Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
More from WUNC & NPR — WUNC
WUNC is surely vying for the title of one of the area's most incompetent users of the informative powers of the internet.
The station is now broadcasting a concert by the North Carolina Symphony.
Do you suppose there is anything on the station's website that explains the concert, gives the program, etc.
I'll give you a hint.....no.
The NC Symphony must be in the same competition with WUNC. There is not a word that I can find on their own site about the performance tonight (or whenever it is/was).
The station is now broadcasting a concert by the North Carolina Symphony.
Do you suppose there is anything on the station's website that explains the concert, gives the program, etc.
I'll give you a hint.....no.
The NC Symphony must be in the same competition with WUNC. There is not a word that I can find on their own site about the performance tonight (or whenever it is/was).
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
"Public Insight Network" - WUNC
Did we see any use made of this "Public Insight Network" in the coverage tonight of the primaries in Kentucky and Oregon and their relation to North Carolina? I did not hear any. What a missed opportunity if this really amounts to anything. Primary/Presidential election news here on the WUNC site seems to have stopped 7 May!
Monday, May 19, 2008
"WUNC News" — WUNC
It remains quite astounding that WUNC is able to project on air the image of it being a great news organization. Their efforts to get people to sign up for their so-called "Public Insight Network" suggests that if one does so, this will be a chance to contribute to many local stories at WUNC.
The fact is that WUNC produces no more than one story/day! Got to the "news archives" and you will find 19 "stories" starting 1 May. In fact, this is more than normal because of a number of short snippets they did with candidates and "stories" on the new UNC Chancellor.
We all ought to expect so much more.
The fact is that WUNC produces no more than one story/day! Got to the "news archives" and you will find 19 "stories" starting 1 May. In fact, this is more than normal because of a number of short snippets they did with candidates and "stories" on the new UNC Chancellor.
We all ought to expect so much more.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Public Insight Network
I have been thinking about WUNC's on-air effort to recruit people for its "public insight network", I think they call it. My first reaction - upon hearing that WUNC would promise confidentiality - is that that will not work; WUNC is part of the State of North Carolina and there is no exception in the state open records law for "news" gathering.
But the more I thought about it, the more concerned I am about the notion of recruiting news sources. It's bad enough that news organizations are bombarded with promotion from many interests through public relations people and directly. To ask for those people to sign up - and then to be used - strikes me as a lot of effort diverted in the direction of those volunteers when the responsibility of a news professional is to stand above that and make choices of sources completely independently of who is standing outside the front door.
So from the standpoint of diverting resources that would be better used on better and more reporting and from the standpoint of adding one more challenge to the independence of professional reporting, I think the whole idea is a bad one.
Here is a "beta" option from Forbes. It strikes me as a much better approach.
But the more I thought about it, the more concerned I am about the notion of recruiting news sources. It's bad enough that news organizations are bombarded with promotion from many interests through public relations people and directly. To ask for those people to sign up - and then to be used - strikes me as a lot of effort diverted in the direction of those volunteers when the responsibility of a news professional is to stand above that and make choices of sources completely independently of who is standing outside the front door.
So from the standpoint of diverting resources that would be better used on better and more reporting and from the standpoint of adding one more challenge to the independence of professional reporting, I think the whole idea is a bad one.
Here is a "beta" option from Forbes. It strikes me as a much better approach.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Recession-proof?
It is impressive that WUNC was able to reach the goal that it apparently set for itself - 800,000 early! This morning they said 4,900 had contributed. (Updated on 3 May to "more than 6,000.) That is still such a startling small number.
They keep saying that they get no money from the State as in an on-air plug on 1 May. Literally, that is true, but who pays for their facility in Chapel Hill? See their annual reports. Who manages their back office? It's disingenuous to say what they are saying. When I checked a while ago, I think it amounted to something like 250,000/year but that needs to be verified.
They keep saying that they get no money from the State as in an on-air plug on 1 May. Literally, that is true, but who pays for their facility in Chapel Hill? See their annual reports. Who manages their back office? It's disingenuous to say what they are saying. When I checked a while ago, I think it amounted to something like 250,000/year but that needs to be verified.
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