I’m hopeful we’ll do exactly what you’re promoting — more and more LOCAL news. Then all we have to do is figure out how to share that in a meaninful and federated way across the country.

When serving as president of PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors, Inc), I attended the national meeting of NPR member reps and made remarks exactly in line with this argument. At the time, I thought I was stating the obvious — as a prelude to my main point. In actuality, not everyone in the room agreed… despite the dramatic results and stark trends owing to our investment in news. So I had to adjust my view of the system but not my conviction that news is what we are and what we need to grow. And what was my main point then? The same as now: LOCAL news (done properly) is a vital aspect of our public media news service.

Thanks,
MM

I feel like I completely dissed all the non-news stuff in public media, which I don’t want to do out of hand. I think there’s lots of non-news (cultural) stuff that only public media can do, too. And should do.

But news — factual, insightful, relevant news — is the lifeblood of our democracy in media, it directly impacts our ability to self-govern. Through quality news we can make informed decisions about other investments, such as investments in cultural things.

I think the function of libraries — the keepers of information after it passes from contemporality into history — are also critical in this way, though they have less immediacy.

This must surely be the underwriting and sponsor story too - the ONLY place where there is real news - someone at CPB said the other day that there eas no more money for Jane Austen - but if PBS could tell the news as it is …. well!!!