{"id":10824,"date":"2023-09-21T17:53:20","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T17:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=10824"},"modified":"2023-09-21T18:25:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T18:25:39","slug":"as-local-news-shrinks-government-fills-the-void-with-podcasts-and-some-p-r","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2023\/09\/21\/as-local-news-shrinks-government-fills-the-void-with-podcasts-and-some-p-r\/","title":{"rendered":"As local news shrinks, government fills the void with podcasts \u2013 and some P.R."},"content":{"rendered":"
Local news is dying. But, fear not, Durham Sheriff Clarence Birkhead has a new podcast to tell Bull City about the long history of sheriffs, the highlights of the county jail, and many other programs that make the agency \u201ca noble office.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The first episode of \u201cStar Talk\u201d (presumably named after the traditional star-shaped sheriff\u2019s badge) transports listeners to an era of feudalism. The sheriff originated in ninth century England where it was known as the \u201cshire reeve\u201d (basically, someone who did the king\u2019s bidding), Birkhead explains. In the 1600s, English settlers brought the shire reeve to America to \u201ckeep the peace.\u201d Thus, \u201cshire reeve\u201d became \u201csheriff\u201d and is sometimes referred to as \u201cpeacekeeper.\u201d Now, we can call him \u201cpodcast host.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There have been five episodes so far, produced with the help of North Carolina Central University\u2019s communications department. Birkhead praises a variety of programs managed by the sheriff\u2019s office such as the jail, school resource officers and the animal services division, which handles all things animal-related from attacks to capturing strays.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The sheriff\u2019s office isn\u2019t the only Durham agency that creates its own programming in an age of shrinking news. Other examples include a monthly show called \u201cIn Touch with Durham County” that offers ongoing coverage of the county government\u2019s services, programs, and people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The city government has its own YouTube channel featuring programs with names that sound like they could be local news shows. \u201cBull City Wrap\u201d releases new videos every Monday recapping what\u2019s going on within the city hall; \u201cCity Life\u201d is a monthly talk show that explores city issues; and the daily, minute-long \u201cBull City Today\u201d clips highlight stories ranging from crime statistics to police satisfaction survey results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The nationwide decline of local news has led to less coverage \u2013 and scrutiny \u2013 for the government. Government agencies have stepped into the vacuum to put the word out with their own podcasts and social media content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>Local governments often want to reach their constituents wherever they are\u2026 it stands to reason that government officials will try to use [social media] platforms to get their messages out,\u201d said Danny Hayes, professor of political science at George Washington University and a co-author of the book, \u201cNews Holes: the Demise of Local Journalism and Political Engagement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c97% of residents say they respect Durham police officers, and most trust and have confidence in them,\u201d says a \u201cBull City Today\u201d episode from September 13.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With a robust news media, that kind of boast by the city government might face further scrutiny. But without independent coverage, local officials can craft their own narratives.<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s more likely these days due to the spread of\u00a0 \u201cnews deserts.\u201d <\/span>According to a 2022 report by <\/span>the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University, a fifth of the country\u2019s population lives in an area with no local news organizations, or at best, a singular, endangered local news outlet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>We need a vibrant local news media to make sure that residents know not only what government officials are doing and saying, but also to make it harder for local officials to mislead or hide important information from the public,\u201d said Hayes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t mean government offices shouldn\u2019t tell citizens about their programs, said Pope \u201cMac\u201d McCorkle, a professor of the practice in the Sanford School of Public Policy. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be criticizing efforts like the sheriff\u2019s to get the word out. It just underlines the need to get other voices out there,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cStar Talk\u201d is as much a \u201cHelp Wanted!\u201d poster as it is a podcast. Each episode is punctuated by an ad that says the office is hiring. (Durhamites need only be 21 years old with a high school diploma.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you want an \u201copportunity to improve the quality of lives of our citizens!\u201d while being \u201cin a profession that is noble!\u201d contact the county jail. The podcast indicates they are constantly recruiting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The podcast segment on the jail, officially known as the Durham County Detention Facility, explains its role in the criminal justice system and in Bull City. Chief of Detention Services Johnny Hawkins notes the center\u2019s proximity to \u201ctwo internationally recognized edifices,\u201d the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the Durham Performing Arts Center.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hawkins\u2019s view used to be \u201clarge landscapes and perimeter fencing and patrol vehicles and towers.\u201d Now, \u201cthe detention center sort of rises out between the arts and the sports,\u201d Birkhead says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes, individuals sit in the facility for up to five years awaiting trial. (\u201cAnd keep it in mind, for our listening audience, the sheriff has no bearing\u2026 on how fast a trial can happen,\u201d says Birkhead.) There also is 24-hour medical care. (\u201cBut for the most part, we have a healthy population who are in jail,\u201d says Birkhead.)<\/span><\/p>\n The podcast wraps up with getting \u201cfolks really excited about doing this work.\u201d The next episode can be expected in October. In the meantime, job applications are happily being accepted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Local news is dying. But, fear not, Durham Sheriff Clarence Birkhead has a new podcast to tell Bull City about the long history of sheriffs,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[128],"class_list":["post-10824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-government","tag-durham-sheriffs-office","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n