NEW ORLEANS — The unexpected shifting of September’s SPJ Region 8 and 12 Conference was the perfect metaphor for a panel discussion on adapting to change in a quickly evolving media space.
Due to Hurricane Francine’s impact, the event shifted from a university campus to a New Orleans hotel in one day, providing a backdrop for the “Changing the Tune” discussion.
“It’s not just forgetting everything you know about print writing; it’s being able to translate your reporting across these multiple different mediums and understanding what works best for each audience and each platform,” said panelist Kat Stromquist, a senior reporter covering justice, incarceration, and gun violence for the Gulf States Newsroom.
The panel discussed their navigation to print from audio journalism and how they learned to adapt to the ever-changing platforms of media—the changes of new technologies and the complexities of staying in tune with today’s global society.
“It’s been a challenging transition but very rewarding. We love what we do, especially with the team that we have,” said Orlando Flores Jr., a digital editor at the Gulf States Newsroom.
The Gulf States Newsroom is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and partnered with NPR. They aim to fill the gaps in city and state coverage, often sharing stories regionally and reaching a national audience through NPR. One of the central themes panelists discussed revolved around exploring diverse narratives.
The conversation then shifted to the more technical side of journalism, including and the challenges present when trying to convey a message from radio to print in this new age of technology, changes in audience preferences, and the versatility of media engagement.
“When it comes to radio or audio, it’s more conversational and impressionistic,” said senior reporter Drew Hawkins, a health equity reporter at the Gulf States Newsroom.
Stromquist added believes storytelling in the audio space should be kept simple.
“Explain it to me like I’m five,” Stromquist said. “Always a good tool for recording, But for a radio story, it’s even more important to simplify concepts without mischaracterizing them and ensure that you know you’re maintaining the accuracy.”
The panelists touched on the importance of staying concise with the information they provide to the public while also being passionate about the subject they report on.
“It’s challenging because, as reporters, we’re curious people. We love to know more about the nuts and bolts of things,” Stromquist said. “We want to understand in depth how things work. But, in audio, the short format, radio, or even podcasts, you’re governed by time.”