Directors Blog

WHY WOUB’s Satellite Distribution Moved To Columbus

Kelly_Martin — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 22:46:34 +0000

Tom Hodson

WOUB TV will soon be distributed by satellite in the Columbus DMA (designated market area) instead of the Huntington-Charleston DMA. On January 1, WOUB was terminated by Dish and DirectTV from their Huntington-Charleston area which currently includes Athens Co. and neighboring rural counties.

Instead, the station will soon be available to satellite subscribers in the 21 counties making up the Columbus DMA and in Metro Columbus.

Many of you are asking WHY. Let me try to explain.

Annually, Nielsen Media Research evaluates media market areas and puts counties and metro areas within certain markets called DMA’s. According to federal laws and regulations (47 U.S.C. Sec. 338 and 47 C.F.R. Sec. 76.66) new contracts with satellite distributors must reflect those appropriate DMA’s. If stations are made available as a part of a satellite company’s local-to-local service, stations must be distributed by satellite within those DMAs.

WOUB’s existing agreements with our satellite providers expired December 21, 2014 and the new contracts started on January 1, 2015. The new contracts were required to reflect the appropriate DMA based on 2012-13 Nielsen figures. That DMA is Columbus and its surrounding counties.

According to Nielsen, Athens County is in the Columbus DMA. This was confirmed by our legal counsel in Washington, D.C. and by DISH Network officials, themselves. It is also confirmed by other sources and stations within the Columbus DMA such as WBNS10TV.

In fact, the DMA for Athens Co. shifted to Columbus sometime within the 2011-2014, three year contract period with the satellite carriers. However, a station must stay in the DMA in which it starts a contract period. In short, now WOUB will be in the Columbus DMA until at least December 2017 – no matter if Athens County’s DMA shifts over those three years.

In truth, WOUB wishes it could be on every satellite system in every area that we cover and we find it unfortunate that we aren't. But, our hands are tied because of federal laws and regulations.

That is why our shift to the Columbus DMA occurred.

We want to remind satellite viewers in Athens and neighboring counties that it is still possible to pick up WOUB's signal up “over the air.” If you are having issues doing so, please feel free to contact us at woub@woub.org or 740-593-1771 and our engineering staff will be happy to talk with you.

WOUB satellite

America's Drug Epidemic – No Clear Answer

tmyers — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:25:22 +0000

Tim Sharp

Photo Credit:

Soozan Palsa

WOUB News Director Tim Sharp.

Normally this spot is reserved for the Director’s Blog. However, if key staff members of WOUB Public Media have opinions that are germane to public issues, we will begin to run their thoughts in this spot until we have created a new place for their views. Today, News Director Tim Sharp shares his views of the drug epidemic we are facing as a nation and in our region.

Very few careers are given as gifts. Becoming a teacher, an elected official, a successful athlete all require substantial commitment and preparation so it is sad and often surprising when mistakes - deliberate mistakes - flush those careers down the toilet.

Last month we reported about people in each of these careers lured away by drugs. Among those were a former teacher, 28-year-old Alexandra Lemley, so totally ensnared by the disease of drugs that she admitted that even as she was being processed into the Washington County Jail she was hiding heroin in a body cavity.

The story of a teacher falling to drugs still shocks us but more shocking was the news that Florida Representative Trey Radel had been arrested in cocaine sting. He still has his job but there's little doubt his career is swirling down. And Alex Rodriguez, though still playing in advance of a 211-game suspension will suffer a life-long stain on an otherwise stellar career.

Hard workers all. Each committed – each prepared – each gainfully engaged in careers they probably at least enjoyed and likely relished yet each fell to those damn drugs.

So, drugs kill careers and ruin lives. They kill people through overdoses and murders committed by those slobbering for money to support their nefarious habits.
Parents kill their children in meth lab fires and in drug induced psychoses.
Conclusion: For those with the habit nothing is more powerful than drugs.

Not money, not love.

Nothing.

It would be satisfying to offer an answer to the problem but as they say "I got nothin."
Drug interdiction efforts continue. Drug arrests are made every day in our region. Anti-drug advertising continues. Drug treatment continues. I suppose we could do more but from where I'm sitting as a journalist and educator, it appears drug suppliers and users will always stay ahead of any countering efforts.

It might be tempting at this point to just let the drugs win. Legalize them, all of them. That would relieve the burden on our judicial system, it might even create additional revenue streams for government.

