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A couple weeks ago I wrote about the importance of transitioning the local news anchor role to a more field-oriented, working-journalist model. I also suggested moving away from the “hire them from anywhere” approach and focusing more on home-grown talent, people deeply rooted in the communities on which they report the news.
Let me say that the amount of negative reaction over the suggestion of changing the current approach is indicative of the problem we face in this industry: Too many people are convinced what we are doing is right, and all local stations need to take the exact same approach. There is only one way to do local news, and anything that deviates from this archaic formula cannot and will not work. Forgive me for thinking that is ludicrous, particularly at a time when audiences are not exactly flocking to today’s rendition of the 6 p.m. news.
When I’ve talked to newspaper leaders over the years, they described the same kind of debates and cultural challenges in the early 2010s. The old guard won out, as they waited too long to make tough changes that could have extended their viability. Similar cultural issues prevented change in radio newsrooms before it was too late. We need to learn from the mistakes of those who were disrupted before us. Denial is the first step in the path to extinction.
Taking big swings right now is a must. As a growing