults, and they range in length from 30–90 seconds. The actual reports may be done by a station employee who works in other areas of programming when not surveying the roads, or a member of the local police department or auto club may be hired for the job. Obviously, the prime criterion for such a position is a thorough knowledge of the streets and highways of the area being reported.

THE ELECTRONIC NEWSROOM

The combined use of computers, online resources, and smartphones is the norm. Computers linked to the various wire and Internet information services are used to access primary and background data on fast-breaking stories and features. Many stations have installed touch screen computer monitors and traditional flat-screen, high-definition television sets in on-air studios to have instant access to breaking news and weather. Instead of handheld copy, newscasters simply read from the studio monitors. The speed and agility with which news copy can be produced and edited makes a computer the perfect tool for broadcast journalists.

Radio newsrooms have fully embraced technological advances such as the Internet and smartphones. Scheld describes the WCBS Newsradio 880 newsroom: “Our newsroom has telephones, televisions, Internet, and computers that can record and edit audio. We also have equipment that keeps us connected to news resources like CBS News and the Wall Street Journal.” However, some very technologically advanced radio newsrooms still have and use very traditional broadcasting equipment. At KRLD-AM, in the Dallas/Ft. Worth radio media market in the United States, Alice Rios, former co-anchor of the KRLD-AM Morning News in Dallas, says the following pieces of equipment are regularly used:

An edit station where there’s a computer, microphone, and a phone. Scanners, still. (Gotta love the sound of scanners in the background of old school newsrooms.) Reporters use small Marantz recorders when they go out on stories and actually many of them now have software on their phones that allow them to get interviews/audio on their smartphones. Very handy so that if anyone on the news staff happens to live near the scene of a breaking news story, they can go on air with audio clips, within minutes.

Stations use news services such as the Burli Newsroom and Burli NE, both of which are software products designed for radio stations to: (1) gather news from all parts of the world from sources such as newswires, Tweets, emails, RSS feeds, and internal stories; (2) edit stories from within the software itself to align with the station and announcer style; (3) share stories across multiple platforms including social media as well as share stories between workstations within the same newsroom; and (4) customize text and audio directly from a prompter to tailor the news being delivered to meet a station’s style and format. Burli boasts international customers ranging from WINS 1010 AM in New York, Colorado Public Radio, Global Radio in London, and 93.7 JR FM in Vancouver, Canada. Burli was founded in 1996 in Vancouver and has steadily expanded since that time.

The Internet, email, smartphone, and social media connect radio station newsrooms with the information super highway to keep its listening public informed and up to date. The Internet has become the best resource for information on every conceivable topic. “It is in constant use. Our brand is WTOP. Our distribution channels are radio, TV, streaming audio, wtop.com, email, text and Twitter alerts, Facebook and mobile,” says Farley. As a search medium, there is none better. Data of every variety are at the fingertips of all newspeople today. The world of cyberspace has revolutionized newsgathering. Says broadcaster and academic Larry Miller, “The evolution has been from old-fashioned teletype ‘wire’ by landlines, to satellites, to computers and the Internet. Even audio is accessed online.”

According to broadcast scholar David Reese, “Today, newsrooms use station websites to deliver news, and consumer usage patterns indicate that acquiring information this way is growing in popularity.” Jason Insalaco adds,

The listener is no longer going to remain captive to a news station to learn the day’s headlines. An added plus is that many station websites offer live information on traffic flow and so forth. Station websites give outlets needed additional cache in the multimedia environment.

FIGURE 5.17
Burli NE’s main screen allows for a dense and powerful view of incoming news and editing tools. Publishing and dispatch is only a click or two away

Source: Courtesy of Burli

FIGURE 5.18
For radio customers, the built-in Prompter allows for easy reading and audio playback to air, along with on-the-fly, newsroom-wide live editing

Source: Courtesy of Burli

FIGURE 5.19
Burli’s custom multi-track editor was designed from the ground up with newsroom workflow and toolsets in mind. Burli NE’s main screen allows for a dense and powerful view of incoming news and editing tools. Publishing and dispatch are only a click or two away

Source: Courtesy of Burli

FIGURE 5.20
As noted, companies provide specifically tailored software for newsrooms. “There are computer software packages these days that a newsroom can buy. In my day we used the old file and cards and Rolodex, but today news rooms that can afford it use software to file stories, keep archives of copy, record and play actualities, and so forth,” says radio consultant Donna Halper

Source: Courtesy of Burli

FIGURE 5.21
WTOP Twitter site

Source: Courtesy of WTOP-FM, Washington, D.C.

Not all stations are effectively competing with digital news on various websites. Jim Farley, of WTOP-FM in Washington, D.C., says, “Some stations and groups are, others are not. Here at WTOP, we don’t consider ourselves a radio station. We are a digital news organization.”

The Internet has made information gathering much faster and efficient. Scheld shares:

The Internet has replaced the research department. We used to have thick books called “reverse directories” that would provide us phone numbers in every neighborhood in our listening area so we could track down witnesses to breaking news. The Internet has revolutionized our business. It puts important information at our fingertips and allows us to check facts and figures important to our stories. The Internet also connects us to our listeners better than ever.

Other technology has contributed greatly to the efficiency and performance of the electronic newsroom. For instance, ISDN (integrated services digital network) significantly improved the quality of phone interviews. With ISDN technology, newsrooms can create seamless reports (in terms of audio fidelity), thus creating the impression (or illusion) that all the voices on the air come from the same studio and even from the same microphone. When asked if radio newsrooms utilize ISDN, Andy Ludlum, then the Director of News Programming at Los Angeles’s KNX 1070 Newsradio and KFWB News Talk 980, said

Yes we still use ISDN daily. We are beginning to run into problems in some parts of the country where phone companies will not install ISDN circuits, much as they have moved away from installing 8kc or higher audio circuits from point to point.

Although ISDN installation is becoming problematic, Ludlum says,

There are a number of alternatives, most using high bandwidth Internet connections such as Verizon’s Fios. Using a codec, such as a Comrex Access device, you can get high quality, ISDN or studio-quality audio from remote to station. Many news operations are also using VoIP applications (Voice-over Internet Protocol)—such as Skype or broadcast applications such as LiveReportPro.

Further, he notes that,

while these technologies can create the “seamless” environment you describe, I think what is most important is that they keep pace with the expectations of the audience, which is quite likely listening to us in higher fidelity than in the past. Old school remote phone or two-way audio does not sound as good on Internet streams or on digital HD broadcasts as these improved technologies. With these technologies, it is not at all uncommon anymore to have members of the team working from remote or home studios.

FIGURE 5.22
Facebook is used as a way to disseminate news by most stations

Source: Courtesy of WTOP-FM, Washington, D.C.

FIGURE 5.23
Jay Williams, Jr.

BOSTON HERALD RADIO

Jay Williams, Jr.

Boston’s second largest daily newspaper created its own radio station—Boston Herald Radio. “We looked at buying stations in 2005 but the cost was too high [even for] limited signals. … Now you can start a Web station for less than $50,000,” says Jeff Magram, COO and CFO of Herald Media Inc.

Faced with declining circulations, newspapers are scrambling to add platforms and extend reach, but Herald Radio firmly establishes the paper as a direct competitor for Boston’s traditional radio news, talk, and sports stations. Boston Herald Radio started with 12 hours a day of live, local programming featuring well-known radio hosts, but often broadcasts late for events such as the last mayoral contest, delivering political analysis and live on-scene reports as the story developed.

Magram explains the Herald’s rationale:

For years our columnists have been on the radio… then you have radio stations that rip and read Boston Herald stories. We talked for years about taking advantage of our own talent on our own radio station … and leveraging our own resources. With the explosion in smartphones, it was the right time to try a radio platform.

Boston Herald Radio can be accessed from bostonherald.com, TuneIn, Herald news and sports apps, iTunes Radio, and even Wi-Fi Connect in commuter trains.