The problem is the effects of even legal drug use isn't confined to the user. Their addictions and their deaths pain family and friends. Drug stupors still kill others and a societies die bit by bit as each drug works its way into the minds of its otherwise brilliant and productive members.

Maybe we should back up just one step and see if there is something better than drugs. Perhaps we could broadly ask why. Why are drug users heading down that path?

Oh – those questions are already being asked?

Maybe this then – let's guilt-trip drug users?

Pay drug users not to use?

What?

As I said, I got nothin.'

The Only Thing Certain Is Change

brewer — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 00:40:59 +0000

Sun, Jun 30, 2013 8:34 pm

The Only Thing Certain is Change

In the media business, we can always count on one thing- CHANGE.

It seems that every day we are bombarded with some new form of communication or some new device to make communication easier, faster, or more mobile.

But, change is not always relegated to hardware or new social media portals. Sometimes, change involves programming. That’s the change we now face.

Let me explain.

At the end of March, National Public Radio (NPR) notified its member-stations that as of July 1, one of our afternoon anchor shows, Talk of the Nation would no longer exist. NPR pulled the plug on this show after 21 years and Neal Conan is leaving NPR after 30 years of service.

As a replacement for Talk of the Nation, NPR entered into a partnership with WBUR in Boston to expand Here & Now, a show that we, at WOUB, ran for one hour from noon until 1 p.m. Here & Now has been extended to two hours and will be co-hosted by broadcast veteran and award winning journalist Robin Young along with veteran producer Jeremy Hobson, most recently from Marketplace. Beginning July 1, it will air from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday followed by NPR’s star, All Things Considered from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

On Fridays, however, and by popular demand, we will continue to air Ira Flatow’s Science Friday from 2 to 4 p.m.

Fresh Air with Terry Gross will continue to air from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Moving that show would be just too much change for us and our audience.

All of these changes gave us the opportunity to introduce a new program from noon to 1 p.m. We surveyed multiple options and believe that The Takeaway with John Hockenberry is our best choice. It is a unique show distributed by Public Radio International which features breaking news along with interviews from diverse perspectives.

It is a show without a political agenda. It looks in-depth at the news and newsmakers in a timely fashion. It relies on top-ranking editorial collaborators and incorporates content from the BBC World Service and the New York Times. Furthermore, it’s a show that “welcomes” editorial collaboration with local stations.

In short, we have the opportunity to partner now with The Takeaway to promote greater coverage (on a national level) of our Appalachian region and the stories that are important to this part of the country.

We know that change is always disruptive and it requires adjustment. We hope, however, that you stay with us during this transition. Please be patient as our new line-up grows on you. We think it will!

Also, let us know what you think of the expanded Here & Now and The Takeaway. We always value your opinions and comments which we will pass along to NPR, PRI and the shows’ producers. My email address is hodson@ohio.edu.

As always, we thank you for being our valued listeners.

Don't Forget About AM Radio - Give It A Chance

tmyers — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:46:58 +0000

Tom Hodson

If you are looking for some variety in radio programming, don't forget about 1340 WOUB-AM. We launched a new schedule in January 2013. It is now about three months old and if you haven't found it, we want to give you a gentle reminder.

Every weekday morning from 6-9 a.m. you can start your day with Public Radio Re-mix. It is a series of short stories delivered in a fast-paced format. Some are done by professionals and some are done by just ordinary people with extraordinary audio stories to tell.

We also added the TED Radio Hour. It is a co-production of TED and NPR that presents an array of the world's most creative and provocative thinkers in short 18 minute presentations about a topic for the day. It airs on Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. and Mondays at noon.

On Tuesdays at noon, we present on WOUB-AM, Ask Me Another. It is a fast-paced hour of puzzles, word games and trivia played in front of a live audience. It is a cross between NPR's comedy hit Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and the Puzzle Segment of Weekend Edition with Will Shortz. The rest of the week at noon, you can listen to special shows from PRX: Backstory with the History Guys on Wednesday, Filmspotting on Thursdays and A Way with Words on Friday.

If you miss these shows live, you can listen to archived shows at woub.org. Here are the links for Filmspotting, A Way With Words and Backstory.

If you miss, Here and Now on WOUB-FM at noon, you can hear a replay on WOUB-AM at 1 p.m. each weekday.

Saturday evenings are for music on WOUB-AM. At 6 p.m. Stuck in the Psychedelic Era provides music from the late 1960's with some expansion into an eclectic blend of music not often heard on radio.

