>> ON THIS MONTH'S EDITION OF CONNECT-NEW YORK, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT BEN FRANKLIN, LEARN ABOUT A CENTRAL NEW YORK NEWSPAPERMAN FROM THE 19TH CENTURY AND - FAST FORWARD TO TODAY - FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LOCAL NEWS LANDSCAPE.

DON'T GO ANYWHERE, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

♪ ♪ >> WELCOME TO CONNECT-NEW YORK, I'M DAVID LOMBARDO - HOST OF WCNY'S THE CAPITOL PRESSROOM, A DAILY PUBLIC RADIO SHOW BROADCASTING FROM THE STATE CAPITOL.

TODAY'S PROGRAM REVOLVES AROUND THE STATE OF LOCAL JOURNALISM AND WHERE IT'S HEADING - BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S FIRST LOCAL JOURNALISTS - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN - WHO WAS THE SUBJECT OF A RECENT KEN BURNS DOCUMENTARY YOU CAN FIND AT PBC.ORG/BENJAMINFRANKLIN.

WE SPOKE ABOUT FRANKLIN WITH DAVID SCHMIDT, A PRODUCER OF THE TWO-PART FILM.

THANKS FOR JOINING US DAVID.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

>> NICE TO BE HERE, DAVID.

BEN FRANKLIN SAID FISH AND VISITORS STINK IN THREE DAYS.

I'LL TRY NOT TO OVERSTAY MY WELCOME.

I APPRECIATE THE INVITE.

>> I APPRECIATE THAT ANECDOTE.

SO THE STORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN IS A STORY THAT EVERYONE SEEMS TO KNOW ON VARYING DEGREES OR CAN LOOK UP ON WIKIPEDIA.

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT TELLING AN INTERESTING STORY ABOUT HIS WIFE, CONSIDERING THE AUDIENCE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON PBS HAS PROBABLY CONSUMED A BEN FRANKLIN BIOGRAPHY IN THEIR TIME?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, I THOUGHT I KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT BEN FRANKLIN BEFORE I STARTED WORKING ON THIS AND EVERY DAY WAS A CONSTANT EMBARRASSMENT THAT NO, I DID NOT.

AND I SUSPECT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SIT DOWN ON THEIR COUCHES THINKING THEY KNOW SOMETHING AND FIND THAT THEY DON'T.

EVEN IF YOU DO KNOW THE STORY, IF YOU KNOW IT COLD, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT KNOW IT'S AN INTERESTING STORY.

SO IF YOU KNOW HIS BIOGRAPHY, AS WELL AS WALTER ISAACSON, YOU ARE GOING TO ENJOY REVISITING HIM FOR FOUR HOURS BECAUSE HE IS A LOT AND A LOT OF FUN AND A LOT OF THOUGHT PROVOKING QUESTIONS AND SOMEBODY THAT I THINK EVEN IF YOU KNOW HIM WELL, YOU ARE GOING TO ENJOY SPENDING MORE TIME WITH HIM.

>> HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THEN DURING THAT TIME THAT YOU MAKE SURE HE IS A FIGURE NOT FROZEN IN TIME BUT COMES ACROSS AS SOMEONE WHO WAS A REAL PERSON?

>> A GREAT QUESTION.

AND IT IS DIFFICULT.

I MEAN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE 70-YEAR-OLD OVERWEIGHT BALDING MAN WITH WISPY HAIR THAT WE KNOW FROM THE 100-DOLLAR BILL.

I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IT FROM BEING IN MY POCKET BUT WE KNOW THE IMAGE.

YOU'VE SEEN IT ON TV.

AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE IMAGE WE FIRST GO TO IN OUR HEADS AND YOU KNOW, I'M THANKFUL WE HAVE EVEN THAT.

BEN FRANKLIN DIED IN 1790, THE YEAR OF THE FIRST U.S. CENSUS AND THERE WERE 3.9 OTHER MILLION AMERICANS KNOWN AT THAT TIME AND WE KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT THOSE 3.9 MILLION AMERICANS.

I'M GRATEFUL WE HAVE THAT IMAGE IN OLD AGE BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THAT HE WAS NOT ALWAYS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OLD AGE.

HE WAS AT SOME POINT IN HIS LIFE, A YOUNGER PERSON HE WAS STRONG.

HE WAS FULL OF LIFE.

HE WAS ACTIVE.

HE WAS A LABORER IN A PRINT SHOP.

THAT TOOK A LOT.

HE IS ACTUALLY AN INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME IF YOU BELIEVE THAT.

AND HE WASN'T ALWAYS THAT OLD GUY THAT WE KNOW.

