“Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just.”
― Victor Hugo
 

Our first newsletter of the year explores the nuances of political broadcasting and includes a cornucopia of links in an article about misinformation. Sandwiched in between that is a delightful interview with Mia from KWMR in Nevada City to ground us into the magic of community radio. 
 
From where I sit, given the values of my family growing up, and the parts of my character I have cultivated most carefully, 2020 could feel entirely ominous as our election year storm descends while a wildly changing climate swirls around us. Our mission to serve community seems daunting.
 
I’m choosing to look through another lens… not wholly rose colored but striving for the 2020 vision I crave. As Victor Hugo aptly points out, it’s pretty damn easy to be good. The harder path is being just. Goodness is one direction in ethical navigation but justice is the compass itself. My prediction for community media makers in the coming year is that polarization and rage will function as a battering ram on our doors this year. There are too many indicators to ignore the peril of the times. My fervent hope is that we keep shining a light on the power of creative expression and sound reasoning… hearts and minds. It’s the only true metric in the quest for a just world so that dignity stays rooted in our human experience and compassion can flower on the vine. It may not feel good or easy, but so often in life, the things we end up caring about the most aren’t.
 
Away we go… Happy New Year!

Political broadcasting rules

2020 features the pivotal presidential election, as well as House and Senate seats up for grabs. In this climate, community radio stations will be called, perhaps as never before, to offer coverage and context.
 
Stations typically host a variety of on-air forums, voter registration efforts and other methods for getting out the vote. In a heated race, it is important to know what your station can and cannot do to inform listeners about political issues that could impact your city or town.
 
The rules for political broadcasting are straightforward in some respects. Fairness is a benchmark. Stations are also not permitted to favor particular candidates. FCC policy states, "[N]o licensee shall make any discrimination between candidates in practices, regulations, facilities, or services for or in connection with the service rendered… nor shall any licensee make any contract or other agreement which shall have the effect of permitting any legally qualified candidate for any public office to broadcast to the exclusion of other legally qualified candidates for the same public office." In a similar vein, community radio stations are not obligated to host candidates who request interviews.
 
According to The Atlantic, this year’s voter turnout “could reach the highest levels in decades—if not the highest in the past century.” Such projections are unsurprising. Public interest in the 2018 midterm elections was at an all-time high. How is your community radio station preparing to tap into audience interest in national and local races?

Station managers may run into delicate issues involving volunteers, public office and underwriting, among other subjects. One potentially contentious issue may arise if a community radio station’s volunteer DJ becomes a legally qualified candidate for public office. Can the DJ continue to do a program at the station?
 
How your station handles volunteers as candidates may vary. However, the FCC considers actionable the times candidates appear on a broadcast. Such a “use” of airtime is triggered even if the candidate does not refer to candidacy or political issues. Opponents may lodge complaints to receive equal opportunities for airtime based on the amount of time the volunteer is on the air. Further explanation to these issues is available in NFCB’s Solution Center. In short, though, a station will have to make some broadcast adjustments in the event a volunteer is running for office.
 
Underwriting by political candidates is another complex subject. An individual’s candidacy for public office does not automatically disqualify that person from being acknowledged in an underwriting announcement. According to the Solution Center, there could also be situations in which candidate underwriting, while technically legal, may create the appearance of inappropriate partisanship or conflict of interest.
 
NFCB features several webinars on the ins and outs of political broadcasting and community radio. These are available at NFCB’s website.

Mia Johnson, KWMR

Mia Johnson gained much attention for leading a dynamic session on underwriting at the NFCB 2019 Community Media Conference. As Underwriting & Development Coordinator, Johnson serves northern California community radio station KWMR. In addition, she hosts interviews on station programs Right Now, on unique jobs and holiday themes, and Epicenter, focusing on social services.
 
How did you happen to get into community radio?
My house growing up was full of weird jazz and foreign movies, so I needed to escape! As a kid I listened to Top-40 through a scratchy radio in my room. I got curious about the behind-the-scenes side of radio after listening to the Bay Area AM station KABL. I loved the old-school DJs and Frank Sinatra songs. But most of all, I loved the ads… the cheesy, dramatic ads for diamonds and wound care centers. I was hooked. I started at KWMR as a volunteer after college, and 8+ years later, I’m here full-time. Now I work at a place that… plays weird jazz and discusses foreign movies.
 
What memory exemplifies community radio to you?
My favorite memories are in the station lobby, watching different DJs bump into each other. One of our DJs decorates the station for Halloween every year. Once, another DJ was eating a cinnamon roll, super slowly, and I watched as he mistook a Halloween decoration for a real mummy. He and the decoration had this hypnotic staring contest that I’ll never forget. There are a couple of bizarre moments here every day.
 
