Tuesday  |
30 March |
[updated Feb. 5, 2004]
|
| 8:15-9 a.m. |
Breakfast
Welcome and Overview
Public broadcasting exists in a challenging environment, politically, culturally and financially. The purpose of this workshop is to begin to identify some of the key questions, methods and principles that stations can use to contend with complex issues and conflicting interests.
|
| 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. |
Does Public Broadcasting Have a Liberal Bias?
Public broadcasting is frequently accused of tilting to the left. What prompts that charge? How accurate is that concern? We’ll hear how people outside the system view public broadcasting and we’ll discuss what should be done, if anything, to address those concerns. |
| 10:30 a.m. |
Break |
| 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. |
Balancing Points:
Should every program be balanced or is balance across the schedule enough?
What do we mean by “balance”? “Balance across the schedule” is one of those phrases we often use, but is it the right approach or simply a rationalization? Do all programs need to be balanced? Or is the “truth,” by definition, sometimes “unbalanced”? A look at:
how stations approach this issue
when to carry programs
when to produce local follow-up shows for reasons of “balance.”
|
| 12:30 p.m. |
Lunch
Speaker: , GM of Marketplace Productions and Sr. VP of Minnesota Public Radio
|
| 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. |
The Company You Keep:
Partnerships and the Perception of Fairness
This session focuses on the principles and perceptions that come into play with partnerships, from audience perception to editorial control.
Is it a problem if you partner with the local teachers union and they endorse candidates?
What about partnering with the AARP, given their lobbying activities before Congress?
If you partner with a community group to broadcast a lecture series, what role do you play in choosing the speakers?
In the brave, new multi-channel world, can you establish different editorial standards for partnership projects which air on secondary channels?
|
| 3:30 p.m. |
Break |
| 3:45 – 4:15 p.m. |
Briefing: Coping with Candidates
A short review of standard station policies on candidate debates and candidate free-time, plus an update on the impact of McCain-Feingold on station obligations. |
| 4:15 – 5:00 p.m. |
Wrap-up Discussion
What key problems and principles have we identified so far and what issues need further study and review? A day’s end conversation to summarize what we’ve covered to date. |
| 6:30 p.m. |
Reception and Dinner
Speaker: Bob Coonrod, President and CEO, CPB
|
| Wednesday |
31 March |
| 8 a.m. |
Breakfast
|
| 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. |
Undue Influence?
When Underwriters and License Holders Come Calling
Who funds a program, and who holds the station license, can affect how a program is perceived and sometimes how it’s produced. What sort of firewalls need to be in place, or does being too pure mean nothing gets produced?
How do you cope with underwriters who want to influence content?
When do you seek foundation support for coverage of one content area, perhaps at the expense of another?
What about the influence a license holder (especially state or university) can have on editorial decision-making?
|
| 10 a.m. |
Break
|
| 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. |
Station Policies and Staff Issues
Everyone has a stake in community life, but staff members at public stations must also contend with how their activities affect community perceptions.
Can a reporter be an active member of her local PTA and still cover education?
Can a station manager be a board member of the League of Women Voters but not the Sierra Club?
Should staff members be allowed to decorate their office space with campaign paraphernalia?
|
| 11:30 a.m. |
Wrap-Up Discussion
What have we learned so far about establishing key principles and practices? What should model guidelines for stations look like? |
| 12:30 p.m. |
Adjourn
|
Editorial Principles and Practices for Local Public Broadcasting