!

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WLRN 91. 3 FM WLRN| M AM HERALD NEWS WLRN. ORG WLRN TV M AM
N F O R M . E N T E R T A N . N S P R E
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WLRN 2016: News Is Our Future A Strategic PIan to Reinvent Our Future.........
Friends of WLRN Budget......................................................................................
Three Year Phased DeveIopment of WLRN News...............................................
Strategy Tree..........................................................................................................
WLRN-Miami HeraId News AccompIishments (2010-2012).................................
Nieman Lab ArticIe on WLRN-Miami HeraId Partnership....................................
3
15
16
18
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26
t is 7 a.m. on June 3rd, 2030. Your iPod 30 begins a soft chime, and your electronic personal
assistant Siri asks if you are ready for your morning news summary. You kick the sheets off
and swing your legs to get out of bed as Siri says "WLRN-Miami Herald News and the ener-
getic voice of your favorite newscaster comes on.
You walk to the bathroom and swipe your fnger across the mirror lightly to the "WLRN Politics
icon to hear the outcome of last night's County Commission race in Broward. Over breakfast,
you scan a WLRN-curated Twitter feed on your iPhone 15GS. A live stream of the latest WLRN
weather forecast and traffc report scroll on your iWall.
As you leave home for the offce in your self-driving Prius, you muse over the time just a few
decades ago when humans were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffc, unable to safely consume
WLRN's multimedia content while driving. Your 15-minute commute from Weston to downtown
Miami leaves you plenty of time to watch WLRN animations on your tablet, marvel at photo-
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"The future you see i s the future you get."
Author Robert G Al l en
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3
4
graphs on WLRN's "River of News web stream, and catch a quick WLRN video tour of the
multi-billion dollar casino complex built in Boca Raton. You pull over to get a Starbucks' coffee
and, while in line, ask Siri to use WLRN's CulturalConnection.org to buy a discount ticket for a
play that evening. While you wait for your latte, you listen to a WLRN interview with the local
playwright.
As you get back in the car, the streaming audio from WLRN's nfnite Player is reporting the
latest sports scores, but you interrupt it. "Siri, a little quiet time before we get to the offce.
Some light classical music, please, and the strains of Gershwin's An American in Paris from
WLRN HD3 change the mood in the car to a few moments of quiet without data until you arrive
at the hubbub of the offce.
For sixty-four years, WLRN has operated as a non-proft, non-commercial public media sta-
tion. What began as a single radio station licensed to the Dade County School Board has
grown to be a large multimedia enterprise that includes multiple television, radio, cable and
closed-circuit educational channels, a news website, a radio reading service, and media sup-
port to the Miami-Dade County School Board.
I N T HE BEGI NNI NG.
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5
%
Major changes are occurring in and transforming media. Legacy media, such as newspapers,
are rapidly losing ground; those that survive are rapidly reinventing themselves. Newspaper
journalists are fond of blaming the evolution of the nternet, but the changes go well beyond
the World Wide Web. nstead, users of media have come to expect it to be available all the
time, wherever and whenever they want it. n a global world, nobody is willing to wait anymore.
The audience for newer media is growing exponentially. On the web and in mobile transmission,
text, images, interactive graphics and videos are engaging audiences and competing with
audio. Terrestrial radio listenership will likely peak and begin to fall as wireless distribution
becomes ubiquitous in cell phones and cars. Public radio's reputation for in-depth high-quality
journalism will help it develop and grow this new digital audience. WLRN's unique partnership
with the Miami Herald provides channels of distribution and a depth of content not available
to WLRN alone.
At the same time, populations nationwideespecially in South Floridaare in huge demo-
graphic fux. While appealing to its traditional college-educated mainstream audiences, WLRN
must reach out to younger and more diverse users to grow its audience. A rising generation
of news consumers will never listen to WLRN on the radio or watch WLRN on TV, but they
will consume our unique brand of sense-of-place storytelling through their cell phones, tablets
and desktop computers.
NOW I T I S T I ME TO GROW AGAI N.%
6
This rapid evolution represents a tremendous opportunity for WLRN to grow its audience and
impact. Our highly trusted content can now be available via all media, all the time. As NPR's
new President Gary Knell has said to those fearing radio's demise:
'Radio isn't going anywhere . it's going everywhere!"
We believe there is and will continue to be an audience and a market for international, na-
tional and local newsdelivered seamlessly across multiple platforms.
