WAMU going under?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCist had a sizable core audience that would gather in the comments, but then they eliminated comments and I'm going to guess those readers had zero reason to click on DCist anymore. It certainly wasn't for the journalism, which -- for all the hosannas it's getting from the terminally online right now -- was pretty amateurish.

I will say that local news is extremely important, but also that it's an extremely tough sell because its audience is capped by geography. And even in DC, which on its face should be a prime audience for local news, we have an *extremely* apathetic population when it comes to local matters, which is why we get the same mediocre politicians elected over and over again. Just look at voter turnout, which is laughably bad here.

The problem with DC local news is that DC only has 700k residents. That isn't enough to support local news. MD and VA suburbs have far more, but they are lucky to get a fraction of the stories that DC proper does from most outlets

Yes, exactly. It's a comparatively small population, and then when you take into account that probably 685,000 of that 700k probably would never click on a DCist link (or even know what it is), you start to see how impossible it becomes.

Such a transplant perspective. There are 6 million people in the DC area. Thinking it is only the 700K in the borders that makes DC, DC is just navel gazing.

Totally agree. Major transplant energy.

The entire area used to follow DC politics when we had quality reporting and the reporting made the stories interesting with good interviews, follow ups, and actual journalism. Even as recently as Michelle Rhee, Fairfax county residents did care what was going on in dc public schools! And local news used to have the stringers to cover Fairfax courthouse and Montgomery at the same time. The last time any local news was at Fairfax courthouse was for the Johnny Depp fiasco.

As someone who has lived in DC proper (not in whatever cul-de-sac nightmare you clearly live in) for more than 30 years, I can tell you that this is an incredibly rose-colored retelling of local journalism. DC residents don't care about what happens in Fairfax and Montgomery counties because it does not affect their lives one bit, and vice versa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCist had a sizable core audience that would gather in the comments, but then they eliminated comments and I'm going to guess those readers had zero reason to click on DCist anymore. It certainly wasn't for the journalism, which -- for all the hosannas it's getting from the terminally online right now -- was pretty amateurish.

I will say that local news is extremely important, but also that it's an extremely tough sell because its audience is capped by geography. And even in DC, which on its face should be a prime audience for local news, we have an *extremely* apathetic population when it comes to local matters, which is why we get the same mediocre politicians elected over and over again. Just look at voter turnout, which is laughably bad here.

The problem with DC local news is that DC only has 700k residents. That isn't enough to support local news. MD and VA suburbs have far more, but they are lucky to get a fraction of the stories that DC proper does from most outlets

Yes, exactly. It's a comparatively small population, and then when you take into account that probably 685,000 of that 700k probably would never click on a DCist link (or even know what it is), you start to see how impossible it becomes.

Such a transplant perspective. There are 6 million people in the DC area. Thinking it is only the 700K in the borders that makes DC, DC is just navel gazing.

Totally agree. Major transplant energy.

The entire area used to follow DC politics when we had quality reporting and the reporting made the stories interesting with good interviews, follow ups, and actual journalism. Even as recently as Michelle Rhee, Fairfax county residents did care what was going on in dc public schools! And local news used to have the stringers to cover Fairfax courthouse and Montgomery at the same time. The last time any local news was at Fairfax courthouse was for the Johnny Depp fiasco.

If that is the new slur, it certainly applies to Nadeau and Allen.

The zeal to promote an ideology on WAMU, even when it was not popular and did not have a broad base of support, was greater than continuing. Bizarre. And similar to DC officials. How does financial reality not enter the equation? Re: the city, the CRE implosion is here, businesses are leaving, crime is at a 26 year high, property values are declining, schools are facing crippling cuts and the answer is "more of the same and we'll take your gas stove too!?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCist had a sizable core audience that would gather in the comments, but then they eliminated comments and I'm going to guess those readers had zero reason to click on DCist anymore. It certainly wasn't for the journalism, which -- for all the hosannas it's getting from the terminally online right now -- was pretty amateurish.

I will say that local news is extremely important, but also that it's an extremely tough sell because its audience is capped by geography. And even in DC, which on its face should be a prime audience for local news, we have an *extremely* apathetic population when it comes to local matters, which is why we get the same mediocre politicians elected over and over again. Just look at voter turnout, which is laughably bad here.