“WBZ and WRKO? I think we can compete 100%; the challenge is getting people to find us and figure out how to connect to Boston Herald Radio,” Magram notes.

But in terms of product and resources, we’ll be just as good if not better; our depth of reporting resources is so much greater. If we were running Boston Herald Radio during the bombings, we could have had our reporters calling in, in the field on the phone, and giving information live,

He adds that greater listenership will happen over time as manufacturers put more web access in cars.

FIGURE 5.24
Boston Herald Radio Studio—host’s station

Source: Courtesy of Herald Media Inc.

FIGURE 5.25
Boston Herald Radio Studio. Morning Meeting show with hosts Jaclyn Cashman and Hillary Chabot and guests former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn and Democratic Strategist Scott Ferson. Executive Producer Tom Shattuck with his back to the camera in the producer’s booth. (Left to right: Hillary Chabot, Ray Flynn, Scott Ferson, and Jaclyn Cashman)

Source: Courtesy of Herald Media Inc.

And what about the future? Magram says the relatively low-cost infrastructure—producers and hosts, the streaming vendor relationship, and a terrific software program—should allow the station to operate for a long time as it also can tap the existing news gathering, reporting and marketing resources of the Boston Herald:

We’re no longer just a newspaper, we’re a multimedia organization with 440,000 daily readers and 2.3 million unique visitors to our website. Our mission is to extend the brand beyond the existing walls, move more into digital, more into the Web, more into video both prerecorded and live streaming. There is an audience that wants our content and we need to give it to them in any fashion that they want it. We’ll be driven by demand.

___________________

Jay Williams, Jr. moved from Sales Manager to Program Director to General Manager of WVBF, “F-105,” the station that challenged, then toppled, 68WRKO to become Boston’s top-rated CHR in the 1970s. “I was surrounded by incredibly talented people,” he said of his early career, “it was a management tutorial that I never forgot.” An entrepreneur at heart, he cofounded DMR/Interactive and developed a group of New England radio stations, managing both operations for more than 20 years. Williams is President of Broadcasting Unlimited Inc., radio communications consultants, and serves as a Trustee of Wabash College.

THE NEWS DIRECTOR

News directors, like other department heads, are responsible for developing and implementing policies pertaining to their area, supervising staff members, and handling budgetary concerns. These are basic to any managerial position.

At WTOP in Washington, D.C., the news director’s responsibilities are “Day-to-day news coverage, quality control, hiring, training, managing people,” says Farley. At WCBS Newsradio 880 in New York City, says Scheld:

The news director is like the coach of a team. The news director is responsible for setting up his or her staff to succeed. The news director sets the tone, provides editorial direction, and coordinates news coverage for the radio station. The most important function of any news manager is to solicit ideas, and harness the potential of an entire staff.

The news department poses its own unique challenges to the individual who oversees its operation. These challenges must be met with a considerable degree of skill and know-how. Education and training are important. Surveys have concluded that station managers look for college degrees when hiring news directors. In addition, most news directors have, on average, five years of experience in radio news before advancement to the managerial level. In a 2013 RTDNA study, it was discovered that the average radio news director is responsible for the oversight of 2.6 stations, not just one station. Moreover, today’s news directors have responsibilities beyond just overseeing the newsroom, with announcing, sports, general manager and/or program director being the most likely responsibilities and titles held at the same time.

The news director and program director (PD) work together closely. At most stations, the PD has authority over the news department, since everything going over the air or affecting the air product is his or her direct concern and responsibility. Any changes in the format of the news or in the scheduling of newscasts or newscasters may, in fact, have to be approved by the station’s programmer. For example, if the PD is opposed to the news director’s plans to include two or more recorded reports (actualities) per newscast, he may withhold approval. Although the news director may feel that the reports enhance the newscasts, the PD may argue that they create congestion and clutter. In terms of establishing the on-air news schedule, the PD works with the news director to ensure that the sound of a given newsperson is suitably matched with the time slot he or she is assigned.

Getting the news out rapidly and accurately is a top priority of the news director. Judy Smith, who functions as a one-person newsroom at a San Antonio station, says:

People tune to radio news to find out what is happening right now. That’s what makes the medium such a key source for most people. While it is important to get news on the air as fast as possible, it is more important that the stories broadcast be factual and correct. You can’t sacrifice accuracy for the sake of speed. As a radio news director, my first responsibility is to inform our audience about breaking events on the local level. That’s what our listeners want to hear. … Because I’m the only newsperson on duty, I have to spend a lot of time verifying facts on the phone and recording actualities. I don’t have the luxury of assigning that work to someone else, but it has to be done.

FIGURE 5.26
Number of stations per news director

Source: Courtesy of the Radio Television Digital News Association

FIGURE 5.27
Other radio news director duties

Source: Courtesy of the Radio Television Digital News Association

Larry Jewett perceives his responsibilities similarly:

First and foremost, the news director’s job is to keep the listener informed of what is happening in the world around him. A newsperson is a gatherer and conveyor of information. News is a serious business. A jock can be wacky and outrageous on the air and be a great success. On the other hand, a newsperson must communicate credibly or find another occupation.

Gathering local news is the most time-consuming task facing a radio news director, according to former news director Cecilia Mason:

To do the job well you have to keep moving. All kinds of meetings—governmental, civic, business— have to be covered if you intend on being a primary source of local news. A station with a news commitment must have the resources to be where the stories are, too. A news director has to be a logistical engineer at times. You have to be good at prioritizing and making the most out of what you have at hand. All too often, there are just too many events unfolding for a news department to effectively cover, so you call the shots the best way that you can. If you know your business, your best shot is usually more than adequate.

FIGURE 5.28
WCBS Newsradio 880 logo celebrating 50 years of serving New York

Source: Courtesy of WCBS-AM Newsradio, New York, NY

In addition to the gathering and reporting of news, public affairs programming is often the responsibility of the news director. This generally includes the planning and preparation of local information features, such as interviews, debates, and even documentaries. Ultimately, the news director’s primary goal is to ensure the credibility of the station’s news operation. For the well-schooled and conscientious news director, this means avoiding advocacy and emphasizing objectivity. Says media scholar Indra de Silva:

So much of broadcast news today is opinion and commentary— infotainment—rather than dispassionate and unbiased reporting. That is a corruption of the long-held ideal that news should be fair and balanced. Editorializing a newscast essentially misleads the audience, which ultimately is a violation of the broadcaster’s public trustee role.

WHAT MAKES A NEWSPERSON?

College training is an important criterion to the radio news director when hiring personnel. It is not impossible to land a news job without a degree, but formal education is a definite asset. In terms of a formal education, “We want people who know a lot. Smart people. A college degree helps but it alone is not a determinant of quality of work or career success,” says Farley. In order to move into management, a formal education is a requirement. However, while a strong desire to be in the radio industry sometimes suffices, a formal education is always the best choice for individuals desiring a career in radio. When asked if a formal education was absolutely required to work in radio news, Rios stated:

Not necessarily. There are several on-air personalities in our CBS Radio cluster in Dallas, who did not go to or finish college. I’d almost say half have college degrees, half do not. The thing is, those who did not get a degree in communications/RTV or journalism or political science are the people who … at the age of 14 and 15 started hanging out at radio stations while in high school; making copies, making coffee, etc. They just knew at an early age working in radio was their destiny. Having said that, the reason I personally believe getting a formal education is important is twofold. It’s not only crucial for the experience one receives at a campus radio station (getting an internship is especially important as 90% of the time if you are a total team player and yes-(wo)man it leads to land a job at the station you intern for), but in this business—and hear me now—you need to have a backup plan. There is a very high turnover rate in this industry. If you are a good writer, you can always be a producer or editor in either radio or TV really. But … for those who think they have what it takes to be an on air reporter, or talent like the late Kidd Kraddick, I have this to say: You can have the best voice in the land. But when ratings are not good and there are changes in management … the person who hired you may’ve thought you were a rock star but the next manager might think you are mediocre at best. It would be wise to have a backup plan and consider getting a teaching certificate or … getting into public relations. Anything. Getting a job has a lot to do with timing and talent level. When it comes to writing though, if you are a good writer you will likely not have a hard time finding a job.