HE WAS FULL OF LIFE AND I THINK WHAT WE ARE ALSO FORTUNATE ABOUT, IS THAT HE HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO SO MANY GENERATIONS OF AMERICANS THAT WE CAN SEE HIM AS A YOUNGER MAN PAINTED ABOUT I PEOPLE WHO IMAGINED HIM AFTER HIS DEATH.

FOR THE FIRST IMAGE OF HIM IN LIFETIME, WHEN HE WAS 42 YEARS OLD.

NORM NORMAN ROCKWELL PAINTED HIM AS A YOUNGER MAN.

SOME OF THE OTHER ARTISTS THROUGHOUT HISTORY.

WE MAYBE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT OOKED LIKE BUT WE CAN IMAGINE HIM THAT WAY AND IT'S HELPFUL FOR US IN THE STORY TELLING THAT WE HAVE THOSE IMAGES TO DRAW ON.

>> AS A JOURNALIST, I'M INTRIGUED BY BEN FRANKLIN'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE, WHICH CAN BE SEEN BOTH IN TERMS OF OUR GOVERNMENT'S HANDS OFF APPROACH TO THE PRESS AND THE NON-PARTISAN APPROACH OF MOST NEWS OUTLETS.

WHAT DOES THAT LEGACY STEM FROM?

WHAT DURING HIS TIME, IS CRAFTING AMERICA, THAT LET HIM HAVE THAT LASTING FOOTPRINT?

>> GREAT QUESTION.

THE 18th CENTURY WAS A REVOLUTIONARY TIME IN POLITICS, SIGH SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, LITERATURE AND PUBLISHING.

FRANKLIN, WHEN HE FIRST GOT INTO THE BUSINESS AS AN APPRENTICE TO HIS BROTHER, WORKED FOR HIS BROTHER JAMES' NEWSPAPER AND JAMES NEWSPAPER THE NEW ENGLAND CURRENT WAS THE FIRST IN BOSTON THAT WAS NOT A STATE NEWSPAPER.

ALL THE OTHERS WERE PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.

THIS WAS NOT.

AT ONE POINT JAMES WAS ACTUALLY JAILED FOR WHAT HE HAD WRITTEN IN HIS NEWSPAPER.

IT BECOMES A STORY OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.

LATER IN LIFE WHEN HE RAN HIS OWN NEWSPAPER, HE WAS A VALIDLY NON-PARTISAN IN WHAT HE PUT ON THERE.

HE WANTED OPINIONS OF ALL KINDS AND HE WROTE IN HIS APOLOGIES FOR PRINTERS, IF ALL PRINTERS WERE DETERMINED NOT TO PRINT ANYTHING UNTIL THEY WERE SURE IT WOULD NOT OFFEND ANYBODY, THERE WOULD BE VERY LITTLE PRINTED HE DECIDED HE WAS NOT GOING TO LEAVE OFF PRINTING.

I'M GOING TO CONTINUE WITH WHAT I DO.

I'M NOT GOING TO MELT MY LETTERS AND GIVE UP THE TRADE.

LET'S JUST KEEP PUTTING THE TRUTH OUT THERE BECAUSE IF THE TRUTH AND ERROR HAVE FAIR PLAY, TRUTH WILL WIN.

>> HE SAW THE PRINTING PRESS AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WHICH WAS CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY AT THE TIME.

HOW DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED SOCIAL MEDIA IF HE WERE A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR IN THE 21st CENTURY?

DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE GRAVITATED TOWARD TWITTER, FOR EXAMPLE?

I THINK HE WAS FLUID AND HE COULD FIT INTO ANY VESSEL THAT APPROACHED HIM.

WHETHER HIS SCIENCE WORK, DIPLOMATIC WORK, STATESMANSHIP, PRINT MAKING, ET CETERA WHEN HE WAS IN FRANCE, HE ADAPTED TO THE CULTURE.

IF HE HAD TWITTER IN FRONT OF HIM AND WE KNOW HE COULD WRITE 140 CHARACTERS, HE WOULD HAVE HAD A GOOD TIME WITH IT AND HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MORE FOLLOWED PEOPLE AND WE WOULD GET A LOT OF HIS SENSE OF HUMOR THERE BUT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE BECAUSE HE HAD A FINGER TO THE PULSE OF WHERE EVERYBODY WAS BECAUSE OF HIS ROLE AS A PRINTER.

HE REALLY UNDERSTOOD PEOPLE.

>> YOU DON'T THINK HE WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN BY A MIDNIGHT DRUNK TWEET WHERE HE SENT AN ERRANT MESSAGE ABOUT JOHN ADAMS NOT KNOWING WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

I THINK HE LIKED TO SAY HE-- HE LIKED TO LISTEN AND NOT SPEAK TOO LOUDLY BEFORE THINKING ABOUT WHAT HE HAD.

