LocalNewser: Michael Rosenblum on the Death of Local News from Mark Joyella on Vimeo. “Michael Rosenblum’s been around the local news biz for decades, along the way helping create New York’s all-news NY1 and Al Gore’s Current TV. Rosenblum’s consulted for stations across the country and around the world, and yet he believes the model that’s kept local news alive since the 1950s is broken, and the only way to repair it–drastic changes in the way news stations operate–just won’t happen. Rosenblum tells LocalNewser’s Mark Joyella local news is like GM: sticking with a recipe that put them on top five decades ago, but will drive them to bankruptcy today.”
My favorite line: When Google does news in New York, it aint gonna start in the CBS building with a chopper. Or something to that effect. Video runs about 2 1/2 min.
My resident critic of local media (television, radio, newspapers) forwarded this article to me. That was just a lucky catch on my/his part in trolling the cyber universe. But if I had been listening to a like-mined feature on radio (no distractions, no other competition for immediate attention) I would have been more likely to pay attention to the content, whether he helped or not.
Local content on radio — especially in rural counties like those served by 80 stations on the Illinois Radio Network — is vital to communities. In fact, many stations are now publishing very effectively on-line, and creating most of the content enjoyed by a county of 15 to 20,000 people. Creativity is never in short supply, and technology is only as good as the people who use it.