Three Things for August 12, 2021
From the Public Impact Group
This week’s Three Things for public media leaders looks at:
What’s Good for Radio is Good for Public Radio
The Currency of the Nonprofit Sector is Trust
To Counter “Truth Decay” - Go Big on News Literacy
THING ONE: Borrell Proclaims Some Digital Mojo for Radio
Fred Jacobs and the Jacobs Media Strategy Blog reminded me earlier this week that February of this year marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that set the stage for the consolidation of radio ownership in America. As Fred notes, the law, along with technology and market forces, brought about a major shift away from local ownership and localism that was the hallmark and the competitive strength of radio.
For public radio, the law probably helped local stations because it opened up the door for opportunities to connect with listeners who had previously been loyal to commercial all-news outlets that lived by the term “full-service news stations.”
But, whether we want it or not, public radio shares the same platform as commercial radio, so our fate is aligned for better or worse. Given that, when the research company Borrell Associates proclaims that Radio Gets Its Digital Mojo, which they did on Monday, public radio should celebrate this news with our commercial brethren.
The chart notes the progress made over the last five years by radio sales reps with ad buyers, who were not particularly impressed with how radio was selling digital in the past. In Borrell's latest survey, radio ranks higher than any other type of media in overall marketing savvy, with 41% of ad buyers saying radio reps possess very strong marketing skills.
Despite a brutal year for ad-supported media, radio’s digital ad revenue topped $1 billion during 2020, marking a second consecutive year of 10-figure digital dollars for the industry. Radio’s digital ad sales rose 11.8% to hit $1.1 billion in 2020, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau. Digital now makes up more than 14% of total radio ad sales.
The figures are based on tracking by Borrell Associates as part of the RAB and Borrell’s ninth annual digital revenue and benchmarking report.
To shift back to our broadcast service, I found this video (below) of interest from Cumulus that showed five business-to-business brand case studies that saw significant results from AM/FM radio advertising. The value proposition may differ by format, but the focus that radio can bring results is a positive for public radio - particularly with B2B marketing efforts where the messaging is usually less focused on pricing and other qualitative language that may create challenges from a copy standpoint when going up against commercial radio.
The blog post that hosted the video offered several charts designed to make a case for radio as a great investment in several business categories. Unfortunately, many of the charts place public radio (NPR) near the bottom regarding reach with decision-makers. Still, the push to “think radio” can help bring more underwriting sponsorship dollars our way as media buyers explore their many options to spend marketing dollars. However, the positive spin for public radio, according to MRI-Simmons research, from an indexing standpoint, NPR listeners are twice as likely as the average American to be in a manager or professional role and 108 times more likely to be involved in one or more business purchases totaling over $1,000.
THING TWO: Public trust is the currency of the nonprofit sector
Last month Independent Sector1 released its second annual survey exploring American’s trust of nonprofit organizations and philanthropic institutions. The results of the report2, Trust in Civil Society, indicate that the trust of nonprofits and philanthropy mirrors many of the divides that exist in America, ranging from politics to geography to income and education.
The key findings from the study found that while a majority of Americans remain confident in the ability of the sector to strengthen American society, trust across all institutions is declining. Looking beneath the topline numbers reveals potential insights about the who, where, and why of people’s trust in the sector. The data also raises the question of whether underlying systemic issues may impact the public’s perception of the nonprofit sector.
For public media, the findings present some engaging touchpoints in our service to audiences and communities. The data reinforces the importance of maintaining our audience's trust in our work, be it journalism, music curation, cultural expression, and education.
Civic action and trust reinforce one another. Sizable majorities say trust is necessary to support nonprofit organizations. Trust is the second-most motivating factor for support, ahead of peer recommendations and direct appeals. However, donors, volunteers, and voters also report higher levels of trust, which hints at a potential two-way relationship between trust and civic action.
Greater engagement breeds trust. While trust in the sector is declining overall, the good news is that those who are familiar with nonprofits and philanthropy are more likely to trust them. Moreover, even among those familiar with nonprofits, data supports the possibility that more frequent and more profound engagement yields even greater trust. For example, those who report regularly receiving services from nonprofits report higher than average trust scores – 42% of receivers say their interactions with the organization generally improved their impression of nonprofits.
These scores are positive as it reflects the beliefs of those who love us already. Those who place high trust in nonprofits are more likely to …
Be a college graduate or have a post-graduate degree
Have higher household incomes
Registered to vote as a Democrat
Live in an urban area
Be older in age
This looks very familiar to the public radio audience.
And those with low trust in nonprofits …
Have a lower formal education level
Have lower household incomes
Registered to vote as a Republican
Live in a rural area
Be younger in age
The report also raises some interesting questions for the nonprofit sector to explore that would also be good discussion points inside public media organizations.
Among those include identifying what innovative tactics can nonprofits deploy to leverage the public’s confidence in the sector as a force for good. For public media journalism organizations, that might begin with embracing the Trusting News Project from the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute and the American Press Institute. I have another idea along these lines that I’ll share in this week’s Thing Three.
Another tactic suggested in the report for the nonprofit sector is to promote frequent public engagement to build trust. I interpret this for public media as activities that seek to cross the many divides separating us. I’ve always felt that StoryCorps was one of those segments that succeeds in this effort. The latest project, One Small Step, is specifically designed to reach people with different political views to record a StoryCorps interview with each other.