I THINK HE WOULD HAVE HAD SOME PATIENCE ON THAT SIDE, BUT I DON'T KNOW.

>> HE WOULD SAVE THE TWEETS IN THE DRAFT BEFORE SENDING THEM OUT.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

AND HE DID THAT LITERALLY WITH YOU KNOW, AT THE START OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, HE WROTE A LETTER TO ONE OF HIS FRIENDS IN ENGLAND AND IT SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US?

YOU WERE ONCE MY FRIENDS AND YOU ARE NOW MY ENEMY AND I AM YOURS.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

AND THAT WAS HIS SIGNATURE.

IT WAS PRETTY FUNNY.

HE PASSED IT AROUND TO HIS FRIENDS BUT DID NOT SEND IT.

IT WAS BURIED IN HIS DRAFTS.

>> WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNICATION MORE BROADLY THOUGH, DO YOU THINK BEN FRANKLIN'S LEGACIES MORE ON THE SIDE OF JOURNALISM OR PUBLIC RELATIONS SINCE HE WAS COGNIZANT OF BRANDING BOTH HIS OWN AND THIS NEW COUNTRY.

>> WALTER ISAACSON SAID IN OUR FILM, HE COULD DO WELL FOR HIMSELF BY DOING GOOD AND I THINK THAT THAT IS WHAT HE LOOKED AT THE NEWSPAPER AS A MEANS TO DO.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT HIS NEWSPAPER HAD ADVERTISEMENTS FOR RUNAWAY SLAVES AND SLAVES FOR SALE AND WAS PROFITING OFF THE BUSINESS OF SLAVERY SO THERE WERE TIMES WHEN HE CERTAINLY WAS NOT DOING WELL WITH HIS WORK.

AND I THINK THAT YOUR QUESTION WHETHER HE WAS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS OR A JOURNALIST, I THINK IT COULD BE BOTH.

I THINK HE KNEW HOW TO SELL HIMSELF AND HOW TO SELL HIS NEWSPAPER.

>> YOU JUST REFERENCED FRANKLIN'S TROUBLING HISTORY WITH SLAVERY, WHILE HE BECAME AN ARDENT ABOLITIONIST LATE IN LIFE, HE PROFITED FROM SLAVERY AND BENEFITED FROM THE SYSTEM AND THERE ARE OTHER WAYS WE CAN HOLD A 21ST CENTURY MICROSCOPE OR EVEN AN 18th CENTURY MICROSCOPE TO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND BE CONCERNED WITH HIS LEGACY.

DO YOU THINK HE PASSES MUSTER THROUGH THE VALUES AND MORALS OF THE LENS THAT WE LOOK AT TODAY, OR WOULD HE BE SAY, COMING DOWN FROM SCHOOLS AND OTHER POTENTIAL WAYS THAT WE REVERE HIM, $100 BILL FOR EXAMPLE?

>> I DON'T THINK HE HOLDS UP TO THE 18th CENTURY SCRUTINY.

HE DOESN'T HOLD UP BY HIS OWN SCRUTINY.

AT THE END OF HIS LIFE HE WAS AN ARDENT ABOLITIONIST AND FULL THROATED ENDORSEMENT FOR IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES.

BEFORE THAT HE WAS AN ENSLAVER AND XENOPHOBE.

ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE.

WHAT I THINK IS THE MOST USEFUL TRAIT AND EXAMPLE HE SET IS THAT HE WAS WILLING TO OWN THAT HE WAS WRONG AND TO AND HE FAILED AND TO CHANGE HIS MIND AND BE A BETTER PERSON EVERY DAY AND HE FAILED ON THAT OFTEN, BUT JUST DESIRE TO WANT TO DO THAT IS A VIRTUE I THINK WE CAN HOLD OURSELVES TO BECAUSE IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BE BETTER PEOPLE.

>> AND DESPITE SOME OF BEN FRANKLIN'S PERSONAL FAILINGS, THE SERIES HIGHLIGHTS HOW HE WAS A RENAISSANCE MAN AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF POLITICS, SCIENCE AND CIVIC LIFE.

DO YOU THINK IF HE CAME ALONG NOW, HE WOULD HAVE THE SAME IMPACT ON THE WORLD, OR DO YOU THINK THAT HE IS A PRODUCT OF THE TIME AND PLACE BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, HE WAS ONE OF 3.9 MILLION AMERICANS AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH OPPOSED TO NOW WHICH HE WOULD BE ONE OF 300 MILLION IN A WORLD OF MORE THAN SIX BILLION PEOPLE.

>> I THINK IF HE WERE BORN AROUND THE TIME YOU OR I WERE BORN, I DON'T THINK HE WOULD BE THE SAME RENAISSANCE PERSON AS HE WAS IN HIS LIFETIME.