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Public broadcasting is already the nation's most-trusted medium of communication.
ts public-service, not-for-proft orientation and its membership relationship with the
community present a business model that works: one based upon donors and members, not
on declining advertising funds.
Unlike many newspapers, public radio and especially WLRN's current fnances are
strong. We are not being "forced to abandon our old business. nstead, we're being offered
a ground-foor opportunity to help lead the way to a much bigger and robust future. Radio is
"lean and mean and an ideal "center of a multimedia communications enterprise.
We provide our audience with both a platform and a context to help us tell the story
7
of our community and to embrace the unique qualities of diversity, energy and vitality, entre-
preneurship and cross-cultural mixing that is Miami and South Florida.
Finally, our goal is to maximize public service, not proft.
OUR VI SI ON-BI G I DEAS
As quoted earlier, author Robert G. Allen has said, "The future you see is the future you get.
WLRN sees a very promising future for itself, one flled with big ideas about the leadership
role it can play in South Florida's and the nation's media evolution.
Our goaI is to make WLRN the round-the-cIock pervasive and constant source of news
and information about and of interest to South FIorida. We want to be there on every
communications platform available to listeners when and where they want to interact. More
than a broadcaster or even a multi-media network, WLRN intends to become the primary
communications utiIity that enabIes the two-way transmission of news, cuIture, phi-
Iosophy, concerns, beIiefs and vaIues, and aspirations from South FIoridians to South
FIoridians. "heard it on or "saw it on or "received it from or "told it to WLRN will be how
users will describe their relationship. They will use WLRN as the platform to tell the stories of
their lives to their community, their city, their region and state.
WLRN's vision of its own future isn't modest. nstead, we see ourselves as serious players
8
in a media market full of "pretenders aspiring to "make a fnancial killing without regard to
public service. New digital technology and the disruption it has caused present an opportunity
for WLRN to do an even better job of serving what the FCC calls the "public interest, conve-
nience and necessity. We recognize that it is such bold thinking thatas football player and
coach Bill McCartney put itare the "big dreams (that) create that magic that stir men's souls
to greatness
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R077+1<603%3O63%O6-%<=%+J06;*
WBUR in Boston says it aspires to be "the most trusted, widely consumed and
accessible journalistic institution in Boston.
WNYC in New York says it wants "to be the preeminent source of news and infor-
mation to our broadcast community.
Minnesota PubIic Radio (MPR), the nation's largest public radio company with
43 stations and 40+ translators, says simply, "We will be an indispensable resource for our
audiences and an essential public service for our communities.
KQED in San Francisco, the nation's most-listened-to public radio station,
says, "KQED is for everyone who wants to be more. Our television, radio, digital media and
educational services change lives for the better and help individuals and communities achieve
their full potential. . We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed-
decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone; and engage audiences
9
to share their stories.
WLRN aspires to deliver the most engaging and relevant information to South Floridiansin-
formation that enhances life in our community.

OUR ST RAT EGY
n order to become the "round-the-clock pervasive and constant source of news and infor-
mation about South Florida, WLRN will embark upon a 3-year plan beginning on July 1st of
2013. That plan will emphasize these strategies:
1. A tight and cIear editoriaI focus, including geographic inclusion, ethnic, racial and age
diversity and appeal; well-chosen content verticals; sense of place storytelling.
2. Strategic partnering: With partners who bring to the table reputation and resources,
shared aspirations including the desire to perform signifcant public service and integrity in
their business practices. The current unique and powerful relationship between The Miami
Herald and WLRN is a perfect example of the kind of partnering we're seeking.
3. Leveraging of our existing assets and reIationships: WLRN is partnering closely with
NPR on digital services, training and editorial collaboration. NPR provides an ideal platform
for us to reach local audiences.
4. Engagement of audiences in helping to tell the story of South Florida through social me-
dia, including Twitter, Facebook, the Public nsight Network and other engagement platforms.
10
5. Cross-pIatform distribution, transitioning from being radio-centric to being multi-platform
to grow our digital audiences.
6. Buy-in and engagement from all parts of the organization, overcoming silo thinking.
7. Assessing our resource needs to compete in a very-fast-changing muItimedia
environment.
8. Investing in our news operation.
9. Diversifying our income to include direct editorial content funding in the form of grants
and major donors; digitally derived revenue; packaged marketing services and events spon-
sorship.
