Last October, I set out to try something different. I wanted to better understand how our reporting was landing with you all. After lots of internal discussions and planning, we launched the survey that you now see at the bottom of all of our locally produced content. Our past attempts at seeking input via survey hadn't worked great, so I wasn’t sure how this would go. Would people actually take the time to fill out the survey and let us know how well we're serving you and where we are falling short.
To date, we have more than 1,200 responses. THANK YOU!
You see, for me, this isn’t an exercise in checking the box. I read every single piece of feedback submitted, and many have led to discussions that we might not have had if not for you.
Something to think about
You’ve usually told us that we’re doing a good job. Around 93% of you who answered the survey said you learned something from the news story. Around 85% said multiple sides were considered adequately represented. That particular question concerning multiple perspectives is one that I’ve spent a lot of late nights and even more early mornings thinking about.
We do a lot of what’s called spot news coverage, especially for the segment of our audience who listen to our stories. Spot news means shorter stories that may include only one side or briefly touch on “the other side.” These spot news stories are typically driven by what’s happening in the news on any given day. So, from a story about a lawmaker filing a lawsuit to get on the ballot to Orlando dropping historic preservation requirements in favor of more development downtown, we are keeping you up to date on what’s happening. We are reporting on issues that are important to you in a non-sensational way. We are delivering the facts. We are not necessarily exploring multiple angles in that one story designed to be a quick hitter.
We have not and will not move away from the longer form, in-depth coverage that we are known for. You know, those stories that humanize an issue and offer context and analysis. However, we are leaning more into pieces that are shorter in length but no less important. Our goal is to serve you in a more comprehensive way.
And if you are one of those people who decided to read the story instead of solely listening, you’ll notice that those written pieces often give a whole lot more context and information, because we aren’t limited there by the amount of time we have to give you the story.
What you’ve said
It’s positive, yes, but not ALL positive. Some of you have reached out to tell us when we’ve gotten it wrong. For example, a story about Port Canaveral being the busiest port for cruise ships. In our initial headline, we simply said it was the busiest port. Not only did we reach out to thank the community member who called us out on our error, we quickly changed our headline and issued a correction.
At the very heart of what we do is transparency.
We’ve heard from so many of you noting additional questions you’ve had after listening or reading our stories. While we’ve wanted to pursue many of these ideas, we aren’t always able. We are a small team doing a mighty job. I am proud to say that when we can, we do pursue those ideas and sometimes they become segments, like this one featured on our space show “Are We There Yet?”
When we can’t pursue them right away, those questions, those thoughts and ideas stick with us and inform our future reporting.
You’ve told us you appreciate the work we do to keep you all informed or tell us we need to tighten up our writing or question a perceived bias. For example, the comment below was on one of the many property tax stories we’ve done after lawmakers put a proposal on the November ballot that would slash property taxes for some.
“You explained the left position without any concrete examples in a way that helps their case. Very one-sided. How much of the budget is really funded by property taxes? Everyone is taxed to death on everything! Put it in the proper context.”
Our goal is never to frame an issue in a way that gives preference to one side or the other, but to explain what’s happening, focusing on the facts. Either way, the feedback you give is incredibly valuable, and we want you to know we’re paying attention, so please, keep it coming.