The problem with DC local news is that DC only has 700k residents. That isn't enough to support local news. MD and VA suburbs have far more, but they are lucky to get a fraction of the stories that DC proper does from most outlets

Yes, exactly. It's a comparatively small population, and then when you take into account that probably 685,000 of that 700k probably would never click on a DCist link (or even know what it is), you start to see how impossible it becomes.

Such a transplant perspective. There are 6 million people in the DC area. Thinking it is only the 700K in the borders that makes DC, DC is just navel gazing.

Totally agree. Major transplant energy.

The entire area used to follow DC politics when we had quality reporting and the reporting made the stories interesting with good interviews, follow ups, and actual journalism. Even as recently as Michelle Rhee, Fairfax county residents did care what was going on in dc public schools! And local news used to have the stringers to cover Fairfax courthouse and Montgomery at the same time. The last time any local news was at Fairfax courthouse was for the Johnny Depp fiasco.

As someone who has lived in DC proper (not in whatever cul-de-sac nightmare you clearly live in) for more than 30 years, I can tell you that this is an incredibly rose-colored retelling of local journalism. DC residents don't care about what happens in Fairfax and Montgomery counties because it does not affect their lives one bit, and vice versa.

Ok champ, whatever you say. You’ve been here more than 30 years so you must know everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCist had a sizable core audience that would gather in the comments, but then they eliminated comments and I'm going to guess those readers had zero reason to click on DCist anymore. It certainly wasn't for the journalism, which -- for all the hosannas it's getting from the terminally online right now -- was pretty amateurish.

I will say that local news is extremely important, but also that it's an extremely tough sell because its audience is capped by geography. And even in DC, which on its face should be a prime audience for local news, we have an *extremely* apathetic population when it comes to local matters, which is why we get the same mediocre politicians elected over and over again. Just look at voter turnout, which is laughably bad here.

The problem with DC local news is that DC only has 700k residents. That isn't enough to support local news. MD and VA suburbs have far more, but they are lucky to get a fraction of the stories that DC proper does from most outlets

Yes, exactly. It's a comparatively small population, and then when you take into account that probably 685,000 of that 700k probably would never click on a DCist link (or even know what it is), you start to see how impossible it becomes.

Such a transplant perspective. There are 6 million people in the DC area. Thinking it is only the 700K in the borders that makes DC, DC is just navel gazing.

Totally agree. Major transplant energy.

The entire area used to follow DC politics when we had quality reporting and the reporting made the stories interesting with good interviews, follow ups, and actual journalism. Even as recently as Michelle Rhee, Fairfax county residents did care what was going on in dc public schools! And local news used to have the stringers to cover Fairfax courthouse and Montgomery at the same time. The last time any local news was at Fairfax courthouse was for the Johnny Depp fiasco.

Born at Sibley and attended MCPS. Moved to Arlington after college, settled in Fairfax. I canceled my wapo subscription when the cut back the metro section and I couldn't care less about DC city politics. Most people in the region neither live nor work in DC proper

[Anonymous]

Does WAMU ever conduct listener feedback efforts so that people can offer insight about what is turning them off, resulting in no donations and turning of the radio dial? Do they just count on squeaky wheel letters from people who are motivated enough to take the time to speak up?

[Anonymous]

Does this affect Matt the cheerful weatherman?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCist had a sizable core audience that would gather in the comments, but then they eliminated comments and I'm going to guess those readers had zero reason to click on DCist anymore. It certainly wasn't for the journalism, which -- for all the hosannas it's getting from the terminally online right now -- was pretty amateurish.

I will say that local news is extremely important, but also that it's an extremely tough sell because its audience is capped by geography. And even in DC, which on its face should be a prime audience for local news, we have an *extremely* apathetic population when it comes to local matters, which is why we get the same mediocre politicians elected over and over again. Just look at voter turnout, which is laughably bad here.

The problem with DC local news is that DC only has 700k residents. That isn't enough to support local news. MD and VA suburbs have far more, but they are lucky to get a fraction of the stories that DC proper does from most outlets

Yes, exactly. It's a comparatively small population, and then when you take into account that probably 685,000 of that 700k probably would never click on a DCist link (or even know what it is), you start to see how impossible it becomes.

