Where we go to get informed
7-9-09

It was a Friday night about 8pm when I overheard WPVI Sports Director Gary Papa had succumbed to a 5 year battle with prostate cancer. Just a few short months after Harry Kalas passed another well known and respected Philadelphia broadcaster is lost.

I remember growing up with Kalas, listening to Harry on the radio and occasionally watching Harry call an inning on TV. I seem to always remember Harry by listening to him rather than watching him, his voice so distinctive and unique. Gary Papa was someone I remember watching and delivering my daily dose of sports beginning back in the early 80's and since that time I enjoyed his take on the sports world locally and around the country.

Kalas, Papa two names I remember and two people I came to know who delivered content that meant something to me. Growing up I watched Vince Leonard, Jessica Savitch, Larry Kane and everyone in Philly over 45 has some memories of the late, great John Facenda. That's how it was with my generation and those of us north of 40. News mattered, where it came from and who it came from mattered as much. Part of WPVI's success over the last several decades is their remaining constant with Papa and lead anchors Jim Gardner and Rob Jennings.

Today's young people aren't nearly as loyal to who delivers them news, information or entertainment. The process is much more antiseptic and the provider of information or entertainment is much less important than the content itself. Sadly, according to research most young people don't really care about news content at all. In 20 or 30 years today's generation is likely to not mourn the passing of any news commentator or newscaster because no real allegiance or loyalty was ever developed.

Consider this from the Pew Research Center for The People. "Television is Americans' favorite news source. But the popularity of the nightly network news has plummeted in the past decade. In 1993, 60 percent of Americans reported that they regularly watched the CBS, ABC or NBC evening news -- today it's 28 percent. And only 9 percent of people under 30 tune in to the networks' nightly newscasts. Despite the highly-publicized ratings wars, the three big networks' news broadcasts were almost tied when Americans reported to Pew what they regularly watch: 15 percent watch NBC Nightly News, 14 percent watch ABC World News Tonight, and 13 percent watch the CBS Evening News. Five percent watch The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." More bleak news for the print industry according to Pew," In 1965 71 percent of Americans reported reading a newspaper on an average day. As of 10 years ago, that number had fallen to 50 percent, and today it stands at 40 percent." Pew maintains radio has seen the smallest dip in audience with 49% of us getting news content from radio 10 years ago compared to 40% today. Finally local TV news has been the biggest winner maintaining audience levels over the years and in some cases actually growing slightly.

The biggest change to how we take our content? The internet. What we need, when we need it at our fingertips 24/7. Still, only 4% of us rely completely on the web for our news. Mostly we use the web in combination with other news sources daily. I know myself I can't fully trust news on Yahoo, AOL, Comcast or any of the other hundreds of sites accessible for content. Credibility still matters to me and I have trust issues with a lot of what's out there online.

Call me old school but I still want to get to know the people behind the microphone, camera or printed page. Maybe I should just get with the times and be like so many of us and just 'get over it' and move on to getting news from wherever it's most convenient. Treat the product like a commodity or utility. Take it wherever you can get it.

Where we go to get informed has certainly changed. I'll still do it my way, the old fashioned way. I'll read, watch and listen to those outlets for news and information I've grown to trust. Besides the Gazette I enjoy the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer, Channel 6 news ( when I watch tv ), KYW Newsradio and 1210 AM's Michael Smerconish. Nationally I do enjoy Jim Lehrer and I love CBS Sunday morning followed by Bob Schieffer's Face The Nation. I'll pray for their good health, your good health and ask your prayers for mine.

At the risk of self promoting I hope I am among those few people with whom you enjoy content and commentary from time to time. If so, thanks for supporting my column and this newspaper. Enjoy your summer and as always see 'ya around town.