FIGURE 5.29
The radio news reporter does not just stay in the studio, he or she goes to where the news is happening to cover fires, severe weather, rioting, or any other type of breaking news

Source: © 2017 American Broadcasting Companies Inc.

Specifically, an individual planning to enter the radio news profession should consider pursuing a broadcasting, journalism, or liberal arts degree. Courses in political science, history, economics, and literature give the aspiring newsperson the kind of well-rounded background that is most useful. As Cecilia Mason says:

Coming into this shrinking field today, a college degree is an attractive, if not essential, credential. There’s so much that a newsperson has to know. I think an education makes the kind of difference you can hear, and that’s what our business is about. It’s a fact that most people are more cognizant of the world and write better after attending college. Credibility is crucial in this business, and college training provides some of that. A degree is something that I would look for in prospective newspeople.

Even though education ranks high, most news directors still look for experience first. Jewett notes:

As far as I’m concerned, experience counts the most. I’m not suggesting that education isn’t important. It is. Most news directors want the person that they are hiring to have a college background, but experience impresses them more. I believe a person should have a good understanding of the basics before attempting to make a living at something. Whereas a college education is useful, a person should not lean back and point to a degree. Mine hasn’t gotten me a job yet, though I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Newsman Smith agrees that

The first thing I think most news directors really look for is experience. Although I have a Bachelor of Arts degree myself, I wouldn’t hold out for a person with a college diploma. I think if it came down to hiring a person with a degree versus someone with solid experience, I’d go for the latter.

Scheld also acknowledges prior experience is important:

Prior experience is helpful and does prepare an individual to work in the major market newsroom. Some people come into the newsroom with little news experience but they must bring in other valuable tools such as computer and audio editing skills.

FIGURE 5.30
A typical radio station news studio

Source: Courtesy of WTOP-FM, Washington, D.C.

Gaining news experience can be somewhat difficult in the age of downsizing and consolidation, at least more so than acquiring deejay experience, which itself is more of a challenge today than it was a decade ago. Small stations, where the beginner is most likely to break into the business, have slots for several deejays but seldom more than one for a newsperson. It becomes even more problematic when employers at small stations want the one person that they hire for news to bring some experience to the job. Larger stations place even greater emphasis on experience. Thus, the aspiring newsperson is faced with a sort of “Catch-22” situation, in which a job cannot be acquired without experience and experience cannot be acquired without a job.

One way to gain experience is through internships. WTOP-FM’s Farley says, “It helps, but there’s not much of a farm system out there anymore. We use a lot of interns, and their internship is in many cases an audition.” Scheld agrees with Farley about the value of internships:

You do not need a college degree to work in a newsroom but it sure does help. You don’t need postgraduate experience to contribute in the newsroom but any experience you bring makes you a more valuable player in the operation. The single best experience that candidates can bring to a newsroom is the internship. Internships expose you to the professional environment and are invaluable.

Agreeing with Farley about the importance of on-the-job experience and internships, Rios asserts:

An experienced reporter or editor will nine times out of ten get a job before a recent college graduate. I’m talking about this being the case in a major market like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Dallas. Out of college you must be willing to do, and take, any job you are offered in a small(er) market. Getting that experience while you are young and single and don’t have a family to consider, if only for half a year, will be the gateway into a bigger market, thus more money. Paying your dues, they call it. I just can’t stress enough how important it is to be realistic, and not expect to be a news anchor in radio or TV, right out of college. Most important though, is being a good writer.

Former news director Frank Titus says that there are ways of gaining experience that will lead to a news job:

Working in news at high school and college stations is very valid experience. That’s how Dan Rather and a hundred other newsmen got started. Also working as an intern at a commercial radio station fattens out the resume. If someone comes to me with this kind of background and a strong desire to do news, I’m interested.

Among the personal qualities that most appeal to news directors are enthusiasm, assertiveness, energy, and inquisitiveness. Mason contends:

I want someone with a strong news sense and unflagging desire to get a story and get it right. A person either wants to do news or doesn’t. Someone with a pedestrian interest in radio journalism is more of a hindrance to an operation than a help.

Titus wants someone who is totally devoted to the profession: “When you get right down to it, I want someone on my staff who eats, drinks, and sleeps news.” Other needed qualities to succeed in the radio newsroom include the “ability to think on your feet, great storyteller, multimedia skills, and an incredible energy and drive,” according to Farley.

On the practical side of the ledger, WCRN newsman Sherman Whitman says that good typing skills are essential:

If you can’t type, you can’t work in a newsroom. It’s an essential ability, and the more accuracy and speed the better. It’s one of those skills basic to the job. A candidate for a news job can come in here with two degrees, but if that person can’t type, that person won’t be hired. Broadcast students should learn to type.

Meanwhile, Jewett stresses the value of possessing a firm command of the English language:

Proper punctuation, spelling, and syntax make a news story intelligible. A newsperson doesn’t have to be a grammarian, but he or she had better know where to put a comma and a period and how to compose a good clean sentence. A copy of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style is good to have around.

WCBS Newsradio’s Tim Scheld agrees that writing skills are a must: “A successful radio news reporter must be a good writer. There is no substitute for good writing skills. You must be skeptical, cynical, and curious. Reporters must also be great storytellers.”

An individual who is knowledgeable about the area in which a station is located has a major advantage over those who are not, says Whitman:

A news-person has to know the town or city inside out. I’d advise anybody about to be interviewed for a news position to find out as much as possible about the station’s coverage area. Read back issues of newspapers, get socioeconomic stats from the library or chamber of commerce, and study street directories and maps of the town or city in which the station is located. Go into the job interview well-informed, and you’ll make a strong impression.

FIGURE 5.31
Radio news salaries

Note. * = No data. Source: Courtesy of the Radio Television Digital News Association

Unlike a print journalist, a radio newsperson must also be a performer. In addition to good writing and newsgathering skills, the newsperson in radio must have announcing abilities. Again, training is usually essential, says Smith:

Not only must a radio newsperson be able to write a story, but he or she has to be able to present it on the air. You have to be an announcer, too. It takes both training and experience to become a really effective newscaster. Voice performance courses can provide a foundation.

Most colleges with broadcasting programs offer announcing and newscasting instruction.

Entry-level news positions pay modestly, whereas newspeople at metro-market stations earn impressive incomes. With experience come the better-paying jobs. Finding that first full-time news position often takes patience and determination. Several options are available for individuals searching for jobs in the industry such as Broadcasting & Cable or the RTDNA’s website, which offers daily feature content along with a daily newsletter for members. Also, sites such as YouTube serve as fertile places for advice on how to get a job in broadcasting. Tim Scheld’s advice can be found on YouTube.

Radio station websites are the primary places that stations post job openings, but networking is important to secure the next job. Scheld says:

All of our jobs are posted on our websites but the importance of networking cannot be overemphasized. If you are looking for work in a major market as a reporter you need to be talking to people who work in that market now and see what kind of help and advice they can provide you in terms of job possibilities. News openings are rare and most managers need to have a good idea of the top candidates for any openings at any given time.

FIGURE 5.32
Jeff Magram

ORGANIZING THE NEWSCAST AND OTHER PROGRAMMING ELEMENTS

FIGURE 5.33
Five-minute newscast format clock

News on music-oriented radio stations is commonly presented in five-minute blocks and aired at the top or bottom of the hour. During drive time periods, stations often increase the length and/or frequency of newscasts. The five minutes allotted to news is generally divided into segments to accommodate the presentation of specific information. A station may establish a format that allows for two minutes of local and regional stories, one minute for key national and international stories, one minute for sports, and 15 seconds for weather information. A 30- or 60-second commercial break will be counted as part of the five-minute newscast.