At 9 p.m. is a one-hour Latin Alternative exploring Latin rock, funk, and hip-hop.

And we round out Saturday evening with two hours of nowlikephotographs from Minneapolis, Minn. It is described as "the best epic instrumental post-rock, ambient, bedroom electronica, and neoclassical music."

Sunday evening we lead off at 6 p.m. with Global Village. It is described as "… a fresh, inventive musical mix, and welcoming presentation. Global Village is like nothing else on radio, offering a special kind of "go-to" program that speaks to the joys of musical discovery…" It features music from all over the world.

Then from 8 p.m. to midnight on Sundays we focus on jazz with 12th Street Jump from Kansas City from 8 to 9 p.m., Jazz Odyssey with modern jazz from 9 to 11 p.m. hosted by Ohio University alumnus Chris Kuborn and The New Jazz Archive from 11 p.m. to midnight. It is a collection of stories, interviews and music featuring the history of American jazz.

By listening to 1340 WOUB-AM you can add these new shows to your old favorites: Conversations from Studio B, Radio Free Athens, The Nightshift, BBC World Service, The Tavis Smiley Show, This American Life and others.

We provide alternative programming. You have choices to make in your radio listening patterns. Give our AM line-up a chance. We think you'll like it.

Tom Hodson is director and general manager of WOUB Public Media. Follow him on Twitter @thodson.

Hodson

radio

WOUB-AM

Fred Kight Retires After Three Decades At WOUB

tmyers — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 23:30:15 +0000

Tom Hodson

Photo Credit:

WOUB: Soozan Palsa

Longtime WOUB Newsman Fred Kight, who retired at the end of 2012.

As faithful listeners to WOUB radio over the years, you have become used to hearing a calm and deliberate voice saying: "This is Fred Kight, WOUB News."

When you heard that voice, you were reassured that you were getting accurate and dependable information from a professional newsman who understood your situation, your issues, and this region.

For almost 32 years, Fred's voice boomed out over our listening area of 55 counties and three states bringing you complete and detailed information about what was happening in our area that would affect your life.

As of December 31, Fred has officially retired. He and his talents will be missed by all of us. Not only did Fred report and deliver the news but he was an integral part of training generations of students at Ohio University and literally thousands of fledgling young reporters.

Many of our alumni have already sent us messages saying that the WOUB newsroom will not be the same without Fred's presence, vigilance and steady hand. We agree. He guided them, gave them constructive criticism, made sure they pronounced words and names properly, and made certain that their stories were accurate and thorough. He spent countless hours as their on-the-job teacher, editor and mentor.

Fred was never officially part of the faculty at Ohio University but I guarantee you that many of our alumni would say that they learned more from Fred than they did in many of their classes. He was tough and demanding but at the same time, patient and fair.

As a native of Parkersburg, WV, Fred knew the region and the problems faced by local governments, businesses and residents. He could identify easily with our listeners and the issues confronting them on a daily basis. That was projected in his broadcasts.

Not only did he excel at daily regional news, Fred's long-form feature stories added much needed texture and nuance to our broadcasts and brought attention and focus to the people and projects important to our region.

However, it would be wrong to say that Fred was parochial in his coverage because he also could identify stories that were interesting to a national audience. Often over the years, you could hear Fred's voice and stories on NPR's Morning Edition or All Things Considered. Through his keen news-eye and his own reporting prowess, Fred was an ambassador for our Appalachian region on a national stage. Simply put, he told our stories to the world.

Besides his reporting for WOUB and NPR, Fred was a contributor to The Environment Report, a service of Michigan Radio affiliated with the University of Michigan. There his focus was on major environmental issues important to all of us.

Fred's persona and talent will be missed by his colleagues, by his news sources, and by his listeners. We all, however, wish him well in his retirement. He has certainly earned it.

We hope that Fred will not be absent entirely from our airwaves. Soon, we will hear his voice again doing special projects for WOUB about the region he loves and the people who love him.

fred kight

Join Us in Covering Tuesday's Election

Kelly_Martin — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:21:56 +0000

Tom Hodson

Covering major news events such as big storms or elections used to be one-sided. News organizations such as WOUB gathered the news, packaged it, and then delivered it to you by television or radio only.

But, times have changed. News is no longer a monologue. It is no longer one dimensional.

