Austin Draws Broadcast Journalists

Dan Rosenheim

Marla Crockett

Fifty broadcast journalists from New Hampshire to California and a dozen Texas markets met in Austin June 5-7 for the first all-electronic workshop on civic journalism. The weekend presentation of the Pew Center and the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation featured news directors and producers showcasing good examples of civic journalism and explaining the techniques used.

For San Francisco’s Dan Rosenheim and Craig Franklin, running KRON-TV’s “About Race” project on the 6 p.m. news during the February rating period represented a gamble worth taking. “It told our viewers we believed the project was really important,” said Rosenheim, news director. The ratings held – and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

Marla Crockett of KERA-FM in Dallas says her talk-show represents civic journalism at its most basic. “Listeners help me get the larger picture,” she said.