Sustaining Rural Journalism: Why Preserving Small-Town Newspapers, Radio, and Television Matters in a Rural Economy

Hosted by Wartburg College

The global economy hinges on the health of the local economy. The buying and selling of goods in local markets and shops is foundational to global economic health and viability. Preserving information systems at a hyper-local level preserves, promotes and sustains cultural traditions, participatory democracy, religious identity and a sense of community. While it may seem easy to dismiss the relevance of weekly newspapers, low-power radio stations and public access television programming, these media outlets are vitally important to local audiences.

This workshop will explore rural journalism and its economic viability. Panelists will facilitate a discussion of topics ranging from successful models for sustaining rural media outlets and how they serve hyper-local audiences through to the types of information rural audiences desire and the regulations that impact public access broadcasting. Additionally the panel will explore the challenges of operating rural media organizations. The workshop will focus on a dialogue between the panelists and participants in an effort to explore the issues facing journalists operating in rural areas and the obstacles they face in the current marketplace.

Moderation:

Bockenstedt, Travis
Multimedia Producer in Residence, Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, United States

Panelists:

Krzeminski, Prof. Michael
Director, Institute of Media Analysis and Development, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Bonn, Germany

Pier, Dr. Penni
Chair, Communication Arts Department, Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, United States

Rao, Dr. Nagesh
President and Director, Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, India

Shoukat, Salam
Information Education and Communication Manager, Islamabad, Pakistan

Complete workshop on soundcloud:

WS32 - Sustaining Rural Journalism