It is now a dialogue between the media and the news consumer. It is a conversation involving traditional television and radio and also online sources and multiple forms of social media. It also is mobile -- news where you want it and how you want it.

Covering major news events is now the result of collaborations between our audience and our reporters, writers, and editors.

With that said, we have a major news event heading our way on Tuesday, November 6. It is Election Day and not only will we be electing the president of the United States, but dozens of state, regional and local candidates will be selected and local and statewide issues will be decided.

To give you the best Election Night coverage possible, we will need your help. We want you to be part of our news conversation.

We want to hear from you about your experiences in voting; your feelings about the process and the outcomes; and your on-the-scene observations. We want you to help us report and to send us pictures or videos to share with our wider audience.

WOUB touches 55 different counties in three states: Ohio, West Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky and we want everyone represented in the conversation. That is where you can help us and your fellow news consumers. Give us your reports from your area. You can do it by email or Twitter.

Please send your emails, videos or pictures to me and I will get them to our newsroom to be posted on our elections website.

You can email them to hodson@ohio.edu or you can tweet them to me at my Twitter account @thodson.

Let’s join together to give our region the best ever election coverage

Election 2012

woub

Election Day

WOUB Mourns The Death of Connie Stevens

Kelly_Martin — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 19:19:05 +0000

Tom Hodson

Occasionally in life, you cross paths with someone who serendipitously makes a mark on your life, leaves a lasting impression and actually alters your future. Such was the case with me and Connie Stevens – a long time WOUB employee.

Connie spent more than 20 years at WOUB from November 1979 through June 2001 and most of that time as WOUB AM Program Coordinator. I am sure most of you remember her voice and her easy-going “on-air” style as she greeted you every weekday morning for a number of years.

Yesterday, we received word from her daughter that Connie died last Thursday at her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she had resided since 2002. According to her daughter, Connie passed away surrounded by her daughter Katherine, her cat Bojangles, and her dog Dillon.

The news has profoundly saddened me. The WOUB family has lost a great colleague and I have lost a longtime friend and a radio mentor.

I remember first meeting Connie when she was a waitress at the old Oak Room in Athens. I was a young attorney and she was a working mom. I next encountered her when she worked at WATH radio and was an on-air personality. Her dulcet tones were always calming and she always seemed to have something interesting to say.

Then in 1979 she started working at WOUB – the same year I got elected Athens County Municipal Court judge. We both had new jobs but our paths crossed again. After I complained to her that public radio had information about politics, health, gardening and but no tips or information about courts or the law, she asked me to talk with her.

When I arrived, her office was filled with plants since Connie also was an avid gardener. She invited me to create a series of one minute audio explanations of law and the legal process. “Legal Reminders” was born. We did almost 500 different scripts and it aired for about three-years.

Simultaneously, Connie started a community-based program called “In Conversation.” It was the precursor to our current “Conversations from Studio B.” She invited me to do a talk-show about the law featuring attorneys and others involved with the legal systems in our region.

Not only did we have substantial audiences for both programs but the radio exposure got me noticed on a national level – thanks to Connie. Soon I was invited to speak across the country and internationally to judges about media. I taught media relations to judges and court administrators for more than three decades.

My media relations teaching also enabled me to win a Judicial Fellowship at the Supreme Court of the United States where I worked in the administrative office of the Chief Justice and with the national news media covering the Supreme Court.

Connie gave me my first chance at radio and followed-up with constant encouragement. She inspired me to continue and to grow professionally.

She always was a true friend. Every Christmas and sometimes at random times during the year, I would receive a hand-written card from her with one of her beautiful watercolors. She always had words of praise and true caring.

When I became Director and General Manager here at WOUB, Connie sent one of the first notes of congratulations and a vote of confidence.

I will miss her talent, her warmth, and her true caring. She loved WOUB and we loved her. Her death leaves us with a hole that, right now, seems impossible to fill.

A memorial service for Connie will be held at the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, November 3. In addition to the ceremony, Connie’s watercolors will be on display. More details will follow.

Slideshow: Connie stevens

Next Prev

WOUB Becomes More Mobile To Meet Needs

tmyers — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 20:12:24 +0000

Tom Hodson

Change is a cornerstone of any media enterprise today and WOUB Public Media is no exception.

Sometimes, it's difficult for any of us to change routines or ways to which we are accustomed. However, over the past year, we have embraced change at WOUB and made it our friend.

