hard decisions require leaders II

[ShallowsNole]

WZEP AM 1460, DeFuniak Springs...local news three times each morning.

I can only just barely pick it up in the house by pointing the radio every which way, turning the knob and listening for Art Dees' voice, but it comes in loud and clear in the car.

If all else fails... wzep-subscribe@googlegroups.com

 

[DuneLaker]

It is a shame that SoWal cannot "hear" WZEP radio with ease. NoWal listens to this local radio staion daily for local news. There is a real disconnect in Walton County because of our fractured media. Yes, you can get WZEP online. But, that doesn't compare to the wider range of listeners in NoWal who can listen each day to Walton County business as they are having their morning coffee or driving to work or school. Furthermore, Walton County is served by three cable TV providers. I bet most viewers in NoWal who see the community calendar on their Brighthouse Cable have no idea that people in SoWal do not see this same information. In So Wal, we are further split by two cable providers. There is no major local cable tv news information source in SoWal. This is one reason SoWal is so important for keeping up with what is going on. Solution. WZEP getting a stronger signal is probably a federal issue and not easily solved. The Walton Sun serves mostly South Walton, and many in NoWal do not read or see even though it is delivered and distributed there. The DeFuniak Springs Herald/ Beach Breeze carries the official notices for the county, but I doubt many in SoWal have ever even seen this paper. It is delivered by mail on Wednesday, and available in many locations in SoWal by Thursday of each week. Bottom line. Be aware that you are not getting the news that other parts of the county is getting if you rely on just one news source.

I should add that Walton County isn't even served by the same daily newspaper. Many in West Walton get the Northwest Florida Daily News and East Walton takes the Panama City News Herald. There is some story overlap as they are both owned by Freedom. However, as evident in the latest airport wars, each newspaper portrays the different airport stories with slightly different angles.

Local TV isn't consistent either. Those in West Walton, I believe, get some Pensacola and Panama City news, while those in East Walton, get Panama City, FL and Dothan, AL local news. Walton County is covered, but is the stepchild.

This lack of full information availability leaves us open to manipulation and misunderstanding.

 

[Matt J]

It is a shame that SoWal cannot "hear" WZEP radio with ease. NoWal listens to this local radio staion daily for local news. There is a real disconnect in Walton County because of our fractured media. Yes, you can get WZEP online. But, that doesn't compare to the wider range of listeners in NoWal who can listen each day to Walton County business as they are having their morning coffee or driving to work or school. Furthermore, Walton County is served by three cable TV providers. I bet most viewers in NoWal who see the community calendar on their Brighthouse Cable have no idea that people in SoWal do not see this same information. In So Wal, we are further split by two cable providers. There is no major local cable tv news information source in SoWal. This is one reason SoWal is so important for keeping up with what is going on. Solution. WZEP getting a stronger signal is probably a federal issue and not easily solved. The Walton Sun serves mostly South Walton, and many in NoWal do not read or see even though it is delivered and distributed there. The DeFuniak Springs Herald/ Beach Breeze carries the official notices for the county, but I doubt many in SoWal have ever even seen this paper. It is delivered by mail on Wednesday, and available in many locations in SoWal by Thursday of each week. Bottom line. Be aware that you are not getting the news that other parts of the county is getting if you rely on just one news source.

I should add that Walton County isn't even served by the same daily newspaper. Many in West Walton get the Northwest Florida Daily News and East Walton takes the Panama City News Herald. There is some story overlap as they are both owned by Freedom. However, as evident in the latest airport wars, each newspaper portrays the different airport stories with slightly different angles.

Local TV isn't consistent either. Those in West Walton, I believe, get some Pensacola and Panama City news, while those in East Walton, get Panama City, FL and Dothan, AL local news. Walton County is covered, but is the stepchild.

This lack of full information availability leaves us open to manipulation and misunderstanding.

Sounds like our counties PIO isn't doing his job.

 

[North Lake]

Sounds like our counties PIO isn't doing his job.

It isn't that the county's PIO isn't doing his job. The releases go out, but the PIO has to rely on the media to pick them up. If what's going on in Walton County - north or south - isn't "newsworthy" or pertinent to their larger market as a whole the media outside the county doesn't carry it.

Having had the job before, it's tough to pitch stories and events that will appeal to editors outside the county for more coverage. They'll carry the sensational wrecks, wildfires and drownings, and even the prostitute arrests; but land use issues, meetings, local events and governmental issues are sort of humdrum -- only for a slow news day when they need to fill copy or airtime. Never could get Mike Cazalaz with Panama City News Herald to carry anything at all about Walton, although the TV stations would.

A stronger signal for WZEP would be good if Art Dees could get it from the FCC...or another news station in SoWal (forgive me, Art). It will probably be a long time before Walton could support a daily newspaper of its own. I remember growing up when the Northwest Florida Daily News was a weekly, and everybody in Walton County got the Pensacola News Journal. Talk about no coverage... Until then, the DeFuniak Herald/Beach Breeze is your best bet for local county news. You can get it off the rack at the Seagrove Tom Thumb every Wednesday afternoon. That's where I get mine.

 

[DuneLaker]

Sounds like our counties PIO isn't doing his job.

I wouldn't put the blame on the PIO. Northlake makes some good points.

It is a more complicated media topic. We just need to realize that Walton County has a very fractured media outlet and different parts of the county get different news. Personally, I read all the local weeklies and two area daily newspapers in addition to the great news here on SoWal. There are lawyers, lobbyists, publicists etc. that are aware of this and can sometimes use it to their advantage. Just a heads up, imho, that in order to judge whether we have any good leadership going on, you need to follow a number of sources. If all you see is good news on minor topics from a leader published in a paper, it should make you wonder why they don't speak out on serious and controversial topics. Nonresponse from elected officials on the tough topics and issues should be a real leadership warning sign.

 

[Alan Osborne]

How about attending a BCC meeting?

I wouldn't put the blame on the PIO. Northlake makes some good points.

It is a more complicated media topic. We just need to realize that Walton County has a very fractured media outlet and different parts of the county get different news. Personally, I read all the local weeklies and two area daily newspapers in addition to the great news here on SoWal. There are lawyers, lobbyists, publicists etc. that are aware of this and can sometimes use it to their advantage. Just a heads up, imho, that in order to judge whether we have any good leadership going on, you need to follow a number of sources. If all you see is good news on minor topics from a leader published in a paper, it should make you wonder why they don't speak out on serious and controversial topics. Nonresponse from elected officials on the tough topics and issues should be a real leadership warning sign.

It would be nice to see some diffrent people at the BCC meetings. Sometimes participating in the process is the best way to stay informed and effect change. The constitution is only as good as the people who believe in it, Trust me on this one, I'm a believer.
Alan