The number of stories in a newscast may be preordained by program management or may vary depending on the significance and scope of the stories being reported. News policy may require that no stories, except in particular cases, exceed 15 seconds. Here, the idea is to deliver as many stories as possible in the limited time available, the underlying sentiment being that more is better. In five minutes, 15–20 items may be covered. In contrast, other stations prefer that key stories be addressed in greater detail. As few as five to 10 news items may be broadcast at stations taking this approach.

Stories are arranged according to their rank of importance, the most significant story of the hour topping the news. An informed newsperson will know what stories deserve the most attention. Wire services weigh each story and position them accordingly in news roundups. The local radio newsperson decides what wire stories will be aired and in what order.

News and talk formats rely on program clocks to impose structure on program elements and establish pacing. News stations use key format elements to maintain ratings through the hour. Many all-news stations work their clocks in 20-minute cycles. During this segment, news is arranged according to its degree of importance and geographic relevance, such as local, regional, national, and international. Most news stations lead with their top local stories. News stories of particular interest are repeated during the segment. Sports, weather, and other news-related information, such as traffic and stock market reports, constitute a part of the segment. Elements may be juggled around or different ones inserted during successive 20-minute blocks to keep things from sounding repetitious.

Assembling a five-minute newscast takes skill, speed, and accuracy. Stories must be updated and rewritten to keep news broadcasts from sounding stale. This often requires that telephone calls be made for late-breaking information. Meanwhile, on-the-scene voicers (actualities) originating from audio news services such as Associated Press or fed by local reporters must be recorded and slotted in the newscast. “Preparing a fresh newscast each hour can put you in mind of what it must have been like to be a contestant on the old game show Beat the Clock. A conscientious newsperson is a vision of perpetual motion,” observes Cecilia Mason.

In the talk format, two-way conversation and interviews fill the space generally allotted to songs in the music format. Therefore, talk wheels often resemble music wheels in their structure. For example, news is offered at the top of the hour, followed by a talk sweep that precedes a spot set. This is done in a fashion that is reminiscent of the easy listening format presentation. Of course, not all stations arrange their sound hours as depicted in these pages. Many news and talk format variations exist.

FIGURE 5.34
A top market news station offers a profile of itself

Source: Courtesy of Infinity

FIGURE 5.35
Tim Scheld

FIGURE 5.36
The WCBS 880 studio in New York

Source: Courtesy of WCBS-AM, New York. Photo Credit Martin Untrojb

FIGURE 5.37
The use of podcasts continues to grow

Source: Courtesy of NPR

Finally, most newspeople read their news copy before going on the air. “Reading stories cold is foolhardy and invites trouble. Even the most seasoned newscasters at metro market stations take the time to read over their copy before going on,” comments Whitman. Many newspeople read copy aloud in the news studio before airtime. This gives them a chance to get a feel for their copy. Proper preparation prevents unpleasant surprises from occurring while on the air.

WIRE SERVICES—AUDIO AND INTERNET

Without the aid of the major broadcast news wire service (Associated Press), blogs, social media (Twitter, Facebook), and the inestimable number of news-oriented websites and television network news channels that exist (CNN, MSNBC, Fox, Drudge Report, Politico, Huffington Post, etc.), radio stations would find it almost impossible to cover news on national and international levels. Indeed, wire service, Internet, and television are vital sources of news information to nearly all of the nation’s commercial radio stations.

Both large and small stations rely on the news copy fed to them by the Associated Press (AP), considered by many in the industry to be a well-respected news wire service. In the AP’s 2016 Annual Report, it was noted that the AP received its fifty-second Pulitzer Prize and had a global reach of 106 countries. It staffed news bureaus in all 50 U.S. state houses and more than 263 locations worldwide. Impressively, it provides more than 2,000 news stories a day, with 9.4 million Twitter followers, 456,200 Facebook likes, and 2.6 million YouTube views. Farley says:

I believe you need at least some of the resources from Associated Press to compete well. There are plenty of online and social media outlets from which to get news, but (a) which ones can you trust and (b) are you stealing somebody else’s intellectual property?

FIGURE 5.38
Associated Press web page listing services to its radio affiliates

Source: Courtesy of the Associated Press

The AP offers digital news packages that can be uploaded to radio station websites or shared via social media such as Twitter and Facebook. Associated Press’s website states:

AP can provide breaking news and information directly to your audiences via your internal and external websites, desktops, wireless services and other interactive applications. Our extensive suite of services spans more than 30 categories of industry-targeted content to fit your digital needs.

In 2012, the Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) announced that 10 of its Spanish-language stations would offer Associated Press’s Spanish Online Newsfeed on their websites. “Our partnership brings the most trusted news source to our U.S. Hispanic online audience in Spanish. Multiple content verticals, like news, sports, entertainment, etc., are great additions to our network of sites,” said SBS vice-president of digital sales Andrew Polsky, in an All Access interview.

The audio cuts provided by the AP news service are an integral part of many station newscasts. Radio scholar Larry Miller observes:

When these audio clips are sent to subscribing stations, they will also send along a menu which will list the type of cut (A-actuality, V-voicer, or W-wrap), who it is, what it’s about, how long it runs, and the outcue.

Miller cautions that audio cuts should be used sparingly:

They should not be overused to pad out a newscast. Relevance, audio quality, and length should rule the decisions regarding how much audio to use. With the proper application of these sources, even a one-person news operation can sound like a big city newsroom.

The wire service is only one means of news gathering for radio stations. Scheld asserts:

Wire services are just part of the equation in the modern newsroom. The Internet has become an enormous and invaluable resource providing quick access to everything from maps to public records. Social media has also emerged as an important resource with many newsrooms using tools like TweetDeck to develop news tips into news stories. TweetDeck has become more important than the police scanner in our newsroom.

FIGURE 5.39
Twitter is used by most radio news stations to disseminate information

Source: Courtesy of Twitter.com

FIGURE 5.40
TweetDeck is a common tool used by news stations to disseminate information

Source: Courtesy of Twitter.com

From 1958 to 1999, United Press International (UPI) also provided wire service and audio to radio stations via the UPI Radio Network, but it ceased its operation in 1999. Broadcast wire services came into existence in the mid-1930s, when UP (which became UPI in 1958 after merging with INS) began providing broadcasters with news copy.

RADIO NETWORK NEWS AND SYNDICATOR SERVICES

During the medium’s first three decades, the terms networks and news were virtually synonymous. Most of the news broadcast over America’s radio stations emanated from the networks. The public’s dependence on network radio news reached its height during World War II. As television succeeded radio as the mainstay for entertainment programming in the 1950s and 1960s, the networks concentrated their efforts on supplying affiliates with news and information feeds. This approach helped the networks regain their footing in radio after a period of substantial decline. By the mid-1960s, the majority of the nation’s stations used one of the four major networks for news programming.

In 1968, ABC decided to make available four distinct news formats designed for compatibility with the dominant sounds of the day. American Contemporary Radio Network, American FM Radio Network, American Entertainment Radio Network, and American Information Network each offered a unique style and method of news presentation. ABC’s venture proved enormously successful. In the 1970s, more than 1,500 stations subscribed to one of ABC’s four news networks. To this day, ABC News Radio remains one of the largest radio news services in the United States and offers multiple services to its affiliates and subscribers.

FIGURE 5.41
ABC Radio offers its subscribers a wide array of services to deliver news, music, website content, photos, and live streaming

Source: © 2017 American Broadcasting Companies Inc.