OUR PL AN
n a thorough "soup to nuts analysis begun in 2011, WLRN identifed an extensive list of issues
that needed resolution to move the station to the next stage in its growth. The major conclu-
sions arrived at include:
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1. News is the future of WLRN.
2. WLRN must be digital. Radio continues its strength and appeal, but it is essential that any
media organization present its content on multiple digital platforms including radio, web, mo-
bile and social media. WLRN must develop a specifc digital strategy and partnerships to be
11
a key player in the new digital space.
3. As an organization, WLRN must be active in its communities with outreach, events and
activities that engage the audience.
4. WLRN will develop special plans to serve currently underserved audiences, especially:
Broward and Palm Beach Counties
Black and Hispanic citizens
5. WLRN will focus its news coverage and journalism. "Covering the waterfront (covering
everything) would be a prescription for failure, especially when public radio's appeal is tied to
its in-depth reporting.
WLRN must cover stories that help South Floridians gain a better "sense of place
where they live and work.
WLRN must interact with its audience: communication must be 2-way.
WLRN must select a small number of very-important "content verticals for in-depth
coverage. These include politics, arts and education.
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ncrease the overall resources going to the news department from $1.1 million in Fiscal Year
2013 to $1.9 million in Fiscal Year 2013. Our projected revenue and expenses analysis is
included in the budget addendum that follows.
12
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n order for the strategic plan WLRN 2016 to succeed, we will need unwavering commitment,
consistent support and accountability of the Friends' organization. This means we need the
Board of Directors of Friends to pledge its:
Commitment to support the growth of local news and information programming
Active participation in fundraising
Commitment to sustainability
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The next three fscal years: July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2016.
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More than any other measure of success, the key metric for judging WLRN's success in the
years ahead will be proof of its impact upon the communities of South Florida.
The Knight Foundation's Eric Newton defnes impact in this way: "mpact is evidence of
change: Whether there were new laws, new institutions, new funding patterns, investigations,
people going to jail, etc.
Beyond these very tangible and countable results, Jack Galmiche of the Nine Network in St.
13
Louis lists these ways to measure impact:
Reach: Does the coverage/initiative reach and affect a large number of people?
Depth: Does it have signifcant "deep impact on a smaller number of people?
FIG: Does the initiative fll an important gap that meets an unfulflled need?
Community BuiIding: Does the initiative build capacity and strength of individuals
and organizations in the community?
Leverage: Does it "leverage other activities?
Other success metrics will include achieving tight focus on major editorial coverage areas
or "verticals, awards and public recognition, demonstration of WLRN's convening ability,
collaboration and partnerships, direct actions taken by the audience as a result of WLRN
leadership, feedback from listeners and others. And, specifc numeric metrics including overall
digital reach as evidenced by:
1. ncreased audiences for broadcast, in terms of cume and average quarter hour listenership;
2. ncreased audience for the web and mobile sites, in terms of unique visitors and pages per
visit;
3. Larger and more engaged social networks, as measured by Public nsight Network mem-
bers, Facebook likes and Twitter followers.
14
4. Sharing of our content, as measured by Facebook shares, Retweets, Comments.
B6>+63%
The future vision, plans, strategies and budgets outlined in this document are for illustration
purposes, demonstrating what WLRN's future could look like and how it might be accom-
plished. This is an Executive Summary; the actual plans will be articulated in a dynamic, ever-
changing and routinely updated workbook.
CONCL USI ON
The future of WLRN is news. And, it is digitaI-existing and thriving on every avaiIabIe
medium incIuding those not yet invented.
The senior management and Ieadership team at WLRN and Friends of WLRN have the
capacity, capabiIity and wiIIingness to achieve this digitaI success story.
