Radio Survivor
June 5, 2019: How an LPFM Produces an Hour of Hyper-Local News Every Weekday
Every weekday an all-volunteer reporting staff produces an hour of original, hyper-local news for WOOC-LP’s “Hudson Mohawk Magazine,” serving the Troy, NY area. A focus on mission and a concentration of resources on journalism helps the station accomplish this daily feat.
Steve Pierce is the Executive Director of Media Alliance, which operates WOOC inside the Sanctuary for Independent Media. Steve tells us how that organization grew out of the Independent Media Center movement of the 2000s, adding the solar-powered radio station to its complex of three buildings in 2016. By prioritizing public affairs programming and local service, the station is able to funnel dozens of volunteers into its flagship news program.
Any community media organization looking to produce local reporting will find valuable takeaways in this interview.