In addition to the national radio news services, several state and regional news networks do well, but the big three, ABC, NBC, and CBS, continue to dominate. Meanwhile, independent satellite news and information networks and the cable news services, such as CNN, have joined the field.

According to Metro Network President David Saperstein, today

more and more stations are realizing the benefits that exist in outside news services, which provide the information that listeners would otherwise seek elsewhere. This allows the station to focus its marketing dollars, thus directing resources toward optimizing and maintaining what draws and keeps listeners.

Of course, this latter trend has raised additional concerns about the decline in local news coverage as cited in recent RTDNA surveys. Station consolidations have resulted in the erosion of local news operations.

The popularity in radio news listening can be attributed to a number of things, but the fact that radio news does it so thoroughly and professionally at the global, national, and local levels is among the primary reasons that Steve Jones, Vice-President and General Manager of ABC Radio News, thinks new listeners are flocking to the format. Jones says:

93% of Americans listen to broadcast radio each week and news radio is a key driver of that listening. The most successful news and talk stations have local news departments that cover their communities. These stations turn to network news providers such as ABC News for national and international coverage, context and insight.

ABC News Radio has a dedicated team of reporters in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and London and all journalists hired by ABC News are trained to report for radio and ensure that ABC News Radio is covered on each assignment. Jones adds:

Beyond the ABC News staff, our affiliate reporters at both the 1,650 radio stations and over 200 TV stations contribute to ABC News Radio each day. This results in over 400 pieces of audio created daily. Our most important service to these stations is crisis coverage.

ABC News Radio is on the scene for breaking news wherever it may occur. In this regard, Jones also says,

When major news breaks, ABC News Radio provides ongoing coverage. For example, when hurricanes Irma and Harvey hit the U.S. in 2017, ABC News Radio provided up to 14-hours of continuous coverage so that radio stations could pre-empt their local programming and take ABC News coverage to fit their individual program needs. Our coverage is led by a radio anchor with reporters in the field. This coverage includes live interviews with officials, experts and eyewitnesses. We use social media to identify people making news and then find those people and interview them live.

Further, Jones shares,

ABC Radio produces news, entertainment and sports audio programming for radio stations. As of late 2017, ABC Radio’s content was heard on more than 1,650 U.S. stations as well as across Canada and globally through the Armed Forces Radio Network. You also can hear ABC News Radio on multiple digital audio apps and platforms. ABC Radio’s primary service is ABC News.

News coverage is another form of program content to which the syndication model of distribution has been applied with success. GRNlive was initially established as Global Radio News in the late 1990s. The organization embraced the Internet as a marketplace for news audio collection and distribution. CEO Henry Peirse described its early days in terms of its approach, which differed from similar organizations. GRN, he explained, was “more than rip and read with clips on subscription.” Rather, it was:

a pay as you use international news service with content supplied by a vast network of freelance reporters all over the world. The idea was to give radio stations freedom to create news bulletins to suit their audience and use the Internet as the marketing, delivery and sales tool.

Peirse continues:

When the first Internet bubble burst in the early 2000s, GRN reconstituted itself to act as a management network for freelance reporters globally. Over the years they used the technology they pioneered as a distributor for a wide variety of radio and audio clients. But the business now is the network of reporters who can provide live interviews, audio, research, video, stills, fixing and anything else a news publisher or broadcaster (radio and TV) might need in an age of depleted newsroom resources.

He describes GRNlive as an organization that achieves the efficiencies of networked newsgathering operations yet requires no agency subscription in order to participate. “Arguably,” he says, this approach is “still ahead of its time but the model fits into the existing schematic of newsrooms and is growing into the new world of information publishers, be they brand name broadcasters or influential websites.”

What is the difference between a network and a syndicator? Phil Barry explains:

There’s no practical difference between the two, at least not as far as the public is concerned. The “network” designation stems from the old, what we used to call “wired” networks like ABC, CBS, (full service offerings, etc.) of the day, as opposed to standalone shows, or services. Nowadays, within the industry, the differentiation is more likely a reference to whether the commercial inventory is sold inside, or outside of RADAR [the Nielsen-provided network radio measurement service]. … From an advertising sales perspective, “network” often refers to inventory sold as part of a RADAR grouping, and inventory not part of RADAR is referred to as sold in “syndication.” Nonetheless, there isn’t a hard and fast definition that applies in every case. WestwoodOne, for example, refers to itself as a “network,” but some of the shows are sold in “syndication.”

FIGURE 5.42
GRNlive: A nonsubscription, alternative approach to the network-distribution model for gathering and distributing news internationally

Source: Courtesy of Henry Peirse and GRNlive

NEWS IN MUSIC RADIO

In the 1980s, the FCC saw fit to eliminate the requirement that all radio stations devote a percentage of their broadcast day to news and public affairs programming. Opponents of the decision argued that such a move would mark the decline of news on radio. In contrast, proponents of the deregulation commended the FCC’s actions that allowed for the marketplace to determine the extent to which nonentertainment features are broadcast. In the late 1980s, RTDNA expressed the concern that local news coverage had declined. This, they said, had resulted in a decrease in the number of news positions around the country. Supporting their contention they pointed out that several major stations, such as KDKA, WOWO, and WIND, had cut back their news budgets.

But WCRN News Director Sherman Whitman believes that the radio audience wants news even when a station’s primary product is music: “The public has come to depend on the medium to keep it informed. It’s a volatile world and certain events affect us all. Stations that aim to be full service cannot do so without a solid news schedule.”

“Responsible broadcasters know that it is the inherent duty of the medium to keep the public apprised of what is going on,” claims Larry Jewett:

While radio is primarily an entertainment medium, it is still one of the country’s foremost sources of information. Responsible broadcasters—and most of us are—realize that we have a special obligation to fulfill. The tremendous reach and immediacy that is unique to radio forces the medium to be something more than just a jukebox.

News Director Frank Titus believes that stations will continue to broadcast news in the future:

There might be a tendency to invest less in news operations, especially at more music-oriented outlets, as the result of the regulation change and rampant consolidations, but news is as much a part of what radio is as are the deejays and songs. What it comes right down to is people want news broadcasts, so they’re going to get them. That’s the whole idea behind the commission’s actions. There’s no doubt in my mind that the marketplace will continue to dictate the programming of radio news.

News Director Roger Nadel concurs:

As the age of the average listener increases, even people tuning in to “music” stations find themselves in need of at least minimal doses of news. So long as those stations are doing well financially, owners can be content to maintain some kind of a news operation. News is not likely to disappear; not even at music stations.

Competition from the wave of new audio services has also influenced the role of news in terrestrial radio.

NEWS/TALK/INFORMATION

Not long after KCBS in San Francisco began its all-news programming, another Bay City station, KGO-AM, introduced the hybrid news/talk/information format in which news shares the microphone with conversation and interview features. Over the years, this hybrid format has caught on and leads the pure all-news format in popularity. According to Nielsen, the news/talk/information format is the fifth most listened to format among 25- to 54-year-olds, it is the tenth most listened to format for 18- to 34-year-olds, and it is the number one most listened to format when looking at the demographics of all listeners aged six years old and older.

The news/talk/information format combines extensive news coverage with blocks of programming devoted to the airing of telephone and studio interviews. These stations commonly “daypart” or segmentalize their programming by presenting lengthened newscasts during morning and afternoon drive time hours and conversation in the midday and evening periods. The format’s core base of listeners is better educated; today, three of every four listeners is university-educated. In markets measured by Nielsen’s Portable People Meters (PPM), news/talk/information is one of the leading formats and is in the top 10 most listened-to formats.

FIGURE 5.43
The news/talk/ information format is very popular among all age groups

Source: Courtesy of Nielsen

Thanks in part to the fragmentation of the “news” and “talk” franchises, the number of outlets has grown consistently for more than three decades. In the late 1990s, over 1,000 stations offered the information and/or news format. This was up nearly 300% since the late 1980s. In 2011, it was estimated that almost 1,800 stations specialized in the talk format. More than 100 stations alone concentrated on sports exclusively, and dozens of others were beginning to splinter and compartmentalize into news/info niches, such as auto, health, computer, food, business, tourism, and entertainment.