15
FRIENDS OF WLRN, INC
FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS 11/6/2012
FISCAL YEAR ENDING 2014 THROUGH 2016
Assumptions: Revenue Expense PROJECTIONS
FY 2014 5% 3%
FY 2015 6% 4% FiscaI Year FiscaI Year FiscaI Year FiscaI Year
FY 2016 7% 5% 2013 Budget 2014 2015 2016
REVENUE
MEMBERSHIP RADIO 2,930,000 $ 3,076,500 $ 3,261,090 $ 3,489,366 $
MEMBERSHIP TELEVISION 570,000 598,500 634,410 678,819
SUBTOTAL MEMBERSHIP 3,500,000 3,675,000 3,895,500 4,168,185
MAJOR GIFTS 60,000 100,000 150,000 250,000
UNDERWRITING RADIO 2,655,000 2,787,750 2,955,015 3,161,866
UNDERWRITING HERALD 1,200,000 1,260,000 1,335,600 1,429,092
UNDERWRITING TELEVISION 100,000 105,000 111,300 119,091
UNDERWRITING WEB RADIO 45,000 47,250 50,085 53,591
SUBTOTAL UNDERWRITING 4,000,000 4,200,000 4,452,000 4,763,640
BEQUESTS 325,000 - - -
SPECIAL EVENTS RADIO 60,000 63,000 66,780 71,455
INTEREST INCOME 145,000 152,250 161,385 172,682
DIVIDEND INCOME 110,000 115,500 122,430 131,000
MISCELLANEOUS INCOME 30,000 31,500 33,390 35,727
CULTURAL CONNECTION 135,000 141,750 150,255 160,773
PRODUCERS LOCAL/NATIONAL 15,000 15,750 16,695 17,864
READY TO LEARN 15,000 15,750 16,695 17,864
TOTAL REVENUE 8,395,000 8,510,500 9,065,130 9,789,189
MEMBERSHIP 1,202,860 1,238,946 1,288,504 1,352,929
UNDERWRITING 780,050 803,452 835,590 877,369
SPECIAL EVENTS 25,000 25,750 26,780 28,119
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION 851,500 877,045 912,127 957,733
CULTURAL CONNECTION 120,000 123,600 128,544 134,971
SOUTH FLORIDA PUBLIC MEDIA 1,138,001 1,300,000 1,600,000 1,900,000 , , , , , , , ,
TOTAL FRIENDS' EXPENSES 4,117,411 4,368,792 4,791,544 5,251,121
CONTRIBUTIONS TO WLRN -
TV PRODUCTION 40,302 41,511 43,172 45,330
TV PROGRAMMING 599,500 617,485 642,184 674,294
RADIO 1,971,128 2,030,262 2,111,472 2,217,046
KEY WEST STATION 65,604 67,572 70,275 73,789
ENGINEERING 188,500 194,155 201,921 212,017
PROGRAM INFO 124,230 127,957 133,075 139,729
MANAGEMENT & GENERAL 524,200 539,926 561,523 589,599
PRODUCERS LOCAL/NATIONAL 413,500 425,905 442,941 465,088
READY TO LEARN 11,000 11,330 11,783 12,372
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO WLRN 3,937,964 4,056,103 4,218,347 4,429,264
TOTAL EXPENSES/CONTRIBUTIONS 8,055,375 8,424,895 9,009,891 9,680,386
RESIDUAL/(DEFICIT) 339,625 85,605 55,239 108,804
339,625 $ 85,605 $ 55,239 $ 108,804 $
CLEARWIRE LEASE REVENUE AMORTIZATION 1,765,000 1,765,000 1,765,000 1,765,000
RESIDUAL AFTER CLEARWIRE REVENUE AMORTIZATION 2,104,625 $ 1,850,605 $ 1,820,239 $ 1,873,804 $
218+<M-%=A%!"#$%T0M7+3
16
NOTES: 1. Expenses that increase with the addition of new staff incIuding suppIies, hospitaIity, phone, miIeage.