I THINK THAT'S JUST A PRODUCT OF PROFESSIONALS TODAY ARE MUCH MORE SPECIALIZED.

I THINK THERE IS A LOT MORE SPECIALIZATION IN OUR WORKFORCE THESE DAYS.

AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY SURE THAT'S A BAD THING.

DOORS ARE OPEN TO MORE PEOPLE AND THERE ARE MORE OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.

I WOULD SAY IT'S WORTH REMEMBERING, WORTH CONSIDERING THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH FRANKLIN'S ABILITIES ALIVE TODAY.

THERE HAVE TO BE.

IT'S JUST A PRODUCT OF MATH.

THERE ARE EIGHT BILLION PEOPLE, RIGHT?

AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WITH FRANKLIN'S ABILITIES IN HIS OWN TIME THAT WE JUST DON'T KNOW THEIR NAMES.

WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT EVEN BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HAD AND HE WASN'T BORN ELITE.

BUT JUST BEING ABLE TO READ WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM AND LITERACY WAS KEPT FROM A LOT OF HIS FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS IN THIS TIME PERIOD.

SO I THINK WHAT I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WAS WHAT AREN'T WE GETTING BY OPENING MORE DOORS AND MAYBE WE SHOULD OPEN MORE DOORS AND MAYBE WE CAN OPEN MORE DOORS TO MORE PEOPLE AND OFFER MORE OPPORTUNITY AND THEN WE'LL GET SOME OF WHAT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BROUGHT TO HUMANITY.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAN OFFER A LOT TO HUMAN KIND IF WE OPEN THE DOOR TO ALL OF THE THE CONSTITUENTS.

>> FINALLY, THERE IS A LITTLE KNOWN MUSICAL ABOUT THE FOUNDING FATHER HAMILTON, MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT IT.

WON A FEW TONIES.

LIN MANUEL MIRANDA PENNED A LONG SONG WITH LYRICS ABOUT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND ULTIMATELY THE SONG DID NOT MAKE IT INTO THE SHOW.

THERE IS A VERSION OF IT RECORDED BY THE DECEMBERIST.

DO YOU THINK THIS MUSICAL WOULD HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE PRESENCE OF BEN FRANKLIN?

[LAUGHTER] >> I THINK THAT THE MUSICAL WAS PRETTY GOOD AS IT WAS.

I DON'T THINK HAMILTON SPENT MUCH TIME WITH FRANKLIN SO IT MIGHT HAVE FELT OUT OF PLACE.

I'M SO THANKFUL LIN MANUEL MIRANDA WROTE THE SONG BECAUSE IT'S HILARIOUS.

AND I THINK IT'S WORTH EVERYONE LISTENING TO.

THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS.

EXPLICIT AND NON.

I LIKE THE EXPLICIT VERSION.

IT'S NOT 100% TRUTHFUL TAKE ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BUT IT'S WORTHWHILE TAKE AND YOU WILL LEARN SOMETHING.

>> WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH DAVID SCHMITT, PRODUCER FOR THE TWO-PART DOCUMENTARY SERIES BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING THE TIME.

I APPRECIATE IT.

>> GREAT TO BE HERE, DAVID.

>> AND NOW FOR OUR PANEL DISCUSSION, WE'RE JOINED IN THE STUDIO BY JEREMY BOYER, EXEECUTIVE EDITOR OF THE CITIZEN, A CENTRAL NEW YORK NEWSPAPER - AND J. ELLIOT LEWIS, A JOURNALISM PROFESSOR WITH SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, AND FORMER BROADCAST JOURNALIST - AND JOINING US REMOTELY IS JULIE MCMAHON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF CENTRAL CURRENT, A NON-PROFIT NEWS OUTLET COVERING ONONDAGA COUNTY.

SO JEREMY, AS THE LONE PANELIST PRODUCING DAILY LOCAL JOURNALISM RIGHT NOW HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU GO TO WORK EACH DAY AND HOW DO YOU FEEL WITH YOUR INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE?

>> IT'S A LOT OF MIXED FEELINGS HONESTLY BECAUSE THERE IS GOOD, ENCOURAGING TRENDS HAPPENING.

YOU KNOW, LOCALLY, IN OUR MARKET, AND I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A SIMILAR STORY IN A LOT OF MARKETS LIKE OURS BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME VERY TROUBLING TRENDS OVERALL.

I MEAN YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T BEEF UP ON MY RESEARCH BEFORE I CAME IN, BUT YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF WORKING JOURNALISTS, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW IS WAY DOWN FROM WHERE IT WAS 10, 15 YEARS AGO.