National talk networks and syndicated talk shows, mostly of a conservative nature, continued to draw huge audiences in the new millennium, as more and more baby boomers became engaged in the political and social dialogues of the day. Despite the fact that a liberal talk radio network (Air America) debuted in the 2000s, the service faltered; its reception was anything but stellar. Right-wing hosts (Rush Limbaugh being king among them) continued to rule the genre.

An indication that the news/talk/information format is achieving equality in the balance of conservative and liberal viewpoints in the new media environment emerged during the 2012 presidential election campaign. During that campaign, one report about a study of listener patterns concluded that users streamed content labeled “liberal” almost two-to-one over “conservative” programming.

The news/talk/information format has expanded to satellite radio, too. SiriusXM offers almost 10 stations from which subscribers can choose. They range from entertainment information that focuses on pop culture with Bravo TV’s Andy Cohen to medical information covering topics that range from sexual health to sports medicine to psychiatry. The SiriusXM channel lineup is impressive.

FIGURE 5.44
The SiriusXM channel lineup boasts eight talk/entertainment radio stations from which its 32 million subscribers may choose

Source: Retrieved from www.siriusxm.com/channellineup

FM TALK

Although it is not recognized within the industry as a format descriptor per se, the approach adopted by FM stations to the presentation of information differs significantly enough from AM news/talk to warrant its own discussion. The growing presence of FM talk is perhaps the most unique manifestation in nonmusic radio. This approach reflects industry awareness of the Millennial and Gen Z generation audience, persons who likely came of age as radio listeners after music formats had migrated from the AM band to FM and Internet streaming. The exchange of music for talk on FM dispels the long-held belief that the high-fidelity requirements for music reproduction necessitated its placement on FM, relegating talk programming to AM radio with its low-fidelity performance capabilities. Talent consultant Jason Insalaco gives his perspective on the rise of the discourse format on what has always been the dial for music:

While traditional AM talk has been profiled in recent years for its explosion onto the radio landscape, FM talk radio has become a popular format for an audience previously ignored by talk programmers. FM talk’s primary audience is 25–44 years old. This demographic likely did not grow up listening to AM talk radio. In fact, the FM talk audience has very likely tuned to AM very little during its lifetime. FM talk does not program itself like a traditional full-service AM talk outlet. There is not the emphasis on news and traffic, which is a staple of the AM talkers.

FM talk is inherently personality-driven both by nationally syndicated talkers such as Glenn Beck, Stephanie Miller, and Michael Smerconish and by a host of local talents. News and political discussion find their way into FM talk but the main focus is on entertainment and lifestyle. Insalaco adds:

FM talk programs itself more like an FM music station than an AM talk station. It features shorter segments covering a variety of issues in contrast to the one-hour AM talk sweep. Issues discussed typically come from sources like Rolling Stone and People magazine and the local sports and entertainment sections of the newspaper. Topics are not necessarily caller intensive as with most AM talkers. Listener participation is a part of FM talk radio; however, there is not the typical topic-monologue-caller participation cycle of AM talkers. Moreover, the “bumper music” played to intro segments of FM talk comes from the latest alternative and rock artists found on the competing music stations. This gives the station a youthful sound and grabs the potential talk listener who is scanning the dial. FM talk’s competition comes from Alternative/Modern Rock/AOR and Classic Rock stations. The future of FM talk looks bright. Expect the format to become more widespread in the coming years.

Clearly, the number of FM talk outlets in major markets is on the increase. While ratings for stations in the top 10 markets typically amount to about half of those earned by heritage AM talkers, FM talkers continue to trend upward and attract saleable and typically younger listeners.

RADIO SPORTSCASTS AND ALL-SPORTS FORMAT

FIGURE 5.45
98.7 FM ESPN is an all-sports radio station in New York

Source: Courtesy of 98.7 FM ESPN, New York

Sports is most commonly presented as an element within newscasts. Although many stations air sports as programming features unto themselves, most stations insert information, such as scores and schedules of upcoming games, at a designated point in a newscast and call it sports. Whether a station emphasizes sports largely depends on its audience. Stations gearing their format for younger demographics or women often all but ignore sports. Adult-oriented stations will frequently offer a greater abundance of sports information, especially when the station is located in an area that has a major league team.

Stations that hire individuals to do sports—and invariably these are larger outlets since few small stations can afford a full-time sportsperson—look for someone who is wellversed in the subject. Former radio sports director John Colletto contends:

To be good at radio sports, you have to have been involved as a participant somewhere along the line. That’s for starters, in my opinion. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a former major leaguer before doing radio sports but to have a feel for what you’re talking about, it certainly helps to have been on the field or court yourself. A good sportscaster must have the ability to accurately analyze a sport through the eyes and body of the athlete.

Unlike news, which requires an impartial and somewhat austere presentation, sportscasts are frequently delivered in a casual and even opinionated manner. Colletto says:

Let’s face it, there’s a big difference between nuclear arms talks between the United States and the Soviets and last night’s Red Sox/Yankees score. I don’t think sports reports should be treated in a style that’s too solemn. It’s entertainment, and sportscasters should exercise their license to comment and analyze.

Although sports is presented in a less heavy-handed way than news, credibility is an important factor, contends Colletto:

There is a need for radio sportscasters to establish credibility just as there is for newspeople to do so. If you’re not believable, you’re not listened to. The best way to win the respect of your audience is by demonstrating a thorough knowledge of the game and by sounding like an insider, not just a guy reading the wire copy. Remember, sports fans can be as loyal to a sportscaster as they are to their favorite team. They want to hear the stories and scores from a person they feel comfortable with.

The style of a news story and a sports story may differ considerably. Although news is written in a no-frills, straightforward way, sports stories often contain colorful colloquialisms and even popular slang. Here is an example by radio sportswriter Roger Crosley:

The Dean College Red Demon football team rode the strong running of fullback Bill Palazollo yesterday to an 18–16 come-from-behind victory over the American International College Junior Varsity Yellow Jackets. Palazollo churned out a team high 93 yards on 25 carries and scored all three touchdowns on blasts of 7, 2, and 6 yards. The demons trailed the hard-hitting contest 16–6 entering the final quarter. Palazollo capped a 12-play 81-yard drive with his second six-pointer early in the stanza and scored the clincher with 4:34 remaining. The demons will put their 1 and 0 record on the line next Sunday at 1:30 against the always tough holy cross jayvees in Worcester.

FIGURE 5.46
An inside look at the 98.7 ESPN studio during The Michael Kay Show as Don La Greca (center) and Peter Rosenberg (left) speak with NY baseball great Darryl Strawberry

Source: Courtesy of ESPN 98.7 FM

FIGURE 5.47
One of the ESPN 98.7 New York studios from the perspective of the host. The computer (center left) uses a program called Wide Orbit to control the mic and facilitate communication between the talent and the studio as well as allows the talent to choose from a library of sound bites also known as “drops” to add some fun to the show. The minimixer to the left is used by the host to communicate with the studio during network shows

Source: Courtesy of ESPN 98.7 FM

Sportscasters are personalities, says Colletto, and as such must be able to communicate on a different level than newscasters. “You’re expected to have a sense of humor. Most successful sportscasters can make an audience smile or laugh. You have to be able to ad-lib, also.”

The wire services, networks, and Internet are the primary source for sports news at local stations. On the other hand, information about the outcome of local games, such as high school football and so forth, must be acquired firsthand. This usually entails a call to the team’s coach or a direct report from a stringer or reporter.