Is there anything you have learned about yourself during your time in community radio?
That’s tough… but I can think of something I’ve learned about people in general! That everyone has a passion, and a lot of times they’ve never been asked about it. I love asking people that I meet “what kind of show would you host, if you were on the radio?” Their eyes light up. They usually know quickly what it would be. I like how radio allows people to go deep, into whatever they love, and make it public.

Who and what keeps your motivated when the days get long?
This community. I believe in, and love, this station. I see the joy, connection, meaning, and safety (disaster info) that KWMR brings to listeners and to the people involved. I think we are doing a good thing.
 
Your work is primarily in development, an area many people are uncomfortable with because it deals with money. How would you encourage community radio folks to be more relaxed about this topic?
I would say… don’t feel guilty. People can always say no. You won’t ruin the relationship by asking. Also, specific tip – when I’m emailing someone, I like to ask for the money, cheese, raffle prize etc. first… and then say the nice pleasantry (Happy Holidays, hope you’re well, etc.) I think it’s a more graceful sequence. No surprises. Less sleazy feeling.
 
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Two pretty different things. One, meeting interesting people. Two, honing our pledge donation form to an exact science over the years. That form is my baby.
 
You are also a program host at the station. What tips would you give new hosts and those community radio volunteers thinking about taking the leap behind the microphone?
It sounds corny, but believe in yourself. Before you go into the studio, say – I have prepared as much as I’ve prepared. No more time for that now. From here, it’s all improv. If you believe in yourself as an improvisor, then whatever happens in there, is going to be ok.
 
How would you change community radio, if you could tweak one little thing?
I was going to say more federal funding, but that’s not little, so I’ll say… I wish that the National Weather Service didn’t type their alerts in all caps.

Tackling misinformation

With the elections less than 12 months away, misinformation is gaining attention. From concerns about voter interference to partisan forces seeding news with a spin, there may be good reason to worry. How can community radio stations do their part to combat misinformation and check facts?
 
While we have all heard terms like fake news, what is misinformation, really? Stories that obscure issues, present facts in a manner intended to sway the audience, and deliberately confuse people are among the most common sorts of misinformation. It is important to understand that the specter of misinformation’s impact on past elections may have been overstated. However, the “vast menagerie of misinformation” undermines legitimate sources like radio to inform the public.
 
What are the most common kinds of misinformation? Misinformation takes many forms. Memes and “Photoshopped” images proliferate across many social media networks. Articles and video are also commonly used to spread misinformation. At its most insidious, deepfakes are misinformation that is deliberately created with audio/video tools to show a person saying something s/he never said. The Pentagon is now investing resources into debunking the deepfake phenomenon.

The most problematic kind of misinformation may be when correct information is remembered to validate our own biases. In this sense, researchers noted, the danger of misinformation is not how it alters the public’s knowledge of a subject, but how it affects our democratic norms.

Can your station check facts and address misinformation? Here are just a few case studies, ideas and resources to help you:

• How to Combat Fake News and Disinformation is a primer on the kinds of misinformation that are most commonly spread and a plethora of ways to address it. From government regulation to media efforts to call out disinformation and misleading stories, the movement to challenge fake news is diverse. The primer also frames the obligations of technology companies, educational institutions and other stakeholders. If your station is trying to grasp the issues of misinformation and media, this article is a good place to start.
• Looking for creative ways to fact check with and for your audience? Poynter’s A Guide to Anti-Misinformation Actions Around the World offers scores of ways media makers are tackling falsehoods circulating among the public. Whether it is crowdsourcing fact checks or text messaging replies to questions about stories of the day, media producers are inventive. Borrow from these ideas and make your mark locally.
• Social media is the epicenter of misinformation and a recent study may give you tips for challenging a meme or article’s veracity by getting others to weigh in on its quality. Researchers discovered that politically nonpartisan checks by laypersons were highly regarded by the public and, in some instances, were seen as more trustworthy than established fact checking entities. This was particularly true for those who suspected news outlets brought a bias to their coverage.
• 10 Ways to Combat Misinformation: A Behavioral Insights Approach is a practical guide from a public-relations think tank on how to speak to audiences about misinformation. Correcting information quickly, with details and context; offering visualizations when possible; and affirming the listener’s values are crucial to defeating false stories before they propagate too far. There is even a handy PDF to download and share. 

NFCB has hosted webinars on the subject of effective newsgathering, including a Solutions Journalism Network discussion on deep balance, and how to build a community radio news department.