AND THAT CERTAINLY HAS AN IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF INFORMATION THAT THE PUBLIC GETS.

IT JUST CAN'T HELP BUT NOT HAVE AN IMPACT.

I FEEL IT EVERY DAY IN THE WORK WE DO WHERE, YOU KNOW, I'LL COME ACROSS THINGS THAT, THAT'S A GOOD STORY, THAT'S A GOOD STORY, THAT'S A GOOD STORY AND YOU LOOK OUT AND SAY OKAY, WHO CAN DO THIS?

AND YOU ALREADY GOT PEOPLE LINED UP DOING TWO OR THREE OTHER GOOD STORIES.

SO THINGS FALL BY THE WAYSIDE THE MORE JOURNALISTS WE LOSE.

THE THING THAT ENCOURAGES ME, YOU KNOW, IN OUR MARKET AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK MAYBE IN SOME OTHER SPOTS, TOO, IS YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEEING A INDUSTRIAL STRONG GROWTH IN OUR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS WHERE PEOPLE, I THINK, ARE FINALLY STARTING TO COME AROUND TO, YOU KNOW,-- FIRST OF ALL, DIGITAL IS WHERE MOST PEOPLE GET THEIR NEWS.

IT'S JUST A BASIC FACT.

WE STILL HAVE A GOOD SOLID PRINT SUBSCRIBER BASE BUT DIGITAL IS OUR OVERWHELMING AUDIENCE.

AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE PAYING FOR THAT, ARE WILLING TO PAY.

IT'S A LOT CHEAPER THAN GETTING IT HOME DELIVERY SUBSCRIPTION FOR ONE THING.

BUT THEY GET IT.

THEY GET FULL ACCESS TO ALL OUR PRODUCTS AND WE HAVE SEEN GREAT GROWTH IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS.

IN OUR MARKET.

AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS THAT WE ARE UNIQUE THAT NOBODY IS REALLY COVERING AUBURN AND CAYUGA COUNTY ON A DAILY BASIS ANYWAY, WHEN THERE IS A MASSIVE PUBLIC SAFETY EVENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN THE TV CREWS WILL COME OVER AND DO SOMETHING.

BUT BY AND LARGE, DAY TO DAY, YOUR CITY COUNCILS, SCHOOL BOARDS, WE ARE THE ONLY ONES DOING THAT AND THERE IS STILL AN AUDIENCE AND MARKET FOR THAT AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE THERE IS SOME HOPE THERE THAT WE ARE FIGURING OUT, YOU KNOW, A LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE MODEL TO LOCAL JOURNALISM.

>> I WANT TO UNPACK WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE MEDIUM IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE CONSUMING IT.

BUT FIRST I WANT TO TOUCH ON THE FACT THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGED HOW THE NEWSROOMS HAVE BEEN DISAPPEARING OVER THE LAST 10, 15 YEARS AND REALLY ACCELERATED IN THE WAKE OF THE GREAT RECESSION.

ELLIOT, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF ALL OF THESE LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS CLOSING THEIR DOORS, THE EMERGENCE OF LOCAL NEWS DESERTS, WHAT IS THE RAMIFICATIONS TO SOCIETY?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN NOT TO HAVE SOMEONE IN THE TOWN BOARD MEETING OR AT THE PARADE, FOR EXAMPLE.

WHAT IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT?

>> I THINK IT MAKES US LESS CONNECTED AS A COMMUNITY.

AND WE HAVE-- DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY WE WOULD OTHERWISE TO INFLUENCE OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

AND THE DECISIONS THAT THEY MAKE.

YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL OR A MAYOR COULD GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS WAS THROUGH THE LOCAL MEDIA, RIGHT?

AND NOW EVERY POLITICIAN HAS A FACEBOOK PAGE, HAS A WEBSITE, HAS A TWITTER ACCOUNT.

AND QUITE FRANKLY, THEY DON'T NEED US ANYMORE TO GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT.

THEY CAN POST A STATEMENT ON FACEBOOK.

THEY CAN HAVE SOMEBODY ON THEIR STAFF TAKE A VIDEO OF THEM ON THEIR CELL PHONE AND POST THAT ON TWITTER AND GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT TO THE CONSTITUENTS THAT WAY.

SO WHERE IS THE WATCHDOG FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT BEING PERFORMED IF THAT'S HOW CITY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE ABLE TO GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH JOURNALISTS, RIGHT, WHO MIGHT ASK SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS.

WE WOULD HOPE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE SIMPLY A P.R.

MACHINE FOR THOSE POLITICIANS, BUT WOULD ASK SOME CHALLENGING QUESTIONS.