FIGURE 5.48
The SiriusXM channel lineup boasts 10 all-sports radio stations from which its subscribers may choose

Source: Retrieved from www.siriusxm.com/channellineup

In addition to radio stations that broadcast sportscasts throughout the day, there are stations that have adopted an all-sports format. The trend in the last few years in the proliferation of the all-sports format has boosted the popularity of nonmusic radio and significantly contributed to the dominance of “chatter” radio in the ratings. Propelling the trend are the new entrants into sports radio networking, including the 2013 launches of “major league” broadcasters CBS Sports Network and NBC Sports Radio. ESPN, the dominant brand in sports media content, distributes programming to more than 700 stations, including more than 350 full-time affiliates. Fox Sports Radio and Yahoo!/Gow (formerly Sporting News Radio) also make the starter’s list, ensuring that the 2010s is the format’s most competitive decade.

In fact, AM radio is able to claim a younger demographic because men aged 18 to 29 years are big fans of sports radio. Overall listenership is well-distributed across all demographics, helping the format to become one of radio’s top 10 most listened-to format in 2016, coming in at the ninth most listened to format. Among listeners who are 25 to 54 years old, all-sports is the seventh most listened-to format. Male listeners outnumber females and they tend to be more affluent and better educated than radio audiences in general. Meanwhile, all-sports has begun to migrate to both FM and satellite radio in significant numbers. The SiriusXM channel lineup provides its 32 million subscribers with a varied selection of all-sports stations for listeners to hear information/updates about the sport of their choice or simply listen to games that range from hockey to football to auto racing.

A 2015 Sports Illustrated article about sports radio formats notes that podcasts are swiftly gaining listeners. ESPN Audio, also offered on TuneIn (which expands its reach), is the nation’s largest sports network and attracts 60% of sports listeners.

ESPN Audio averages more than 20 million listeners a week, with 80% being males. The all-sports format and, especially ESPN Audio, is also attempting to increase its share of female listeners.

Traug Keller, ESPN Senior Vice-President, notes that audio streaming is becoming much more popular among all listeners:

I will tell you that the report card, which are the numbers, is very good. What is particularly good is our growth in streaming. You cannot just look at Arbitron and now Nielsen numbers. You need to look at the streaming numbers as well and that as a report card is we are doing well. I’d say given what we are getting back in terms of demo information and audio information, it is good. The weekend is a place for us to kind of bring people in and give them a chance and hopefully that is our bench. Honestly, there is a lack of female on-air talent. It’s a market issue. We are really doubling down on that. Women are increasingly more and more sports fans and they are underserved. There is growth there. Hispanics are underserved. There is a real opportunity there.

In terms of audio streaming, to which Keller alludes, PodcastOne Sports, which debuted in September 2017, was the latest sports programming venture to be offered up for listeners. In Talkers magazine, Norm Pattiz, who is the Executive Chairman of PodcastOne, said, “This network demonstrates PodcastOne’s interest in dramatically expanding our already successful portfolio of sports-related programming to build a singular hub for sports fans and brands.” Sports programming definitely has a solid base of very loyal, mostly male, listeners. The late Ed Shane, a radio consultant, makes this observation regarding the success of the format:

The element of “guy talk” is an important factor and one of the central ingredients that gives this format its special appeal. For our client stations, I define sports radio as “beer, babes, and ball,” and not always in that order.

FIGURE 5.49
PodcastOne Sports logo

Source: Courtesy of PodcastOne and Norm Pattiz

STATION WEBSITES, PODCASTS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Every radio station maintains a website and social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, and almost all provide podcasts for listeners to have access to constant programming. Websites and podcasts also expand revenue generating opportunities. Each are additional marketing tools and they provide listeners with a digital extension of their on-air signals, because so many people sit in front of their computers at work and at home for countless hours. Indeed, a station website is not only for listening but it is also a visual component of a radio station, a means of giving more sight to a once-sightless medium. As consultant Ed Shane said it,

Social networks add an element radio has long coveted: a screen. Posting pictures via Instagram or videos via YouTube allows the audience to share the experience of an event, a live broadcast or a celebrity interview. YouTube expands from the station’s network of “followers” to the world.

Says Ressen Design/Radeo Internet Radio’s Darryl Pomicter: “Websites complement all terrestrial broadcast systems, supplementing and expanding content. They give stations reach they never had before—locally, nationally, and globally.”

Station websites hold great value for program directors (PDs) for three vastly different reasons, contends Matt Grasso, WIZN/WBTZ Operations Manager:

First off, P1s [first preference, the dedicated listeners] spend a lot of time with your radio station, and the website is a way to keep things fresh and exciting for them. Games, exclusive Web-only promotions, staff blogs and bios all provide an exclusive, behind the scenes look at the product. Next, time spent listening (TSL) drives the ratings bus and your online broadcast boosts it. There are a lot of people who are procrastinating at work. Plug them into your station. Give them lifestyle news and information and watch your TSL rise. And finally, the website constitutes new inventory. You can clutter your airwaves with so much stuff. Your website is a new place to do business.

Station websites come in all shapes and sizes. That is to say, they can be simple, offering a limited number of links, or they can be highly interactive and multi-tiered with dozens of links. Not all sites are constructed as income streams, but more and more radio stations are viewing them as another good source of nontraditional revenue. Adding the iTunes Music Store link to their sites to allow their listeners to purchase the tunes they heard on-air was one of the first attempts to monetize the Internet presence. Emmis was the first station group to do so on its stations in Chicago, Indianapolis, Austin, and St. Louis. In a more recent development, the products of Radio2Video represent the extension of traditional radio activities into nontraditional areas. In this instance, the company notes on its website that it specializes in creating “broadcast quality, high definition video advertising from radio commercials” to assist stations in taking full advantage of the enhancements that color picture and motion lend to advertising messages on stations’ sites.

Larger stations and cluster operations typically hire an individual to maintain a station’s web presence. This person usually holds a title such as director of digital strategy, services, and/or sales. Content responsibilities are the province of other specialists (digital solutions coordinator or similar title), but they are usually working closely with or under the direction of this individual; together these employees share responsibilities for maintaining the appearance, relevance, and revenue-generating potential of the website, social media, and overall digital plan for the station or the cluster of stations. The growing digital role for radio stations has made it another potential career option for those interested in entering the radio field. Clearly, an applicant for this position should possess a knowledge of graphic arts, social media, and web page design. Additionally, an overall knowledge of radio programming and marketing would be of special value.

FIGURE 5.50
Jeremy Sinon

Although podcasts were originally designed for downloading content to iPods and MP3 players, radio stations have found them to be a value-added programming feature. Thousands of podcasts are available on the Internet, and most radio stations now offer podcasts of their on-air features on their websites. Some stations have created exclusive, podcast-only programs. Says consultant Jason Insalaco:

Podcasting “exclusives” can drive Internet traffic and increase the time listeners spend on the website. For example, website-exclusive interviews with newsmakers, musical artists, entire unedited press conferences, or even the local high school football game can provide supplemental content for station podcasts. It’s a good community service, too.

Matt Grasso adds, “Podcasts are useful to station programming because it’s a way to take the station with you.” Grasso asserts that programmers generally were skeptical about the value of podcasting. Now, he says, “they realize that they are just another way to get even closer to the listener.”

Regarding podcasts, Tim Scheld, News Director of WCBS radio in New York, says:

While podcasting seems to be the shiny new penny of audio content, in reality it has been around for years. So much of what we do gets edited from our over the air pieces that our ability to play or deliver the full interviews we conduct and do so as an on demand extra product makes us more valuable. All of our reporters and anchors participate in this content as on demand audio. We also deliver weekly podcasts on Author Talks, Small Business Interviews, and News on the Rocks. Audio of Demand or longer form interviews appear regularly in a podcast category called 880 Extras. We are fully engaged in podcasting.

