I've tried really hard to stay out of the debates about "The Media" or "The Mainstream Media", but there comes a point where we need to start standing up for ourselves. So I guess here we are.
This has actually been percolating in my mind for a few weeks now, it's just been a challenge to find the right way to word it without sounding like a jaded, old "traditional media" guy who obviously still has a horse in the race. But as I've watched the coverage of big local news stories and big international stories alike, I can't help but feel like something needs to be said.
Recently, I received a text message from a former colleague about challenges she was facing in getting an interview about a local issue. I jokingly bugged her about how no one wanted to talk to her because she was part of "the media". That's part of the trouble I suppose, is that we're now treating it like it's a joke, when it's really not.
Whether this is a self-induced problem or not is an interesting debate, because it is and it isn't. Some outlets pander to the ratings. Others over-use the term "breaking news". Others show biases. It's a bunch of different issues that have seemingly eroded the public's trust in media. On the other side though, we have a TON of reporters who work their tails off day in and day out, bringing great stories and shedding light on all sorts of issues. Yet that hard work and dedication seems to get downplayed.
Just in the last day or so, I became involved in a bit of a Twitter debate over media and one commenter stated "We're witnessing the death rattle of the MSM, what a time to be alive!" It also featured "thumbs up" and "clapping" emojis. Is this really what we should be applauding? Are we really applauding a less-informed and less-educated society?
I'm not trying to be overly-dramatic here. But there seems to be this thought process that "citizen journalists" or social media will be able to do all of the informing. Here's the point being missed: where do you think those original stories on social media come from? Especially when it comes to local stories. Who in the social media sphere is covering city council on a regular basis? Who in the social media sphere is going to report on crime and sit through days and weeks of criminal court proceedings? Who in the social media sphere is able to hold politicians, police, school boards and others to account by developing contacts, investigating stories, asking questions of the appropriate people and then bringing those stories to you in a factual way?
Don't get me wrong. I actually believe there's a place in this world for the online media outlets that are starting to pop up. The thing is: they are catering to a very specific audience. They have their own agendas and I say "good on them." They are filling a void, as witnessed by their followings. But you have to ask yourself a question: what stories aren't they telling? Maybe the "mainstream media" isn't covering the stories that really matter to you, but maybe the "online media" isn't covering the stories that really matter to others. To me, writing either one of them off is foolish. To me, there's a place for both.
The other issue I want to bring up is the arguments about paywalls and advertising. Somewhere along the line, we became obsessed with the idea that news is free. It's not. It takes time and resources to put together stories and newscasts and newspapers. It's not just reporters but also editors and photographers and producers to make sure the product is ready for the public's consumption. Stories don't just pop up out of thin air.
I don't have all (or maybe even any) of the answers in how to increase readership/listenership/viewership or how to bring revenues back up. What I do know is that we've seemingly entered this vicious circle where revenues are down, which has led to layoffs, which has led to fewer stories, which has led to an erosion of trust, which has led to doubt about reach, which has led to more declines in revenues, and on and on it goes.
What I do know is that I'm not willing to stand by and accept it. We have to stop loathing in self-pity and start standing up for ourselves and the work that we're doing. Does this mean we need to be more focused on the kinds of stories we do and stop trying to be "everything to everyone"? Maybe. Does this mean marketing ourselves a different way? Maybe. Do we need to start capitalizing on what makes us integral to the communities that we serve? Absolutely. And maybe we start by answering those first two questions.
We've been spinning our tires for far too long, trying to think of ways to prove to the audience that we're still relevant in today's marketplace. Maybe it's time to make the rubber hit the road. I think it starts with getting rid of the "superiority" complex (that we're essential in this day and age), understanding why the perceptions out there about "mainstream media" even exist, then addressing those perceptions in a way that informs but busts those perceptions.
Because if we keep going down this same path, we're only delaying the inevitable. Those who think the "death rattle" will actually be proven right. But I don't think the world will be a better place for it. People will quickly realize just how much local news will be missing, because those stories aren't being fed from traditional media to the social media. It's not that the stories don't exist. It's just that they won't be told.
Then who's going to be able to #BlameTheMedia?