AND RAISE SOME QUESTIONS, DO SOME FACT CHECKING ABOUT SOME OF THE CLAIMS THAT OUR ELECTED LEADERS MAY BE MAKING FROM TIME TO TIME.

SO I THINK THAT'S A VERY REAL CONCERN.

THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY ABLE TO LEAP FROG OVER US NOW AND TALK DIRECT TO THE VOTERS AND THAT'S NOT AN ENTIRELY BAD THING, RIGHT?

BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THOSE MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES, THOSE JOURNALISTS ON THE GROUND DOING THAT OLD SHOE LEATHER REPORTING, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE ARE RUNNING THE RISK OF GETTING A REALLY SKEWED MESSAGE.

>> YOUR ORGANIZATION, CENTRAL CURRENT, IS AN OUTLET GOING TO EXIST ONLINE.

SO YOU ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE MEDIUM THAT THE PROFESSOR WAS TALKING ABOUT, HOW IT IS BEING USED, TO ALMOST KIR COME VENT-- TO CIRCUMVENT THE MEDIA, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BENEFITS TO JOURNALISTS FROM THE RISE OF THE INTERNET?

AND I GUESS THE PROLIFERATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL?

>> I WOULD ECHO WHAT THE OTHERS HAVE SAID IN TERMS OF THE NEGATIVES, RIGHT?

WE NOT ONLY ARE WE LESS CONNECTED, LESS INFORMED, LESS TRUSTING AS A COMMUNITY WITH WE LOSE NEWSPAPER JOURNALISTS, WHICH WE'VE REALLY HALVED THE NUMBER THAT EXIST IN COUNTRY.

BUT THE DIGITAL ERA HAS USHERED THAT IN AND THE HOPE IS THAT AT CENTRAL CURRENT WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WRANGLE THAT AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, TAKE ADVANTAGE EXACTLY LIKE YOU SAID, DAVID.

BUT THE TRUTH, TOO, IS THAT IN AREAS WHERE LESS JOURNALISTS EXIST PRIOR TO WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE, CORRUPTION IS PREVALENT SO THE HOPE FOR CENTRAL CURRENT IS JUST TO BE PRESENT AND THE BENEFIT IS ALL IT REALLY TAKES IS A WEBSITE WHICH WE ARE WORKING ON FIRING UP OURS RIGHT NOW, GETTING IT DESIGNED AND USEABLE BEFORE WE LAUNCH.

BUT THE HOPE REALLY IS JUST FIRST AND FOREMOST TO BE IN MORE PLACES AND FILL IN THE GAPS WHERE WE'VE LOST LOCAL JOURNALISTS GOING TO MEETINGS AND PERFORMING THAT WATCHDOG FUNCTION.

>> JEREMY, IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY HAVING BODIES TO DO THAT WATCHDOG FUNCTION, THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH TIME IN THE DAY.

THERE ARE SO MANY MEETINGS GOING ON.

HOW DO YOU PRIORITIZE WHAT TO COVER AND WHEN AND CAN AN OUTLET LIKE THE CITIZEN STAY ON TOP OF EVERYTHING OR DO YOU HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE?

>> ABSOLUTELY YOU HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE.

IT'S JUST A ZERO SUM GAME.

I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T WANT TO-- WE DON'T-- AND SOME PLACES ARE NOT GREAT AT THIS BUT WE DON'T WANT TO DRIVE OUR JOURNALISTS INTO THE GROUND AND BURN THEM OUT.

WE DON'T WANT THEM WORKING 80-HOUR WEEKS.

IT SHOULD BE A 40-HOUR WEEK.

>> WITH JOURNALISTS, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCONNECT.

WE ARE TAKING LATE NIGHT TULSA, WE ARE TAKING LATE NIGHT CALLS.

WE CAN'T HELP OURSELVES, GLUTTONS FOR PUNISHMENT.

>> BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AS A MANAGER, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OKAY, THERE IS ONLY SO MANY HOURS OF EMPLOYEE REPORTING AND WRITING AND PHOTOGRAPHY AND EVERYTHING ELSE AVAILABLE TO US.

SO WE CAN'T DO IT ALL.

EVERY GOOD STORY THAT WE SEE IS, UNFORTUNATELY, NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET DONE.

ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IN TRYING TO EVALUATE WHAT ARE WE PRIORITIZING IS WHAT IS WITHIN OUR MARKET, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST IMPACT OF THE STORIES.

SO DOES IT AFFECT-- IF IT'S A STORY THAT AFFECTS EVERYONE IN AUBURN, THAT MIGHT BE A STORY WE PRIORITIZE OVER, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO SAY IT BECAUSE IT PAINS ME TO SAY IT OUT LOUD, BUT IT MIGHT BE A STORY WE PRIORITIZE OVER A STORY IN A SMALL VILLAGE OR COUNTY JUST BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF DECISIONS WE ARE BEING FORCED TO MAKE.

