NPR showed us that how you connect to content is key to audience growth - so far they and I have focused on the the connection as being web and social media based.
But there is an even more important "Connection". That is Trust.
Do we trust the source of the content? What is the Social Relationship between the News Source and the Public? What are the Power issues? What is the motivation of the new organization? Whom do they serve and why? All these relational issues affect Trust.
So what is the central connection between the news source and you?
Here is how Craig Newmark thinks that this issue will play out.
HT to John Bracken for the clip.
At KETC we have made this issue of the relationship with our members and the wider public in St Louis our central concern.
We keep asking ourselves the question of how can a local public TV station establish the Trust that we need to become vital to our community? While this is our own question - it is also the broder question that will affect all news sources.
We agree with Mr Newmark that we have a start based on our non-commercial model. But what do we have to do to make this more real?
No station on their own is smart enough to come up with the answers. For this demands a revolution in mindset.
Fortunately for us, 3 Wise Men turned up with gifts. Gifts of wisdom about this issue of Trust and Relationship. They showed up because they care deeply that the answers are found.
Euan Semple, Doc Searls and Jay Rosen have kindly agreed to be interviewed and we start a series next week on their advice for
- Why the current model for news is not helping the nation solve our problems
- What would be a model that would
- What KETC - or in fact any public station can do to enact this better model
More soon