FIGURE 5.51
The amount of consumers listening to podcasts is quickly growing. ABC Radio created the ABC Podcast Network and offers multiple podcasts for listeners to consume at their leisure

Source: © 2017 American Broadcasting Companies Inc.

Indicating the importance of Facebook and Twitter as prominent elements in the engagement of listeners, NPR Digital issued social media guidelines for its member stations. Shane says, “Be specific about what you want from your audience” and give the audience “a heads up on tomorrow’s topics” are examples of NPR directives. The outline reminded hosts that “Your show is on the radio for one or two hours a day; it’s online 24/7.” Regarding social media and news coverage, Jones says:

[R]adio has embraced social media and is using it to build news brands, expand audience and deepen listener engagement. For ABC News Radio, there is significant demand for our breaking news coverage. When stories are unfolding live on radio, stations build currency with their audience and reaffirm to listeners that radio is the place to turn for immediacy and relevancy. Our affiliates are much more inclined to pre-empt their local programs or syndicated talk shows and run our wall-to-wall coverage when a major news event occurs.

FIGURE 5.52
The ABC Radio Podcast Network offers many podcasts for listeners including hourly updates, Nightline, Power House Politics, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and World News Tonight with David Muir to name a few

Source: © 2017 American Broadcasting Companies Inc.

Shane says he advises his broadcast clients to “be where the listeners are” when they choose social media platforms:

If your listeners are on Facebook, that’s where you engage them. If they follow news on Twitter, you want to be there, too. Post traffic information, news about celebrities—whatever they’re interested in. Today, information moves at the real-time speed of Twitter, a very current content experience.

He adds that watching trends on Facebook and Twitter constitutes a form of show prep. And he cautions that all social media activity should point back to the station and its website.

RADIO NEWS/INFORMATION/SPORTS AND THE FCC

The government takes a greater role in regulating broadcast journalism than it does print. Although it usually maintains a hands-off position when it comes to newspapers, the government keeps a watchful eye on radio to ensure that it meets certain operating criteria. Since the FCC perceives the airways as public domain, it expects broadcasters to operate in the public’s interest.

In 2013, the FCC began an initiative called Critical Information Needs (CIN). RBR.com reports that “The FCC has a research model to study this topic with an eye toward ensuring that Americans are getting the news and information they need, regardless of location, ethnicity or any other factor.” The CIN study will focus its radio study on stations with news/talk formats.

The FCC requires that radio reporters present news factually and in good faith. Stories that defame citizens through reckless or false statements may not only bring a libel suit from the injured party but action from the FCC, which views such behavior on the part of broadcasters as contrary to the public’s interest. Broadcasters are protected under the First Amendment and therefore have certain rights, but as public trustees they are charged with the additional responsibility of acting in a manner that benefits rather than harms members of society.

Although the FCC tends to take a hands-off approach, broadcasters still believe there are things the FCC can do to create an environment that is conducive to radio stations covering the news: “I believe the FCC should allow more cross-ownership of radio, TV and newspaper as a means of sharing news resources and costs. Exemptions should be made to keep newspaper and broadcast news organizations viable,” says Farley.

Broadcasters are free to express opinions and sentiments on issues through editorials. However, to avoid controversy, many radio stations choose not to editorialize even though the FCC encourages them to do so.

NEWS ETHICS

The highly competitive nature of radio places unusual pressure on newspeople. In a business where being first with the story is often equated with being the best, certain dangers exist. Being first at all costs can be costly indeed, if information and facts are not adequately verified. As previously mentioned, it is the radio journalist’s obligation to get the story straight and accurate before putting it on the air. Anything short of this is unprofessional. Rios says:

I’d have to say the state of radio these days is very good. As always, the beauty of news radio is whether you are listening at home or in your car when there’s breaking news, we can get the information on air instantly, once confirmed. That is the advantage we will always have over television news. What is happening though because of the Internet is … stories are out there that you see and want to run with, but as always you have to verify any story before running it. Have we been burned before? Yes, especially with sensational, pop culture stories. We are much more careful and thorough with stories that are important to our local audience.

Steve Jones, Vice-President and General Manager of ABC Radio News, emphasizes that:

[At] ABC News Radio, nothing is more important to us than accuracy; being right is always more important than being first. From our newsroom in New York, we produce up to six unique news reports per hour every day. The news content of these reports is similar but the length of the content differs to allow radio stations programming flexibility based on whether they are news stations, talk stations or music stations.

The pressures of the clock, if allowed, can result in haphazard reporting. If a story cannot be sufficiently prepared in time for the upcoming news broadcast, it should be withheld. Getting it on air is not as important as getting it on air correctly. Accuracy is the newsperson’s first criterion. News accounts should never be fudged. It is tantamount to deceiving and misleading the public. Scheld, of WCBS in New York, says:

It’s the responsibility of everyone who we hire from producers to reporters, to understand the mission of getting the facts straight before putting something on the air. It is part of the culture of the radio station to verify the facts of a story before putting it on the air to the best of our ability.

News reporters must exhibit discretion not only in the newsroom but also when on the scene of a story. It is commendable to assiduously pursue the facts and details of a story, but it is inconsiderate and insensitive to ignore the suffering and pain of those involved. For example, to press for comments from a grief-stricken parent whose child has just been seriously injured in an accident is callous and cruel and a disservice to all concerned, including the station the newsperson represents. Of course, a newsperson wants as much information as possible about an incident, but the public’s right to privacy must be respected. As Rios says:

You can learn to become a good reporter, but instinct has a lot to do with it. Instinct in knowing what questions to ask in an interview. Sensitivity as well. You will inevitably cover a funeral. Tough assignment, trying to get an interview with a friend or loved one about the death of a toddler or teen, for example. It’s all in the approach and genuine sincerity. And knowing when and when not to push for an interview. Schmoozing with police on the scene of a story or police communications liaison is never a bad thing. Make friends with police. Most importantly though is being able to paint a picture, through words and sound. Radio is theatre of the mind. The listeners have to imagine the story while they’re driving or washing dishes at home.

Objectivity is the cornerstone of good reporting. A newsperson who has lost his or her capacity to see the whole picture is handicapped. At the same time, the newsperson’s job is to report the news and not create it. Although maintaining objectivity is the goal, it is not always possible. Scheld asserts that:

Reporters do have to maintain objectivity in delivering the facts of a story but there is no way we can completely divorce ourselves from the emotions that come from some stories. If our baseball team wins the championship, and our city celebrates, we get caught up in the excitement. If we witness tragedy such as the terrible shootings in Newtown, we cannot help but deliver this news with a sense of personal trauma. There is no way around it. Our listeners want us to be authentic.

Agreeing with Scheld, Rios states:

Objectivity, is critical. You have to present both sides of controversial stories and never let your personal stance on any topic be obvious. And never run a controversial story without getting both sides. We actually had a news anchor who would literally skip a story that had anything to do with the political party opposite to the one he sided with. He would always use the excuse that he simply ran out of time to do the opposing view story. He ultimately got fired.

The mere presence of a member of the media can inspire a disturbance or agitate a volatile situation. Staging an event for the sake of increasing the “newsiness” of a story is not only unprofessional but illegal. Groups have been known to await the arrival of reporters before initiating a disturbance for the sake of gaining publicity. It is the duty of reporters to remain as innocuous and uninvolved as possible when on an assignment. Recall Indra de Silva’s comment earlier about the need for news to be presented in a thoughtful and conscientious way.

FIGURE 5.53
RTDNA Code of Ethics

Source: Reproduced by permission of the Radio Television Digital News Association

Several industry associations, such as RTDNA and the Society of Professional Journalists, have established codes pertaining to the ethics and conduct of broadcast reporters. Scheld says:

The codes of professional conduct are important for an organization. The idea is for our work to benefit the public good. We need to do our jobs in a fair minded way motivated by a pursuit of the truth. Any reminder of those pillars is a good thing.