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The American Academy In Rome and NPR Radio Discuss The Newsroom
July 27, 2010 – 5:13 pm
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Loading ...Earlier this afternoon, The American Academy in Rome and National Public Radio held a livestream discussion from the Villa Aurelia in Rome, titled “The Future of News In The Digital World.” Christopher Celenza, Director of The Academy, was the moderator while Vivian Schiller, President and CEO of NPR, and Sylvia Poggioli, NPR Senior European Correspondent fielded questions from online followers and a live audience. The women discussed several intriguing topics that I’ll outline below this paragraph, while explaining the unique value of NPR to its audience in the present and future growth potential. 
On NPR:
NPR is a private, not-for-profit news organization that has a unique relationship with the national and international media industry. This is due to the optimization of local research and production within the communities in where content is accesible, be it through podcasts or radio. NPR has multiple sources of revenue with this connection and can withstand economic capriciousness. According to Ms. Schller, the news industry lost 1.6 million reporters while surveys indicate that 70% of participants feel that the news media is overly biased while 71% are also confused about the intention of their content. These sentiments have allowed NPR to leverage their strong public trust into a growing market share of European followers, especially since the Gulf War of 1999.
On European cyberspace use:
Both news executives have seen some growth in the European market, with success stories in the former Yugoslavia as one example in gaining radio followers. European news corporations are also more reliant on sales and advertising revenue than the States, while providing more partisan content. Governments offer cheap utility rate subsidies for news media, which assists with corporate stability.
They, however, discussed a couple of impediments to accelerated growth in Europe’s future. Consistent web usage in traditional Western European powers is largely limited to mobile devices, affecting browsing time and online advertising growth potential. Northern Europe, especially in Denmark, has nearly double the cyberspace traffic of Germany. Secondly, the government subsidies allow for greater hegemony over content and distribution, which is nonexistent Stateside. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi owns a large share of Italy’s media networks and been able to defray a term filled with various scandal. President Nicolas Sarkozy deftly used French media to portray his innocence in the Bettencourt situation. In short, the European media landscape is embracing a digital future, but at a slower pace.
NPR’s Digital Outreach and Influence:
As a purveyor of civic information, NPR has been inventive in their news outreach. Both executives also go into more depth in their discussion on the network’s strategy. They have used interactive marketing with several key issues to solicit feedback which could ultimately lead to policy development. During the election of 2008, their digital section created a Google Maps application and offered a Twitter stream for users to share polling issues. Social media users also wrote their thoughts on the Facebook fan pages when news of the Haiti earthquake reached the newswire. Planet Money, a finance blog covering local business measures, was instrumental as a hub for local demographics during the financial crisis of 2008, and visitors remain strong to this day. Some concern has grown about the behavior of online visitors to NPR being somewhat belligerent and sophomorific, but the moderators keep control.
NPR’s livestream shows the inventiveness of their leadership. The unique bond with local communities allowed NPR to make a seamless transition into the hyperactivity of digital media. They have a stronger pulse on the audience and can tailor programming to meet their listening demands. The executives also feel that the mobile industry will be a natural transition for the network, as smartphones gain sophistication. NPR breathes life back into the radio, when once we all thought video won.
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