IT'S A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, IF ONE PERSON CAN BE AT THIS MEETING TODAY, WHERE DO WE GO?

WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO GO TO THE ONE THAT IS GOING TO IMPACT THE MOST READERS AND MAKE THE MOST, YOU KNOW-- IN A VACUUM, MAKE THE MOST DIFFERENCE OUT THERE.

ONE THING WE'VE ALSO, YOU KNOW, I'VE LEARNED TO TRY TO COME TO TERMS WITH AND PRACTICE MORE OFTEN IN THIS NEW MEDIA, IN THIS SMALLER STAFF MEDIA LANDSCAPE, WE DON'T HAVE TO GET IT DONE TODAY.

AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT LESSON I THINK WE STILL SOMETIMES STRUGGLE WITH, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY IF THE VILLAGE OF WEEDSPORT GETS A STORY FROM US, MAYBE THREE DAYS AFTER THE MEETING IF IT'S IMPORTANT.

AND THEY'RE STILL GOING TO APPRECIATE THAT NEWS.

THAT'S 180° FROM WHEN I STARTED IN THIS BUSINESS IN THE LATE 90s WHERE IT WAS LIKE GET IT NOW, GET IT FAST.

YOU GOT COMPETITION OUT THERE.

>> THE PRODUCT OF HAVING COMPETITION IN THE PAST AND NOW YOU HAVE THE MARKET TO YOURSELF SO YOU CAN TAKE YOUR TIME?

>> IT'S THE COMBINATION OF WE DON'T HAVE THAT COMPETITION, SO WE HAVE THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, I SUPPOSE YOU COULD SAY, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD THING IN THE BIG PICTURE.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT PRESSURE, BUT IT REALLY COMES BACK TO STAFFING, TOO.

IF I HAD ENOUGH STAFF TO COVER EVERY TOWN AND VILLAGE, THAT WE WOULD BE OUT THERE DOING IT BUT WE SIMPLY DON'T.

>> YOU MENTIONED TRYING TO CHOOSE STORIES THAT MIGHT HAVE THE WIDEST IMPACT.

DOES THAT, THOUGH, RUN THE PROBLEM OF FINDING THE CHALLENGE OF LIFTING UP STORIES THAT MIGHT IMPACT SMALL MARGINALIZED GROUPS?

HOW DO YOU BALANCE THOSE TWO THINGS?

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE MARGINALIZED GROUPS MIGHT NOT BE YOUR SUBSCRIBERS SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING THE BILLS MIGHT NOT CARE.

>> THAT'S A BIG CATCH 22, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYES ON THAT AS WELL.

EVEN, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED SMALL VILLAGES AND TOWNS, THERE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS GOING ON IN THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT-- AND WE TALK ABOUT NEWS DESERT.

THAT'S THE WHOLE PROBLEM WITH NEWS DESERTS.

PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THEY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING AND SO IT'S JUST THIS SORT OF-- YOU VICIOUS CYCLE OF, WE ARE NOT THERE TO COVER IT.

THEY'RE NOT THERE TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

SO WE DON'T HAVE AN AUDIENCE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT THERE.

IT'S A TOUGH CHALLENGE, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

>> I THINK, TOO, SPEAKING TO THE ISSUE OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES OR UNDER COVERED COMMUNITIES, I THINK BETTER COVERAGE OF UNDER SERVED COMMUNITIES WOULD BE A WAY TO GROW THAT SUBSCRIBER BASE.

SO MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD OR FROM A TICKER PARTICULAR COMMUNITY WHO ARE SUBSCRIBERS NOW BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING IN THAT PUBLICATION FOR THEM, RIGHT?

BUT INCREASED COVERAGE, BETTER COVERAGE OF SOME OF THOSE AREAS MIGHT BE A WAY TO GROW THAT SUBSCRIBER BASE AND REACH A BROADER AUDIENCE.

>> HOW OFTEN, THOUGH, DO YOU THINK THE FOCUS IS A PRODUCT OF WHAT THE NEWSROOM LOOKS LIKE?

AND SO IF THE NEWSROOM ISN'T DIVERSE, THEN NEAR NOT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO APPROACH DIVERSITY OF STORIES.

DO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A NEWSROOM THAT, EVEN DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE, BUT MAYBE LOOKS LIKE THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AS WELL?

>> SHORT ANSWER, YES.

I THINK BACK TO ALL THE NEWSROOMS THAT I HAVE BEEN IN OVER THE YEARS.

