Ima-atlanta

Running notes from Bill Densmore on Saturday morning's panel at the Public Media Conference, 2009, in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009:

Kinsey Wilson, of National Public Radio, formerly from USAToday, is talking about what it's been like moving over to radio. He is building on some of the points that Vivian Schiller made yesterday.

NPR's Wilson makes four points

Four points:

• He was struct by optimistism and the sense of vision at NPR, in stark contrast to what is experienced at many commercial newsrooms, including newspapers.

• Now its all about creating networks of passionate users. NPR's isn't fully realized yet. Quality of comments are extraordinary on the NPR site. Lot's of comments between people.

• They have diversified revenue sources, and that is a source of envy as the ad market shrinks. But they are largely dependent on corporate underwriting in digital media and that is a cause for concern.

• He thinks there is an extraordinary opportunity to become a significant if not dominate source of news in local markets.

The seven or eight advantages over newspapers

The seven or eight advantages over newspapers:

• Barriers to entry have fallen
• Big newspapers are saddled with legacy web systems
• NPR affiliates produce the best audio content at a point where mobile is becoming dominant
• As newspapers collapse "and they will" in certain markets, there will be a window.
• Reporters will be cast off and looking for work. There will be a moment to capture them.
• They can promote what they do on air
• Already news organizations devoted to public service "and have that in our blood."

Witt talks about opportunity for public radio to become news powerhouse

Leonard Witt, of Kennesaw State University, says there's a void for presentation of video news that the PUblic Broadcasting Service affiliates could come in and fill. He suggests that each state have two reporters assigned to a new PBS news initiative. EAch produces a story every other day, that's 50 stories a day cominging.

"THat means on your web site, every 20 minutes you would have another story coming in," said Witt. "You'd constantly be replenishing the stories. . . . You can run a newsroom now for 100 people for about $10 million. That is not cost prohibitive."

"yoU all have the problem that you don't play very well." He suggests one of the local stations would have to set up a national facility.

Anna Shoup, PBS Newshour

Anna Shoup says The Newshour is now focusing on the economy and she's talking about a project not yet launched for which she invited feedback. Newshour is partnering with Morning Edition, local stations and the Patchwork Nation Project of the Christian Science Monitor.

Patchwork will be expanded to 22 communities, all the new ones with strong local public TV and radio stations. There will be citizen journalists in those communities and will ask the local affiliates to do on the group reporting they already do but do it in a coordinated fashion with the Patchwork Nation Project.