?O1++%V+61%:O6-+M
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Three Year Phased Development of
WLRN News
Illustrative 11/14/12
FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16
July - June July - June July - June July - June
2012-2013 2013-2014 Inflation = 3% 2014-2015 Inflation = 3% 2015-2016 Inflation = 3%
Existing Budget Existing Budget + Inflation $1,172,141 Existing Budget + Inflation $1,339,239 Existing Budget + Inflation $1,648,846
EXPENSES NEW EXPENSES NEW EXPENSES NEW EXPENSES
Personnel: $694,048 Personnel: Personnel: Personnel:
1 News Director Multimedia Producer $50,000 Tallahassee Bureau Chief $70,000 Statewide Editor $75,000
3 Senior Editors Multimedia Producer $50,000 Reporter $60,000
2 Hosts Assistant to News Director $30,000
4 Reporters
1 Multimedia Producer
Non-Personnel Expenses: Non-Personnel Expenses: Non-Personnel Expenses: Non-Personnel Expenses:
New personnel support1 $17,500 New personnel support1 $1,591 New personnel support1 $3,182 New personnel support1 $4,773
New Services New Services New Services New Services
Florida News Exchange $15,000 Statewide News Service $5,000 R&D New Services $5,000 R&D New Services $5,000
Offsite Production $20,000
Improved News Coverage Improved News Coverage Improved News Coverage Improved News Coverage
Professional Services $100,000 Professional Services $20,000 Professional Services $50,000 Professional Services $ 0
Major Projects $ 0 Major Projects 1 @ $7.5K $7,500 Major Projects 1 @ $7.5K $7,500
Signature Segments $ 0 Signature Segments $ 0 Sig. Segments 1 @ $4K $4,000
Mobile product development $10,000 Mobile product development $10,000 Mobile product development $10,000
Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous
Seminars & Conferences $10,000 Seminars & Conferences $5,000 Seminars & Conferences $5,000 Seminars & Conferences $ 0
News Promotion $1,500 News Promotion $1,500 News Promotion $3,500 News Promotion $3,500
Training $15,000 Training $5,000 Training $5,000 Training $ 0
Equipment $10,000 Equipment $5,000 Equipment $5,000 Equipment $ 0
Hiring Costs $ 0 Hiring Costs $5,000 Hiring Costs $5,000 Hiring Costs $ 0
Dues and Fees $10,000 Dues and Fees $1,000 Dues and Fees $1,000 Dues and Fees $1,000
Miami Herald overhead $24,000 Office Support $3,000 Office Support $3,000 Office Support $ 0
$220,953 $16,000 $38,400 $52,800
TOTAL $1,138,001 TOTAL $1,300,232 TOTAL $1,600,821 TOTAL $1,902,419
Increase from Last Yr. $162,231 Increase from Last Yr. $300,589 Increase from Last Yr. $301,598
Percent Increase 14% Percent Increase 23% Percent Increase 19%
NOTES:
1. Expenses that increase with the addition of new staff including supplies, hospitality, phone, mileage.
Sheet3 Sheet2 Sheet1
17
llustrative
11/14/12
?O1++%V+61%:O6-+M
W+>+;=LQ+<3%=A%!"#$%$+,-%
Three Year Phased Development of
WLRN News
Illustrative 11/14/12
FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16
July - June July - June July - June July - June
2012-2013 2013-2014 Inflation = 3% 2014-2015 Inflation = 3% 2015-2016 Inflation = 3%
Existing Budget Existing Budget + Inflation $1,172,141 Existing Budget + Inflation $1,339,239 Existing Budget + Inflation $1,648,846
EXPENSES NEW EXPENSES NEW EXPENSES NEW EXPENSES
Personnel: $694,048 Personnel: Personnel: Personnel:
1 News Director Multimedia Producer $50,000 Tallahassee Bureau Chief $70,000 Statewide Editor $75,000
3 Senior Editors Multimedia Producer $50,000 Reporter $60,000
2 Hosts Assistant to News Director $30,000
4 Reporters
1 Multimedia Producer
Non-Personnel Expenses: Non-Personnel Expenses: Non-Personnel Expenses: Non-Personnel Expenses:
New personnel support1 $17,500 New personnel support1 $1,591 New personnel support1 $3,182 New personnel support1 $4,773
New Services New Services New Services New Services
Florida News Exchange $15,000 Statewide News Service $5,000 R&D New Services $5,000 R&D New Services $5,000
Offsite Production $20,000
Improved News Coverage Improved News Coverage Improved News Coverage Improved News Coverage
Professional Services $100,000 Professional Services $20,000 Professional Services $50,000 Professional Services $ 0
Major Projects $ 0 Major Projects 1 @ $7.5K $7,500 Major Projects 1 @ $7.5K $7,500
Signature Segments $ 0 Signature Segments $ 0 Sig. Segments 1 @ $4K $4,000
Mobile product development $10,000 Mobile product development $10,000 Mobile product development $10,000
Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous
Seminars & Conferences $10,000 Seminars & Conferences $5,000 Seminars & Conferences $5,000 Seminars & Conferences $ 0
News Promotion $1,500 News Promotion $1,500 News Promotion $3,500 News Promotion $3,500
Training $15,000 Training $5,000 Training $5,000 Training $ 0
Equipment $10,000 Equipment $5,000 Equipment $5,000 Equipment $ 0
Hiring Costs $ 0 Hiring Costs $5,000 Hiring Costs $5,000 Hiring Costs $ 0
Dues and Fees $10,000 Dues and Fees $1,000 Dues and Fees $1,000 Dues and Fees $1,000
Miami Herald overhead $24,000 Office Support $3,000 Office Support $3,000 Office Support $ 0
$220,953 $16,000 $38,400 $52,800
TOTAL $1,138,001 TOTAL $1,300,232 TOTAL $1,600,821 TOTAL $1,902,419
Increase from Last Yr. $162,231 Increase from Last Yr. $300,589 Increase from Last Yr. $301,598
Percent Increase 14% Percent Increase 23% Percent Increase 19%
NOTES:
