Barnett reports radio is poised to adapt new technology to news reporting

Pictured: Jim Vaughan, Speaker Chair, Daniel Barnett, News Director, AVC Communications. And Tanya Hitchens, Byesville Rotary President.

Meeting change: Board meeting will be 12N Wednesday, October 16, at Plus 1 Pizza in Byesville.

Guest speaker, Daniel Barnett is employed as the news director of AVC Communications. He is responsible for overseeing the news content of 6 local radio stations.

Mr. Barnett stated he decided to become a journalist because writing is a personal passion. He chose radio journalism because of the intimacy radio can create between the listener and the radio.

He explained a second reasonfor choosing journalism was his admiration for journalists like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. These men helped shape journalism in the 20th Century and worked to establish journalism as “just the facts.” This approach differed from that of earlier reporters who focused on politics and sensationalism.

However, in the latter part of the 20th century, news reporting began a return to the type of journalism practiced during the early years of the US. News again became combined with politics and sensationalism. Currently, the internet allows people access to all kinds of news sources. Many of these sources can be careless of the facts, and others present only facts supporting a specific point of view.

AVC Communications depends on other news sources for much of the news reported by the station. Most of the reports come from Associated Press Services. Barnett bases his choice on what news to broadcast by determining whether a news item has any local interest. He has a small staff and uses them to cover local news such as local government meetings and checking local police reports.

He stated that all types of journalism—TV, radio, and print--are about to enter a new era and that the American public is ready to support a return to “just the facts” reporting. He explained that radio is better prepared than print to take advantage of current trends in technology such as Twitter or FaceBook. These trends allow for faster reporting and updating and allow interaction with the listener. Radio is already employing technology such as pod casting and streaming.

During a short business meeting, Meadowbrook Interact Club members Erin Smith and Jaclyn Beskid were introduced. Bob Long encouraged members to sign up for red kettle bell ringing. Money raised from the bell ringing is important for club support of their Christmas Food Basket program.

Byesville Rotary meets every Tuesday, 7:30 am, at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Anyone interested in learning more about the Byesville Rotary can call Membership Chairs Marty Patchen, 740-685-3828, or Randy Launder, 740-685-8294.