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Red River Radio launches correspondent program

Red River Radio has launched a new program designed to get communities involved in producing local news.
Through the community correspondent program, volunteers in the listening region can report on events that are happening in their communities. Community correspondents are able to assist in every phase of the news gathering process, according to Kate Archer, Red River Radio’s news producer who developed the program.

“In essence, community news should be by, for and about the communities we live in,” Archer said. “Our listeners know about NPR-type, compelling stories that are going on in their neighborhoods.”

Community correspondents contribute to Archer’s weekday newscasts that air at 6:06, 7:06 and 8:06 a.m. Examples of community correspondent activities include: calling in to discuss story ideas and events happening in their communities, covering local events, filing stories by phone and producing stories by checking out recording equipment from the radio station.

When developing the program, Archer was influenced by the newsgathering model of NY1, Time Warner’s news channel in New York City. NY1 reporters write and shoot their own stories, even though they don’t have a photojournalism or technical background.

“It doesn’t take a person with a journalism degree to tell a story or use a minidisc recorder,” she said. “This is about being curious and interested in exploring a topic relevant to the local community.”

Dan Maxwell from Nacogdoches, Texas, has contributed three stories since he became involved in the program over the summer. He interviewed an author who wrote a book about the Neches River, and reported on a fishing outing that raises money for the Lufkin State School. He also interviewed the staff at the Columbia Geospatial Service Center, the new geographic information systems center located on Nacogdoches’ downtown square.

Maxwell says as a correspondent he’s able to lend a hand to the station providing public radio to east Texas.

“Fortunately, I am at a time in my life when I can afford to donate my time, talents and years of experience in media production to help better my community,” Maxwell said in an e-mail message.

Archer enjoys hearing the story ideas that surface through this community beat.

“In a one-person newsroom, I can’t conceivably report from all the communities in our listening region on a daily or even weekly basis,” she said. “These correspondents are my eyes and ears in their communities. We’re producing local news together.”

To learn more about the program, contact Archer at Kate.Archer@LSUS.edu or 318-795-2426.