1. Expenses that increase with the addition of new staff including supplies, hospitality, phone, mileage.
Sheet3 Sheet2 Sheet1
1
8
5
3
1
6
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499=QL;8-OQ+<3-%X&'('H&'(&Y
8tafhng and budget of news department more than doubled in three years.
Underwriting sales have seen double-digit growth in recent years, and the news department
increased staffng and budget as part of a strategic reorientation of news as the station's future
(from 8 full-time reporters and editors in Fiscal Year 2010 to 11 FTEs in FY13). The news bud-
get is now more than $1.1 million.
Opened bureaus in Tallahassee, Washington D.C., and Palm Beach County.
?+<%9=;;6@=1638>+%8<>+-387638=<-Z%3O1++%=A%,O89O%681+M%=<%$:#%[%Q=1+%3O6<%
any other member station in the country.
An elderly woman drowned in 18 inches of water due to caretaker negligence, one of
70 deaths due to abuse and neglect in Florida assisted living facilities (ALFs). This story was
produced in collaboration with the Miami Herald. t aired on NPR's Morning Edition and was
featured on Talk of the Nation. Just days after the series ran, state law makers scrapped three
pieces of legislation that would have weakened regulations of ALFs. Several key lawmakers
launched a bipartisan investigation into the ALF industry. And Governor Rick Scott started a
task force to suggest reforms. Meanwhile, the lead regulatory agency targeted in our investigation,
cracked down on problem ALFs statewide, closing several of the worst offenders identifed in
our series.
We profled the cop that polices a one-block section in the city of Lauderhill that houses
the highest concentration of mental-health patients in Florida. This piece was done in collabo-
ration with the Miami Herald. t aired on NPR's All Things Considered. The attorney general's
offce and local law enforcement have done unannounced raids on the neighborhood featured
in the story and one facility was shut down.
Our Statempact Florida investigation found only 14 percent of Florida charter schools
enroll disabled students, compared to half of traditional public schools. That's despite state
and federal laws that require equal access for disabled students. This investigation was done
in collaboration with NPR, WUSF in Tampa and the Miami Herald. t aired on NPR's Morning
Edition. The story led a Miami-Dade school board member to announce publicly for the frst
time that her disabled daughter had been shut out of a local charter school.
Our investigative work have changed policy, have won multiple national and regional awards,
was featured in a front-page article in industry publication Current.
Leveraged Miami Herald partnership to maximum effectiveness.
For the past nine years, the WLRN news staff has been embedded in the Miami Herald news-
room, with access to Herald story budgets and reporters. We've turned this partnership into a
20
force multiplier for WLRN. Our newsroom produces two to four times the content per reporter
at a higher level of qualitythan peer stations around the state.
Our extensive print-to-radio curriculum has trained a dozen Miami Herald reporters
to produce NPR-style features for our air. Dozens more reporters were trained to gather feld
sound using digital recorders and to conduct effective host two-ways on their reporting.
For the frst time in the nine-year partnership with the Herald, we have begun collabo-
rating on investigations and major multimedia projects such as Dispatches from the Swing
State and South Florida's Best Block. That required an extremely high-level of trust and pro-
fessionalism. We have become very experienced at managing these challenging, months-long
collaborations.
We added a radio reporter to the joint Tallahassee bureau of the Miami Herald and
Tampa Bay Times. This radio reporter, in her frst month on the job, produced 50 stories that
were re-aired 150 times by stations around the state. That's the most vivid example of the mul-
tiplier effect in action, and the kind of impact the partnership is having around the state.
"60<9O+M%A=01%613-H3O+Q+M%60M8+<9+%96;;=03-Z%6-%L613%=A%6<%=<7=8<7%+AA=13%
to make News as a 8hared Experience a core value of our coverage.
The LeBron James poetry contest, where people were invited to submit a poem wel-
coming (or not) LeBron to Miami, garnered 1,100 poems in 10 days from 31 states and was
21
covered by The New Yorker, The Huffngton Post, ESPN and NPR's All Things Considered.