But it hasn’t been just change for change’s sake. Instead, we have attempted to bring changes to WOUB that benefit our audiences and our members -- changes that you have wanted. We started last year with a brand new website. You have embraced that change and our visitors and page views have tripled during the past 12 months.

We also know that our audience is getting younger and far more mobile than in the past.

Over the past year, we have become a dynamic, digital source of news, music and arts information and sports at woub.org. But, you want our information when you want it, how you want it, and where you want it.

In short, you want to take us with you through your mobile devices so we can constantly keep you up-to-date.

Therefore, we have now made it easier for you to use our website on your smartphone. You can now get news and sports information, watch videos, and listen to our live streams through your phone.

With our partners at Eden Marketing, we have launched a "responsive design" which takes our normal website at woub.org and collapses it down to fit the face of your smartphone. It is easy to read and easy to use.

No longer do you need to expand or contract the image on the screen – it is done automatically for you. You can glance at the top headlines or drill down into our content with clarity and ease.

This is just the first of a series of changes we will be announcing over the next few months to provide you with top quality content, timely information, and interesting features.

We take our role seriously in keeping you informed whether you are sitting at your desk-top, listening to your radio, watching your television or whether you are "on the go."

We want to be your primary source for local and regional news, music, arts, and sports and we are changing to meet your needs.

Change is a good thing -- stay with us as we un-roll more improvements over the next few months.

woub

mobile

responsive design

Ohio-Miami Rivalry Video

Tom_Hodson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:37:54 +0000

Tom Hodson

Original Air Date:

Thu, Jan 26, 2012

Athens, Ohio

Rivalries and competition are part of our daily existence and they certainly are part of university life. For the most part – rivalries are good things and are between entities of comparable abilities and mutual respect.

There are special rivalries in life and especially in sports. Some are new-found and some go back hundreds of years. Some are limited to a particular sport like the Ohio State-Michigan football rivalry and some university rivalries are more all-encompassing including every sport, campus culture and even academics.

Such is the case between Ohio University and Miami University – two schools who are similar in so many ways and distinctly different in others. Quoting the video opening to last week’s Ohio-Miami basketball game: “Two schools separated by 182 miles – 187 games – 200 years of history –200 years of emotion, passion, battles, hatred, respect, countless moments, memories, character…There is nothing better than playing your arch rival – arch rival -- …”

We cannot speak for Miami alumni, students, and supporters but we know at the Ohio end of this rivalry, passions run deep and memories are long. I can remember hotly contested Miami games from when I attended school here decades ago. Ohio students of today have their own memories of buzzer beaters and the thrill of victories and the agonies of defeat. It is part of our culture. It is part of our overall university experience.

In expressing our collective emotions about this rivalry, both sides are inclined sometimes to over-generalize, to demonize the other side, to speak in hyperbole and to use descriptive words that are used to perturb your rival – even if they are overblown. It’s not actual hatred or truly demeaning. The words are challenging and more often invective used to pump up supporters more than to defile the opposition.

Such is the case with a video WOUB featured as part of Bobcat Sports Showcase highlighting various athletes and members of our community speaking about how they viewed the rivalry with Miami. It was intended to be light-hearted, fast-paced, and descriptive only of the importance of this rivalry to some members of this university community.

It was not intended to be mean-spirited, hateful, or truly insulting.

There is a huge difference between the good-natured teasing featured in our video and true hatred which was recently reported between some Ohio State University fans and a high school football recruit who decided to go to Michigan instead of OSU. It is reported that the young man received actual death threats from some misguided Ohio State fans.

The Miami Student, the student newspaper at Miami recognized the difference between rather benign verbal sparring and rhetoric truly intended to harm or threaten. On Tuesday, the Student ran an opinion piece about our video written by Editor-In-Chief Sam Kay.

He interviewed Lou Horvath (one of our interviewees) and as a result, the newspaper’s editor understood the nature of our video. He even said: “Much to my chagrin, he (Horvath) turned out to be a nice, likable guy.”

“It does seem a little sad (for them) how much the Bobcats care about their rivalry with us, but perhaps we should put a little more effort into the relationship. My conversation with Horvath convinced me that the Bobcats are "frenemies" worth having,” Kay added.

The Miami Student also got in a late jab of its own by saying: “We can also beat OU off the athletic field. While I have to respect their outstanding journalism school, we all know Miami is the best place to come for an undergraduate education. Besides, we might rescue a few future students from Athens. That is, if they can get into Miami.”

