The Voice Needed

With the recent violence in Charlottesville, the protests in Boston and the issues concerning racism our country has been facing, I felt it is was important and necessary to discuss the role our industry plays during moments such as these ... especially with younger generations.

The new wave of listeners are the most culturally diverse we've ever had, and they care about fighting for issues that can affect real change to unify our communities on levels others may not understand. We have chosen social media as an outlet to express frustration and passion for current issues such as these because we are given a voice. Over the last couple weeks, every social network has been flooded by people posting their opinions and emotions about what happened in Virginia. Many post using the hashtag #Charlottesville to unite and create a safe community of support. Our industry can't stay silent. We need to speak up by being more involved in these important issues in the moment they are occurring.

Much has been made about broadcasters struggling with how to continue to connect with the listener, but here is the perfect opportunity for our industry to prove its strength and show the emerging audience what differentiates radio from other audio options. As an industry that prides itself on live and local, radio can't be afraid to take the temperature of our local community and what is affecting them, even if it may seem too controversial. If radio wants to keep listeners engaged and even attract new, younger listeners, we need to become The Voice Needed.

There are too many audio options these days for younger generations to choose from. Radio has been trying to figure out how to break the tie and attract listeners away from the big names in streaming audio. This is our opportunity to break the tie, bridge that gap and reclaim our rightful throne in the audio universe. Radio connects through emotion. Radio has reach. Radio is live and local. Radio has the on-air personalities ingrained in the fiber of each community. Radio can make a difference by giving a voice to our passion. That deep connection that our stations can create is something that even social media can't compete with!

Take the first step. Take a pulse of what issues matter most, not just from the top down but from the listeners in your community. Use your platform to create change. Drive that local initiative across your cluster and focus on being service oriented. Commit to this quarterly. Use all station assets you have to support this and encourage everyone to be involved.

Here's why it's even more important to reflect the voice of the community ... It's our responsibility. Yes, that's right, that's what we signed up for as broadcasters. Not just when a natural disaster occurs or when it's comfortable, but when the community needs us to be their voice. We cannot stand by and just watch or go on business as usual while our community is in chaos. That's not what our industry was founded on. We can't abandon our listeners' fight or be afraid to put their voices on the air. Just because it may not seem to be a personal fight to one person, doesn't mean it's not a fight that matters most. We don't always have to agree, but as an industry, we can't stay silent. At least I can't ... especially after the violence that occurred in Charlottesville.