Al's Morning Meeting

Yesterday, we kicked off the series with secrets to writing short. Tomorrow, we will show you how radio journalists are using photographs and multimedia online to tell their stories beyond what they air on the radio.

I really like this online toolbox put together by the Society of Environmental Journalists.

I especially appreciate the list of 50 "really serious scientist sources on climate (who would probably be glad to talk to a journalist)." The list includes phone numbers and e-mails for many of the sources. What a great service for journalism.

The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune found that the slowdown in the housing market will cost local government nearly a million dollars in building-permit fees this year compared to last year.

Add to that the other fees that counties charge for selling homes -- and in Florida, when a home is sold, it is reassessed at a higher value so counties make a ton of money in property taxes.

What has the slowdown in property sales and construction meant to your local government's finances?

Al's Morning Multimedia: The 40-Year Anniversary of 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T'

The Detroit Free Press did a spectacular job unraveling the story behind the song that made Aretha Franklin iconic. But it was more than a hit song. It was an anthem, an awakening. It was a demand for respect for women and for blacks. I like the way the story teaches. Aretha had a cold when she recorded the song, and her voice cracked. In the hundreds of times I have heard the song, I never heard that blip in her voice. That is what great storytelling does. It teaches, entertains and develops memorable moments. This is real "experiential" storytelling.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published new safety warnings about those kid sneakers that have wheels in them. The study does acknowledge that the exercise kids get using these things is good and that most injuries occur when kids are just learning to skate.

While most firearm sales these days are flat, the sale of "black rifles" -- AR-15s and M-16s, which some call assault rifles -- are pretty hot, according to The New York Times. What's driving their sales? The main thing is that somebody is always attempting to ban them. The Times says:

"Whenever there's a push like this, business increases as people buy a firearm while they can," says Mark Westrom, president of ArmaLite Inc., a maker of black rifles in Geneseo, Ill. "If you want to sell something to Americans, just tell them they can't have it."

In a world where news is delivered on gas pumps these days, it is tempting to think that the days when radio was a vital source of information might be waning. A study by Arbitron [PDF] would prove you wrong.

Arbitron studied radio listeners' patterns before and after hurricanes and learned some vital lessons:

• TV is the most preferred way to prepare for a storm.

• Radio is the key during and after a storm.

The 2005 study showed that smart TV stations, newspapers and online sites should build partnerships with radio stations for the following reasons (quoted from the study):

• When the lights go out, the radios go on. Radio audience estimates increased in most cases once the storms made landfall and listeners experienced power loss. The perceptual study, diary comments and audience estimates all support this. Since 86 percent of people lost power during the storms, radio became invaluable.

• While residents waited for the impacts of the storms, television was their medium of choice. They felt television had the most up-to-date information.

• Radio audiences are biggest during or after the storm hits, not before. In many cases, radio listening was flat or dropped in the days before impact, and then increased significantly as the storm began to make landfall. Many listeners were preparing their homes for the hurricanes and watching television to get information as the storm approached.

• Radio was the No. 1 choice for a source of information during the storms. Although listeners preferred television in the preparation stages, 51 percent of them said radio was their medium of choice during the storm. Radio was the top choice because it is battery powered, portable, and has a dependable signal.

• The more local the information, the better. Listeners felt that much information pertained to large metro areas and excluded smaller communities within the coverage area. This is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of traditional radio's unique local strength.

• Portable, battery-powered radios were preferable to battery-powered televisions. They were more portable, conserved batteries better and had more dependable signals.

• Many radio stations simulcast with news-formatted radio stations or television stations, but only for one to three days on average. Through diary comments and the perceptual study, it was clear that listeners understood the need for simulcasting and viewed it as media outlets working together to provide the best information for residents.

• Listeners were loyal to their usual stations. Of those using radio as their primary information source, 58 percent listened to their usual station.

• Radio did an outstanding job providing information during and after the storms. Diaries and the perceptual study both revealed that listeners were grateful for the service radio provided during the weather crisis.

• Diarykeepers return diaries, even in natural-disaster situations. Arbitron survey respondents who consented to keeping diaries did so even during the storms. Consequently, response rates did not show a decline in many markets during the emergency. Listening locations included "shelter," and notes on day pages included apologies that diaries were late due to evacuations.
  

The study "Radio's Role During a National Crisis" [PDF] found much the same sort of thing after the Sept. 11 attacks. And here is an example of diary comments, collected from markets hit by Hurricane Katrina.

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We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.

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Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and inaccuracies found will be corrected.