The Miami Student also did a poll to the question: “What is your reaction to Ohio University’s rivalry video.” The largest percentage – 29 percent – said “it’s a classic sports rivalry. Bring it on.” Other students opted for more disparaging (in jest) comments about Ohio University and its students. Some 24 percent said “OU Who?” and 21 percent said “Glad to see they finally figured out that newfangled YouTube machine.”

The Miami Student’s punches landed but no offense is taken. It is just part of the ongoing give-and-take sparring between elements of the two schools. Such banter has existed for generations. It is just part of a long and strong rivalry.

The rhetoric may be flamboyant at times and the characterizations on both sides, I’m sure, miss their true marks but the jabs and counter-jabs are part of an ongoing legacy of competition. Please, think about it for a moment. True rivalry exists only between foes that have mutual respect for one another.

Such is the case with Ohio University and Miami University.

blog

Bobcat Sports Showcase

Ohio Bobcats

Miami Redhawks

Battle of the Bricks

9/11 Changed the Way We Communicate

Tom_Hodson — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:10:30 +0000

As we entered a new century, 2001 was a year of upheaval. It was the events of September 11 that launched this country and the media on paths of change.

It was a line of demarcation in many people’s lives and in the collective life of our country. The pulse of the nation has never been the same and neither would be our PASSION for instant communication.

As a result of the terror, we became more insular as a country but simultaneously, more communicative. As we were struck by the terror on that day and drew close to our families and friends, we saw our communication devices grind to a halt.

Cellphones were in their infancy and Smartphones did not exist. Their meager networks were jammed by people trying to use them all at once. Regular telephone lines were destroyed and as a nation we went back to the familiarity of television to paint the horrible picture of what was unfolding. Television was like an old friend. It had nurtured many of us through a Presidential assassination and other national tragedies and it was our primary source of news on 9/11.

But,on that day,television wasn’t mobile. Millions of Americans huddled around screens at home, in the work place and in commercial establishments to get a glimpse of what was happening. If we were torn away from the screen, it was as if communication stopped.

Yes, we had radio and newspapers and regular telephones. But, they all seemed inadequate at quenching our thirst for first-hand information, pictures, insight, and the most up-to-date safety and security information.

On 9/11, I was in Florida speaking at a judges’ conference. I had to drive back to Ohio over that crucial 24 hour period after the attack and the only thing I had with me was the rental car radio which by today’s standard seems woefully inadequate. I was concerned about the safety of my family and my safety but I was relegated to national news programs and there was no news or information tailored specifically for my needs.

Texting essentially didn’t exist in 2001. Twitter was nonexistent and Facebook was not invented until some three years later. Social media was something that may have been envisioned but it wasn’t readily available.

Recently, the Poynter Institute reported that Washington Post Publisher Katharine Weymouth stated we were better off without social media during 9/11. I couldn’t disagree more.

She said: “…while we are all incredibly grateful for the ways in which technology has enhanced our lives, I think we are also grateful that we didn’t live through 9/11 with all of that technology.”

“We didn’t have to see live video footage shot from inside the collapsing buildings and uploaded onto YouTube. Cellphones didn’t have cameras back then…Can you imagine how horrifying it would have been if we had tweets from the victims on the planes or in the offices, or if they had posted to their Facebook pages? … Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and all the technologies that have yet to be invented make all these events more real, and more horrific. Television pales in comparison.”

It seems Weymouth, as the head of a prestigious news organization, is arguing for a sanitized version of news. That philosophy is old-school and no longer relevant.

Today we want our news instantly. We want it raw and unedited.

We want to see the airplane that landed in the Hudson River. We want to know about earthquakes and other natural tragedies. It is reported that there were tweets within a minute of the recent earthquake but the television networks took at least 15 minutes to start covering the story.

We want to be able to participate with young people through social media during uprisings in Egypt, Syria and Libya.

No longer is the “mainstream media” the gatekeepers of information and that is a good thing. During times of national tragedy and attack, we want MORE information NOT LESS. And, we want it INSTANTANEOUSLY and not when the networks or newspapers have filtered it and sanitized it for us.

In my view, the lack of rapid and reliable communication sources frustrated us during 9/11 and from that tragedy came our culture’s insatiable desire to obtain information immediately and in its rawest form.

Desire led to innovation and innovations have thrust us into the midst of instantaneous news. That’s a good thing.