Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:16
Subject: WAMU going under?
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.
The double homicide in Herndon has also gotten a lot of local news coverage, print and tv.
With the shrinking of the Metro section of the Post, it's all concerning.
For those who are pretending that the tone and focus of WAMU had not changed in recent years, lol.
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:15
Subject: WAMU going under?
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
Rappahannock County has a population of like 7500 people and manages a weekly print edition (supported by subscriber base and ads!) plus an online edition that is updated multiple times per week. In addition, they have a separate publication that does long form local news that is published multiple times per month.
It’s not an ears/eyes problem, it’s a management problem.
Exactly. The focus and tone of WAMU became off putting several years ago. They refused to revert to coverage that had historically had a broader appeal even when failure to do so became a threat to their existence.
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:14
Subject: WAMU going under?
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
Rappahannock County has a population of like 7500 people and manages a weekly print edition (supported by subscriber base and ads!) plus an online edition that is updated multiple times per week. In addition, they have a separate publication that does long form local news that is published multiple times per month.
It’s not an ears/eyes problem, it’s a management problem.
How could DCist management have solved their problems? Please, you're clearly the local-news expert, fill us in.
The fact remains that DCist is no more because it was not attracting enough readers to make it financially viable.
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:12
Subject: WAMU going under?
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.
Anonymous
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:10
Subject: WAMU going under?
Anonymous wrote:DCist is axed
They should learn to code.
After they turned off comments, there was zero use for them. Hope they have a long and unfulfilling unemployment for what they did to DCist by removing comments.
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:08
Subject: WAMU going under?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I miss stained glass bluegrass
Bluegrass Country is (was?) still available on one of their HD stations.
Stained Glass Bluegrass
Sunday 6:00 am – 10:00 am
Wednesday 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
88.5 HD2
https://streamdb3web.securenetsystems.net/v5/WAMU2
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:08
Subject: WAMU going under?
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
Rappahannock County has a population of like 7500 people and manages a weekly print edition (supported by subscriber base and ads!) plus an online edition that is updated multiple times per week. In addition, they have a separate publication that does long form local news that is published multiple times per month.
It’s not an ears/eyes problem, it’s a management problem.
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:07
Subject: WAMU going under?
RIP DCist. It used to be a real gem.
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:06
Subject: WAMU going under?
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.
What on earth are you blathering about? The whole point is that trying to sell news that's pegged to a very narrow audience is financially difficult, if not impossible. DCist was writing news very specifically about DC itself, and getting a financial viable number of people (even DC residents) to care about that is the challenge that did them in.
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:04
Subject: WAMU going under?
It should be a college radio station.
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:03
Subject: WAMU going under?
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.
Something else, like crime stats, I wish we could re-set to 2012ish.
The financial picture has been grim, yet, like the Council they refuse to change course and chose to go off the cliff, why?
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:02
Subject: WAMU going under?
Anonymous wrote:I miss stained glass bluegrass
Bluegrass Country is (was?) still available on one of their HD stations.
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:01
Subject: WAMU going under?
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.
Podcasts from morning edition, A1, market place, and planet money
Anonymous
02/23/2024 10:01
Subject: Re:WAMU going under?