WLRN's collaboration with local storytelling group Lip Service, where people were in-
vited to submit a true personal story of South Florida, was performed before a sellout crowd
at the Miracle Theater in Coral Gables. The eight audience-generated stories were broadcast
and turned into a commemorative CD called "Miami Stories.
Our haiku contest, in honor of national poetry month, garnered hundreds of poems and
was featured on NPR's Morning Edition.
The South Florida Flash contest, where people could submit fction, non-fction or poetry
of 305 words or less (305 is Miami's area code), garnered 650 entries. The entries were en-
tered into the "Miami Stories archive at HistoryMiami, and 19 fnalists read their work at a
public event.
8tarted the Florida News Exchange in 8eptember 2011.
Under General Manager John LaBonia's leadership, WLRN founded a statewide story-sharing
network and pays its cost. t was formed as a public service in response to statewide budget
cuts in June 2011 that forced layoffs in public radio newsrooms elsewhere in the state. (The
strength of our newscast underwriting shielded WLRN.) Eight Florida public radio stations use
this network to exchange content and share resources. Nearly 3,500 stories have been shared
in its frst year.
22
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including being the hrst state with both a Local Journalism Center and a
8tatempact site.
One of eight pilot states to host an NPR-funding Statempact reporter, to cover the im-
pact of Florida education policy. We were the frst Statempact team to air a piece on NPR, to
publish a front-page story in a newspaper, and to land an investigation on national air.
One of six pilot states to host a CPB-funded Local Journalism Center, HealthyState.
org, which places a multi-platform health reporter in our newsroom.
One of ffteen stations to participate in PR's State Corruption Project, which in March
2012 will release the frst ever index of state corruption.
We have worked with the Florida Center for nvestigative reporting on more than half a
dozen investigations.
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as the best member station in the 8outheast.
Online News Association award for innovative investigation to Statempact's Charter
School investigation.
Scripps Howard national radio reporting award for our Assisted Living Facility investi-
gation in collaboration with the Miami Herald.
National Headliner Award "Best in Show for radio for investigation in Bail Bondsmen
23
in collaboration with Florida Center for nvestigative Reporting.
WLRN's piece "Patients and Healers, about Miami doctors in Haiti after the earth-
quake, was recognized as "Best in Show across all media in this award competition highlighting
the best work in the 11 states in the Southeastern U.S. WLRN's two wins and four fnalists in
six categories were twice as many as regional powerhouses WUNC, WBHM and WFDD.
WLRN's series of features on the impact of the earthquake in Haiti on life in South
Florida, timed to the six-month anniversary, was picked up for national broadcast by eight
different outlets in a single week. We hosted a live event at Archbishop Curley High School in
Little Haiti. This work was recognized by a slew of national awards, including a regional Murrow
Award.
WLRN's six frst-place awards from the Florida Associated Press, the state's most com-
petitive broadcast award competition, were the most in WLRN history and three times more
than any other radio station in the state, public or commercial.
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Hosted two NPR Kroc fellows in a row (2011 and 2012). Only three member stations a
year host a Kroc fellow. We hired the 2011 fellow, Sarah Gonzalez, for Statempact.
Hosted NPR regional training in May 2011. WLRN was chosen out of 63 stations in the
Southeast to be the site for NPR's frst regional training since 2007.
24
Hosted Knight Foundation-funded PubCamp in August 2010, during which 50 people
spent two days brainstorming about the future of public media.
Hosted WNYC's SourceTexting conference in April 2010, funded by the Knight Founda-
tion. t was a two-day experiment in using text messaging to connect with the Haitian-American
community.
25
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WHY T HE MI AMI HERAL D AND WL RN ARE
ST I CKI NG TOGET HER NI EMAN J OURNAL I SM L AB
9/13/12 11:00 AM A partnership too valuable to give up: Why The Miami Herald and WLRN are sticking together Nieman Journalism Lab
Page 1 of 3 http://www.niemanlab.org/2012/02/a-partnership-too-valuable-to-give-up-why-the-miami-herald-and-wlrn-are-sticking-together/
A partnership too valuable to give up: Why The Miami Herald
and WLRN are sticking together Nieman Journalism Lab
The radio station is moving with the newspaper out of downtown offices because it believes part-
nerships will play a big role in public radios future.
