Our guest today was David Sommerstein, News Director of North Country Public Radio (NCPR) and host of The Beat Authority (Fridays, 3 – 5PM). David spoke about the state of journalism as a whole and NCPR’s local presence in providing truly local reporting on North Country events and activities. David also talked about the current situation with National Public Radio (NPR) and how that organization conducts news coverage. The difference between NPR and NCPR was explained with insight on how the two organizations are funded (donations, grants, tax dollars, sponsorships). It was a lively Q & A session with our members, a number of whom are NCPR supporters and fans of David’s show. David talked about the content of NCPR’s locally produced shows and how important it is for a journalist to attend local government meetings where most times it’s only the NCPR reporter present. We also heard a brief segment of the nationally recognized podcast “If All Else Fails” NCPR can heard on traditional FM radio, on the web at www.ncpr.org, the NCPR app or wherever you access your favorite podcasts. The web and app provide livestreams or you can customize your listening experience.
