Our speaker Friday was Bill Davis, President of Southern California Public Radio 89.3 KPCC.  Bill is a dynamic speaker with a passion for what he does.  He noted that the world is currently experiencing a media transition, the likes of which we have not seen since the Gutenberg Bible.  It’s due in large part by the internet and the digital media.  Bill says that he has seen a profound change in the way people get and understand information with the advent of Facebook and Twitter and other social media.  He has noticed a huge drop from advertising in newspapers, magazines and almost all print media and said the business model for print media is fundamentally broken.  Newspapers all over the country are scaling back due to two things, low readership (people are going online to get news) and advertising (more is done on websites) search engines and even iPhone apps.

The new slogan for KPCC 89.3 radio is “No Rant No Slant”, where they agree to disagree with an ongoing dialogue.  Former L.A. Times editor Russ Stanton has joined SCPR (SoCal Public Radio) as has Pulitzer Prize winner Melanie Sill as the new digital editor, with Larry Mantle and Ira Glass and a host of others.  By getting various views on the same news story the listener can make their own decisions pro or con.  Typically the media has a reputation as being liberal but SCPR offers a more balanced view of consistent and reliable news.

Bill says donations and memberships have grown since digital news has been broadcasted.  SCPR is developing an APP for your phone so anyone can get local southern California news hour by hour right on their phone.  You might try logging on to www.scpr.org and becoming a member. You’ll enjoy it.

Pat Dolphin