Last summer, McClatchy sold its 14-acre Miami bayfront compound to a Malaysian casi-
no developer for $236 million, sending two news organizations looking for new homes.
The Miami Herald had occupied the space since 1963, and for the past eight years,
WLRN Radio had shared reporters, scoops, and a newsroom with the Herald. (Full dis-
closure: Im a former WLRN employee.)
So with the Herald moving into a former military complex 10 miles west, in the neigh-
$8+Q6<%"6@%41389;+
The radio station is moving with the newspaper out of downtown offces because it believes partnerships will play
a big role in public radio's future.
Last summer, McClatchy sold its 14-acre Miami bayfront compound to a Malaysian casino
developer for $236 million, sending two news organizations looking for new homes. The Miami
Herald had occupied the space since 1963, and for the past eight years, WLRN Radio had
26
shared reporters, scoops, and a newsroom with the Herald. (Full disclosure: I'm a former WLRN
employee.)
So with the Herald moving into a former military complex 10 miles west, in the neigh boring city
of Doral, WLRN's news operation had a choice to make. WLRN's non-news operations already
occupy a separate building in downtown Miami, so the radio news team could have just moved
there. nstead, WLRN will follow the Herald west and build new radio studios together.
"Parting ways was never really on the table, said Rick Hirsch, managing editor at the Herald.
"Someone is going to break something big and you have print, radio, online, and video right
in the middle of it. With other collaboration models in the works for instance, the Knight-
funded plan in Macon, Georgia, to put a j-school, a public radio station, and a newspaper all
under one roof it's worth looking at how the WLRN-Herald collaboration works.
5O618<7%@=3O%,6K-
Last year, WLRN and the Herald collaborated on Neglected to Death, an investigation into
deplorable practices at assisted-living facilities. One radio reporter and three print reporters
were assigned to the investigation, and the team produced a series of print and radio stories.
Print and radio reporters collaborate on daily coverage, as well. Print reporters often duck into
27
the radio studios to give updates on breaking stories. Radio reporters publish stories in the
paper and on the Herald's website.
WLRN and the Herald sometimes borrow reporters from one another. For example, Karen
Burkett runs the Herald's video studio and produces a weekly radio segment on business
and personal fnance. WLRN provides Edirol audio recorders and audio training to Herald
reporters. Veteran print reporters sometimes produce sound-rich features to compliment their
published work. Herald reporters often gather raw audio in their reporting process, and WLRN
hosts and producers weave these sound bites into their newscasts. The radio department will
be fully integrated into the Herald's new building; the 'WLRN-Miami Herald News' co-branding
for all radio news content will remain in place.
Managers at the Herald and WLRN wouldn't discuss the cost of building the new studios.
WLRN general manager John LaBonia said the model would likely follow the ex isting arrange-
ment: The Herald covers the cost of construction and WLRN provides the radio equipment
(microphones, mixing boards, some of the studio's audio-editing software). WLRN employs
the radio staff; the Herald employs the print reporters. WLRN also plans to create a shared
workspace for Herald and WLRN reporters in its downtown Miami offces.
28
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As the Herald's staff has shrunk through layoffs and attrition, WLRN's news staff and bud-
get have grown. Radio news director Dan Grech attributes this growth in part to WLRN's
investment in reporting partnerships. The station has secured two grant-funded positions
a reporter for HealthyState.org, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Local
Journalism Centers, and a reporter for Statempact, the NPR effort formerly known as the
mpact of Government project. WLRN has hosted one NPR Kroc Fellow and is preparing to
welcome a second in the coming months.
Grech says the multipronged investment in reporting partnerships is a proactive move. A for-
mer Herald print reporter himself, Grech says he feels an urgent need to get ahead of the
impending assault to terrestrial radio from the nternet in connected cars.
Grech said he believes the end of the antenna age could massively disrupt public radio's busi-
ness model, and he thinks WLRN's partnership with the Herald gives radio a stronger hand to
play in terms of brand equity and sheer reporting horsepower. For example, WLRN placed an
experienced radio reporter in the Herald's capitol bureau for 20 hours a week. During her frst
month on the job, Grech says the reporter produced about 30 stories. He credits her productivity
in part to her working closely with the Herald's seasoned political reporters.
29
30
" estimate my reporters are two to four times more productive because we work with Herald
reporters, said Grech. "Disruptive technology has not hit radio yet, but believe it's coming.
We need to build up capacity now while times are good.