Local news faces many challenges, including the rise of social media as a news source and the number of citizens who tune out news altogether.
In the Columbus-Tupelo, Mississippi TV market (DMA 134), two keen competitors agree on at least one thing – their biggest challenge these days is capturing and keeping audience.
Joey Barnes is news director anchor for WCBI-TV in Columbus, Mississippi. With a career spanning more than two decades, Barnes looks at audience reliance on social media for news as a chance to do things differently.
“It is an opportunity for revenue and an opportunity to get information and put it out there. What we have to do is continue to find new strategies as well,” Barnes said.
At WTVA-TV in Tupelo, Mississippi, News Director Pat Peterson says his station is always looking for audiences both off air and on.
“We have a digital first process now… my reporters go out, take pictures with their phone, send it into the content producer, who can write a story,” Peterson said.
Peterson says the key is balance. Having a mix of the familiar newscasts, with easy access to the same information from a mobile device has been the middle ground for keeping viewers.
“We still have people in our market that still watch the News at five, six, and ten,” he said.
Barnes says they are trying to grow their audience by expanding their relationship with the communities they serve.
“But more than anything, it is about being authentic, involved, and engaged in the community and letting people know that you are there and a part of where they live, too,” Barnes said.
Barnes says it is also important to consider your digital platforms as entirely different channels, especially to attract younger viewers.
“You have to find how young people want to find content and do it there. Now, there are some limitations,” Barnes said. “I cannot put an entire news story on TikTok, but I may use that platform to push you to our website or YouTube channel.”
Peterson agrees, “We’re all wearing more hats now.”
What hasn’t changed, according to Barnes, is the importance of providing accurate, local information.
“Credibility is one of the key facets of journalism and one of the key things that you start teaching very early on, and it can be just the simple things like pronouncing the names of an official correctly or the name of a town because once you do it wrong one time it starts planting a seed,” Barnes said. “We need to ensure we are correct every single time.”
