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Many news outlets across the country are
discussing the decision of a small online newspaper in Pasadena
to outsource local reporting to India. The editor and publisher, James Macpherson,
acknowledged that the idea of having someone in another country report on local
issues seemed strange, but he thinks “it could be a significant way to increase
the quality of journalism on a local level without the expense that is a major
problem for local publications…Whether you’re at a desk in Pasadena or a desk
in Mumbai, you’re still just a phone call or e-mail away from the interview.”
I absolutely
understand and appreciate the challenges that face smaller publications. Time, staff and resources are extremely
limited. Perhaps it is more cost
effective to hire someone (or in this case two people) based in India to
provide the 15 articles per week that he expects. However, hiring people on the other side of
the world to report small town news pretty much defeats the purpose of local
reporting. Sure, you can access
information online and email or call interviewees, but does that really replace
being in the field? The reporter is
missing the social context surrounding the events and issues on which they are
reporting.
A thoughtful
piece on the announcement in Foothill Cities, a blog based in the area, points
out, “At the least, it would be very difficult to understand the issues
Pasadena faces, from a development perspective, without having your feet on the
ground, without walking the streets of Pasadena…it’s difficult to imagine
anyone being able to offer original content on the renovation of Pasadena’s
City Hall without ever being able to visit.”
Without
witnessing the events and people in person, the reporting loses its
emotion. There is no human interest, just
straight facts. You may be able to
conduct an interview by phone or email, but you cannot observe a person’s body
language and see their facial expressions.
Perhaps this will work for Pasadena Now, but in the bigger picture, the continued practice of outsourcing
local reporting will have tremendous negative consequences for local journalism
as a whole.
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