Where did you hear that? What’s your source?
Those questions come up a lot these days, and the information sources we rely on are often wildly different. There was a time when most of us could choose to get our news from four TV broadcast stations, a couple of local newspapers, whatever we could hear on the radio dial, and that nosy neighbor who never let a thought go unexpressed.
But wow, times are different now.
Those original sources have been joined by a plethora of media ready and willing to go viral — and it’s like the Wild West now since anyone can do a podcast, tout a social media presence, or send smoke signals that anyone can see.
image courtesy punkle / dreamstime
So we asked some Memphians who have been around where they get their information. (And yes, they all cite Memphis Magazine and our wild-child sister publication the Memphis Flyer).
Otis Sanford is about as savvy as anyone when it comes to understanding the local media world. He’s been involved in the scene for decades, as a reporter for The Commercial Appeal who went on to work at newspapers in Pittsburgh and Detroit before returning to Memphis as the CA’s managing editor. He is professor emeritus at the University of Memphis where he held the Hardin Chair of Excellence in Journalism. He was inducted into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame in 2014. He’s an author as well as a political analyst for The Daily Memphian and WKNO-FM. There’s more, but we only have so much space.
“I certainly understand that dissemination of information is changing, and the traditional ways that we get news and information are not what some people gravitate to these days,” Sanford says. “I recognize that, and I had to understand that even more when I was teaching at the university in the journalism department, because young people don’t access any, or very few, of the things that I do. Delivering information differently in this day and age is something that I have to understand, appreciate, and maybe even gravitate to myself in the future.”
Given that he is a traditionalist, he’s more reliant on the more established media outlets. And he’s up front that he likes the Daily Memphian, WKNO-FM, and the Institute for Public Service Reporting at the U of M since he’s affiliated with each of them. He doesn’t rely on the newer forms so much because he wants sources he can trust.
Sanford will tune in to local TV — but begrudgingly since he dislikes the emphasis on crime — “but I go to them because you need to know what’s going on in the community.” And he says he’ll check out “the better parts of Facebook” that don’t go off the rails.
But local sources that he does put trust in include MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, the Memphis Flyer, and Memphis Magazine. “It’s the local media that I’m used to, not necessarily of the newer online kinds of media. I just haven’t gravitated to them yet.”
As a journalist and commentator, he has to stay up on national and global events, so he also relies on The New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, and various other network news outlets.
image courtesy enterlinedesign / dreamstime
Another Memphian with journalism roots is Tom Jones, former reporter, long active in civic affairs, and editor of the 20-year-old Smart City Memphis blog. He contributes to Memphis Magazine as well and makes the case that print journalism can be trusted “to take the time to get the accurate information, provide the accurate context, and let me draw my own conclusions.”
His list includes what’s on Sanford’s roster of publications and adds these as well: the Memphis Business Journal, the New Tri-State Defender, the Washington Post, and ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Jones also subscribes to an array of newsletters from local organizations to see the news from their points of view. Newer media still hasn’t gotten much of a foothold in his daily orbit, though. As a self-described dinosaur, he admits, “I don’t have the patience to listen to podcasts, but I do check in on Meanwhile in Memphis with New Memphis — it helps keep my optimism up.”
Linn Sitler has been the commissioner for the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission since it began 40 years ago. She made her mark before that in local television, working at WMC-TV and later as a co-host on PM Magazine on Channel 13.
It thus makes sense that she regularly tunes in to various local broadcasts, watching Joe Birch on WMC-TV and taping Kontji Anthony on WREG-TV’s Live at 9. “My reading and watching is almost always ‘story-driven’” she says. “I’ll tune in another outlet if an interesting story pops up. I’ll tune out stories of crime and animal abuse.”
Sitler regularly reads online highlights from The Commercial Appeal, as well as the Daily Memphian, and the Memphis Business Journal. She also gets some news from social media. She says that it’s a bit strange, but Facebook is often the first place that information appears about someone passing.
image courtesy punkle / dreamstime
If this survey covers the better-known outlets, plenty of others are more niche while providing reliable info about the community. This is by no means a complete list as there are many people and organizations making content and some endeavors are short-lived. But here are a few standouts.
- WLOK Radio has been around for decades as a Black-owned station and is known for its gospel music, but does a significant amount of community programming with personalities Chip Washington, Moneque Walker, and others.
- WYXR 91.7 FM is a community radio station with local music and talk shows.
- Choose901.com is an active initiative of City Leadership and puts an uplifting spin on life for the young and savvy in Memphis.
- Memphis Parent is published in conjunction with Memphis Magazine and has useful stories and calendars for busy parents.
Some of the town’s elders (see above) may eschew podcasts and such, but we have a few that more liberated generations may enjoy. Herewith:
- The Sidebar is an offspring of the Daily Memphian with host and DM editor Eric Barnes.
- Back to the Light is hosted by musician and music writer J.D. Reager, who brings in all manner of Memphis creatives to talk about their art.
- Civil Wrongs Podcast from the Institute for Public Service Reporting in collaboration with WKNO-FM brings history and the present together to get a better understanding of racial issues in the Mid-South.