Such a transplant perspective. There are 6 million people in the DC area. Thinking it is only the 700K in the borders that makes DC, DC is just navel gazing.

Totally agree. Major transplant energy.

The entire area used to follow DC politics when we had quality reporting and the reporting made the stories interesting with good interviews, follow ups, and actual journalism. Even as recently as Michelle Rhee, Fairfax county residents did care what was going on in dc public schools! And local news used to have the stringers to cover Fairfax courthouse and Montgomery at the same time. The last time any local news was at Fairfax courthouse was for the Johnny Depp fiasco.

Born at Sibley and attended MCPS. Moved to Arlington after college, settled in Fairfax. I canceled my wapo subscription when the cut back the metro section and I couldn't care less about DC city politics. Most people in the region neither live nor work in DC proper

Really? Then why do we hear you complain so much about the crime infested streets of DC?

[Anonymous]

The market is still undefeated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which public radio station across the country would you listen to from your desktop at work? I am sick of the in your face agenda of WAMU and would like to listen to NPR programming on another more balanced station, and since everything is accessible through streaming there's no need to waste my time getting aggravated With WAMU.

Just get the NPR app or specific NPR podcasts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCist had a sizable core audience that would gather in the comments, but then they eliminated comments and I'm going to guess those readers had zero reason to click on DCist anymore. It certainly wasn't for the journalism, which -- for all the hosannas it's getting from the terminally online right now -- was pretty amateurish.

I will say that local news is extremely important, but also that it's an extremely tough sell because its audience is capped by geography. And even in DC, which on its face should be a prime audience for local news, we have an *extremely* apathetic population when it comes to local matters, which is why we get the same mediocre politicians elected over and over again. Just look at voter turnout, which is laughably bad here.

The problem with DC local news is that DC only has 700k residents. That isn't enough to support local news. MD and VA suburbs have far more, but they are lucky to get a fraction of the stories that DC proper does from most outlets

Yes, exactly. It's a comparatively small population, and then when you take into account that probably 685,000 of that 700k probably would never click on a DCist link (or even know what it is), you start to see how impossible it becomes.

Such a transplant perspective. There are 6 million people in the DC area. Thinking it is only the 700K in the borders that makes DC, DC is just navel gazing.

Totally agree. Major transplant energy.

The entire area used to follow DC politics when we had quality reporting and the reporting made the stories interesting with good interviews, follow ups, and actual journalism. Even as recently as Michelle Rhee, Fairfax county residents did care what was going on in dc public schools! And local news used to have the stringers to cover Fairfax courthouse and Montgomery at the same time. The last time any local news was at Fairfax courthouse was for the Johnny Depp fiasco.

As someone who has lived in DC proper (not in whatever cul-de-sac nightmare you clearly live in) for more than 30 years, I can tell you that this is an incredibly rose-colored retelling of local journalism. DC residents don't care about what happens in Fairfax and Montgomery counties because it does not affect their lives one bit, and vice versa.

Your perspective is clueless, newcomer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I miss stained glass bluegrass

I remember that when the second half of the day was bluegrass music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which public radio station across the country would you listen to from your desktop at work? I am sick of the in your face agenda of WAMU and would like to listen to NPR programming on another more balanced station, and since everything is accessible through streaming there's no need to waste my time getting aggravated With WAMU.

I like to stream BBC4.

[Anonymous]

I find the news too depressing. I drive around listening to WETA's classical music offerings.

[Anonymous]

To what degree is this connected to financial difficulties at American University?

I talked to someone today who worked for another NPR affiliate. WAMU is considered the gold standard for affiliates, and the knock-on effect of this is going to be dramatic. It could also affect NPR mothership since NPR gets a fair amount of its revenue from its affiliate stations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCist is axed

Is that a guess or do you have a source?

Go to Dcist.com and see for yourself. It now redirects to WAMU.org.

I agree that to the extent DCist existed because the comment section was a snarkfest, well ... maybe it's not the worst thing to see that deep-sixed.