Data | Insights | Opportunities for Public Media

SRG RETREAT | August 5, 2024

Local News Ecosystems

2

SESSION PURPOSE

1. Introduce/provide update on “mapping” to better understand and communicate scope of local public media news
2. Share details of upcoming grant-supported project to help empower local public media orgs to better understand and respond to the information needs of their communities
3. Demonstrate and discuss potential local insights and how they may be actionable at your organization
4. Get your input to help guide the project’s future development (data, insights, and support)

3

SESSION PRESENTERS

Steve Holmes

.

Managing Director, �Public Media Company

.

steve@publicmedia.co

Charly Thomas

.

Project Manager, �SRG

.

Charly@srg.org

Rachel Hubbard

.

Executive Director, �KOSU

.

Rachel.Hubbard�@okstate.edu

4

PUBLIC MEDIA NEWS ECOSYSTEM

2 years ago, we demonstrated the reach of local public media news

4,392 journalists at 299 public radio orgs

PROJECT MEDIA NEWS ECOSYSTEM

We also showed the intersection with (Medill’s) newspaper deserts

6

Project aims to provide local media orgs with the insight and support needed to launch, grow, or scale services that expand access to local news, including in partnership with others

​

Will go beyond national picture, providing insights and resources at local community level across the country

​

Gearing up for launch and we want to ensure tools developed aren’t just interesting, but actionable and truly valuable to you

COMING SOON… NEW PROJECT!

PROJECT GOAL: Empower public media organizations to equitably expand access to local news through deeper community insights, actionable information, and stronger connections, enabling them to better understand and respond to the needs of their communities

7

PROJECT DEMONSTRATION

• Examples of possible local data insights that could be developed as part of the Knight-supported project
• Demo maps based on KOSU broadcast coverage area
• Local community data (e.g., census info)
• Media ecosystem overlays (local newspapers, TV, digital, news deserts, etc.)
• Rachel will highlight how the insights are being/can be leveraged at KOSU and beyond
• Survey and discussion will help prioritize the type of data that’s most important to you

8

SURVEY

• Use QR code to launch survey questions
• What data and support is most valuable to you?
• Answer questions after the demonstration
• Charly will share results and moderate discussion

9

SURVEY APP

Questions use a 1 to 5 scale to rate the:

​

• Importance of the data to you and your organization
• Current availability of the data (i.e., whether or not �you already have it)

​

10

What do you need to increase the impact of your newsroom and better serve the needs of your community?

​

• Survey results tell us …
• What’s most critical: data, storytelling, or support?
• What type of support would be most valuable: examples, case studies, guides, partnership facilitation, project management?
• What type of storytelling: scale of public media news, individual local success stories, partnership stories, sustainability stories?
• Who will be key partners: Knight, Press Forward (national/local), CPB, NPR, PBS, Medill, INN, LION?

​

DISCUSSION TOPICS

11

NEXT STEPS

• Get your feedback
• Clarify priorities and develop 90-day plan
• Build/reinforce key partnerships
• Build data platform
• Build communications platform
• Launch project
• Strengthen local news

12

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Developing a full picture of local public media news across the country and helping better tell the story to funders/stakeholders

Providing actionable data on local news ecosystems (information providers) and deeper insights into local communities (demographics, info needs, etc.)

Empowering public media orgs to take a leading role in addressing local news inequities, including in partnership with others (through examples, case studies, guides, connections, facilitated conversations, 1:1 support)

• Identifying areas of greatest need across the country (and supporting public media orgs in providing local solutions)

Empower public media organizations to equitably expand access to local news through deeper community insights, actionable information, and stronger connections, enabling them to better understand and respond to the needs of their communities.

13

ABOUT PUBLIC MEDIA COMPANY

Public Media Company is a nonprofit consulting firm with a mission to cultivate vibrant local media that informs, connects, and inspires communities. We leverage our business expertise to increase public media impact across the country.

Public Media Company works in partnership with organizations in urban and rural communities to find innovative solutions and grow local impact. We have worked with over 400 organizations in all 50 states

www.publicmedia.co