David Isay, the founder of StoryCorps, describes it as a way “to remember our shared humanity and to remind us that we have more in common than divides us and that treating those with whom we disagree with decency and respect is essential to a functioning democracy.”
The Trust in Civil Society report notes four dimensions from previous research3 that contribute most to the trust for nonprofits, in order of importance:
Purpose. Does the organization want to do good, is loyal, caring, and non-opportunistic?
Integrity. Does it adhere to a set of principles, transparent and credible?
Ability. Does it have the skills, expertise, competencies, and resources to have influence?
Dependability. Is it consistent and reliable, delivering on the commitments it makes?
In today’s highly polarized environment, understanding and managing trust has never been more important for organizations to own their license to operate, lead, and succeed. Given the outsized importance of trust, it is imperative to assess the status of that trust and how the sector can strengthen our most valuable asset.
THING THREE: Truth Decay - The Line between Fact and Fiction
Lauren Harris writes a weekly newsletter for the Columbia Journalism Review’s Journalism Crisis Project, and she opened this week’s post with the following:
THE INFORMATION ECOSYSTEM is increasingly difficult to navigate. Local news organizations have shrunk or shut down; polarizing national publications and misinformation networks fill the void. Tech platforms dominate the attention economy with algorithms that surreptitiously shape the way users interact with the news. Information is ubiquitous but difficult to parse.
Researchers at the RAND Corporation have used the term “Truth Decay,” defining it as increasing disagreement about objective facts that exists on scale not observed in previous periods. For example, despite having more evidence than ever before about vaccines being safe and effective at preventing disease, vaccine skepticism in the United States is on the rise.
In her column, Harris goes on to write that there is hope for a brighter future, with one aspect being a focus to address the gap that exists around the idea of news literacy. She continues with a summary of the excellent work done by the News Literacy Project, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit.
NLP’s mission is to provide programs and resources for educators and the public to teach, learn and share the abilities needed to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.
They accomplish this in partnership with media organizations and journalists that support NLP’s NewsLit Camps that often pair local educators with reporters in communities providing media literacy training to teachers to take back into their classrooms to work with students. NPR, KPCC, WBEZ, and other public media organizations have worked with the News Literacy Project on these efforts.
I believe that this is a moment for public media should take a leadership role in this engagement effort that is vital to our democracy.
The RAND Corporation’s work in this area is also incredibly valuable with its investment in creating a set of Media Literacy Standards designed to address “Truth Decay.”
A nationwide initiative by public media focusing on children and adults could attract funders and build trust across the dividing lines in our polarized nation. As a guide, Hannah Covington and Suzannah Gonzales4 offered six tips for teaching news literacy in polarizing times earlier this month.
Approach news reports like other texts. News coverage — like poetry, short stories, and other class texts — offers rich opportunities for discussion and analysis.
Focus on journalism standards. Center discussions of news articles on the standards of quality journalism, which can help build common ground. Even those who disagree on controversial issues can agree that credible news coverage should incorporate standards, such as fairness, accuracy, and transparency.
Emphasize specifics. Rather than labeling an entire news report as “biased,” students should concentrate on particulars, such as a specific headline, caption, or word choice. Pose questions like, “Is this specific element of the story fair and accurate?” or, “If you had to write a headline for this story, what would it be?”
Reflect on personal biases. Students benefit from becoming aware of their own biases as news consumers. Personal backgrounds and life experiences — as well as factors like race, ethnicity, and gender — shape how we see the world. Ask students to consider how these biases might affect their perceptions of news reports and opinion pieces.
Consult diverse news sources. Encourage students to explore various points of view by diversifying their media diet and turning to credible news sources that take journalism standards and ethics seriously. It’s easy to fall into partisan news bubbles, especially on social media. Challenge them to seek out multiple sources and perspectives — not just the ones they typically consult and agree with or that confirm their existing views. Being open to opposing viewpoints can help combat polarization.
Remember learning outcomes. News literacy can give students practice using critical reading and observation skills. It aims to teach students how to think — not what to think — about news and other information (including sensitive issues).
With our journalism and education legacy, our ties to journalism schools across the country, and the trust of our brands, news literacy aligns perfectly with our public service mission. We should go big on making this a part of work across the country.
I would love to get your thoughts on this idea. Thanks for reading.
Independent Sector is a national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers at nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs working to strengthen civil society and ensure all people in the United States thrive.
Methodology: Edelman Data & Intelligence fielded two 15-minute online surveys among U.S. adults ages 18+. Results were weighted to ensure samples are comparable to the 2020 benchmark study and are nationally representative across race, income, educational attainment, gender, age, region, and urbanicity.
Trust is a dynamic, multi-faceted phenomenon. To capture the complexity in decision-making about factors that impact trust, structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to statistically examine the direct and indirect relationships between drivers of trust, dimensions of trust, and overall trust. The results of this mathematical model allow us more comprehensive insights into what drivers have the greatest total effect on trust in nonprofits.
Hannah Covington is the senior manager of education and content at the News Literacy Project. Suzannah Gonzales is a university adjunct instructor and former director of education and content at the News Literacy Project.