I have a great admiration of journalists. I think it’s a fascinating profession, but more importantly, I believe it is necessary and noble work.
The ability to understand a subject, look at it from all sides and present it in a way that makes sense to the reader, listener or viewer takes skill and knowledge.
Journalism is a public service dedicated to accuracy and truth. It is vital for a free society to have reporters asking questions, verifying information and presenting it to the public.
These days we have any number of choices to receive news and information of the day. We have television channels dedicated to the enterprise of information.
Sometimes the information presented though, is opinion. That’s not a bad thing, but it is definitely different from journalism.
We also are able to access information on the internet. Sometimes the websites are mainly supported through a newspaper or news organization like NPR. Some websites “borrow” stories from other outlets and aren’t producing original reporting. Other websites offer opinion under the guise of stories but are one-person operations without the benefit of an editorial board checking the accuracy of a story.
The ability to provide accurate and timely information to the public is a costly venture. It takes money to station reporters, editors and producers in foreign bureaus. For a reporter to truly understand a region and the news that comes out of that region, it is critical for them to be stationed in that region.
Most commercial television stations, radio stations and newspapers pay for the cost of reporting information to the public through advertising. As a non-commercial station, KGOU receives the majority of funding from the people we serve... the listeners.
KGOU's audience benefits from the stories and information aired. As a result, our listeners have a greater understanding of issues; are better informed about our world and various cultures and are better informed citizens of the community. Sound reporting demands, and yes, deserves the support of those who depend on it.
I’m a listener of KGOU. More importantly, I support KGOU with a financial investment. I make sure I renew my membership every year to help pay for the wealth of information I receive every day. It's an investment in my continuing education. It is important to me that KGOU and the programming offered is there for me and the greater public.
When I hear a journalist report on a story from a wind farm in Oklahoma or from the nation’s capital on a critical piece of legislation, I know, in a very small way, I’ve been able to help a reporter “get the story.” It takes all of us together, contributing so we can stay informed. I hope you’ll do your part as well.
