(By William Pollack)
AI is often portrayed as a threat to American workers. But in one struggling industry, local media, it may be part of the solution. I don’t pretend to understand every aspect of AI; I can only discuss what it means for the business I know best: small and medium, independently owned media. On these pages, I have discussed the absence and even the danger of disappearing local media. They are called “news deserts,” meaning a lack of full-time local news coverage in markets of all sizes, particularly in smaller towns and cities.
Too often, experienced journalists don’t cover local politicians, city council meetings, and/or legislative efforts, or they can’t. Citizens can be negatively impacted by everything from tax increases to changes in school curricula with little or no public awareness. The decline of newspapers and the regional reach of network-affiliated television stations leave many smaller markets overlooked. But radio is different. Local radio stations can provide instant local coverage listeners don’t get elsewhere. Sometimes, I don’t think our fellow radio broadcasters truly realize the gold in their over-the-air frequencies. The internet is for the world, and satellite radio serves all time zones without regard to local towns and cities, but radio is designed to serve the communities it is licensed to. I don’t see AI replacing people, but in media, particularly radio, this technology handles menial tasks expertly while people focus on what matters to the community.
This isn’t to suggest there aren’t many outstanding broadcasters, or, for that matter, television and newspaper journalists who cover their communities’ events professionally and consistently. Despite the growing “news deserts,” AI is handling or assisting with desk jobs people used to do all day, such as accounting, commercial scheduling, alerting staff to new businesses that might bring in additional advertising revenue, answering the phone, and sending messages to employees. At the same time, the staff, including advertising sales representatives and the station’s on-air personalities, can spend more time on the “streets” with the business community, covering the news, and serving the public. As I learned long ago, businesses, including media, succeed when the public trusts and has confidence in them, something only humans can provide. AI cannot walk into a prospective client’s business and shake the owner’s hand, cover a city council meeting, or host a live remote broadcast; people do that. AI presents extraordinary opportunities for local stations to serve their communities in limitless ways. It lets them use the technology while people can devote more effort to better serving their community. Of course, many media outlets and all kinds of businesses use AI this way, and I have much to learn.
Importantly, letting AI handle tasks on jobs that free up employees to create better opportunities may lead to more hiring. AI can handle jobs that don’t require much community input, allowing people, a business’ most important asset, to focus on what truly drives success. The future of local media won’t be secured by replacing people. It might be secured by using technology to put people back where they belong, in their communities. AI isn’t the enemy of local media. It might just be one tool that helps save it.
William Pollack has spent four decades owning and operating local radio stations, television stations, and movie theaters. He is a regular contributor to the Washington Examiner.