AND THE NEWSROOMS THAT WERE NOT ONLY THE MOST FUN TO WORK IN, BUT I ALSO THINK PRODUCED THE BEST COVERAGE IN TERMS OF REPRESENTING THE CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY, WERE THE NEWSROOMS THAT WERE DIVERSE, WHERE YOU CAN GO INTO THAT MORNING EDITORIAL MEETING AND THERE IS AN EXCHANGE OF IDEAS OF WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE COVERING AND HOW WE OUGHT TO BE COVERING IT, AN EXCHANGE OF JUST STORY TOPICS THAT REFLECT THE DIVERSITY IN THE ROOM VERSUS A NEWSROOM WHERE YOU HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE FROM ALL ONE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO COVER THAT DAY.

AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY FALL ALONG THE TRADITIONAL LINES THAT WE THINK OF IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, RACE, GENDER AND SO ON.

BUT I WORKED IN NEWSROOMS WHERE THERE WAS NO ONE ON THE REPORTING STAFF THAT HAD A CHILD OF SCHOOL AGE, RIGHT?

SO WE HAD A LOCALITY OF SINGLE PEOPLE ON THE-- A LOT OF SINGLE PEOPLE ON THE STAFF.

SOME MEMBERS OF THE STAFF WHO WERE PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN BUT THEIR CHILDREN WERE NOT IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

HOW AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF GETTING COVERAGE ON EDUCATION AND PRIORITIES.

SO I THINK NEWSROOM DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT IN A NUMBER OF RESPECTS, NOT JUST ALONG THE TRADITIONAL LINES WE THINK OF IN TERMS OF GENDER, RACE AND SO ON.

>> THEN BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE BOTH AS A JOURNALIST AND PREPARING FUTURE JOURNALISTS, HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT THESE NEWSROOMS ARE FILLED WITH A RAINBOW OF PEOPLE AND RAINBOW OF EXPERIENCES?

DO YOU NEED TO GO OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT EDITORS AND MANAGEMENT ARE PROACTIVE OR DO YOU ALSO NEED TO SELL THESE JOURNALISTS ON THE MERITS OF GOING TO UPSTATE NEW YORK AND WORKING IN A NEWSROOM AS OPPOSED TO SAY, GOING WHERE YOU MIGHT BE COMFORTABLE.

IT'S SOMETHING I TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING NOT JUST DIVERSITY IN THE NEWSROOM STAFF, GRADUATING STUDENTS FROM JOURNALISM SCHOOLS LIKE THE NEWHOUSE SCHOOL AT SYRACUSE THAT ARE MULTICULTURALLY COMPETENT.

THAT CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING INTO A LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD JUST AS THEY WOULD GOING TO COVER SOME GOLF TOURNAMENT AT SOME COUNTRY CLUB SOMEWHERE.

THAT WE NEED TO BE TRAINING OUR YOUNG STUDENT JOURNALISTS TO SEE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE FACED WITH COVERING AND NOT JUST CERTAIN POCKETS OF THE COMMUNITY.

>> SO JULIE, YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS OF STAFFING UP A NEWS ORGANIZATION.

SO THESE THEORETICAL QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE DEBATING HERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU ARE REALLY THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

SO WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU ARE FACING AS YOU BEGIN TO FILL UP A NEWSROOM?

>> MANY THINGS I CAN COMMENT ON THERE.

SO AS SOMEONE STARTING A NEWSROOM RIGHT NOW, ALL OF THAT I WOULD ECHO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WHAT PROFESSOR ELLIOT SAID TERMS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY AND EXCHANGE THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN OUR MISSION WHICH IS DRIVEN AROUND COVERING COMMUNITIES THAT HAVEN'T HISTORICALLY BEEN COVERED, NOT JUST MORE IN VOLUME AND SPEED BUT ALSO BETTER AND PROVIDING CONTEXT AND AND PROVIDING CONTEXT AND PROVIDING COVERAGE OF SYSTEMS, NOT SYMPTOMS WHICH IS A MANTRA IN THE NON-PROFIT JOURNALISM WORLD SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT COVERING NEWS DESERTS.

PLACES THAT ARE NOT GETTING COVERAGE BUT TELLING STORIES AND NARRATIVES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN COVERED BEFORE.

I ALSO THINK THE DIGITAL FORMAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE FULLY A WEBSITE.

WE ARE GOING TO BE PUBLISHING ONLINE, DOES OFFER THIS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITIES IN WAYS THAT LEGACY MEDIA EITHER HAVEN'T TRIED BEFORE OR WHEN THEY DO, THEY HAVE A LOT OF BAGGAGE THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT.

AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS WORKED IN LEGACY MEDIA SYRACUSE.COM, THE WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, THERE IS A HISTORY THERE, RIGHT?

SO BEING ABLE TO START FRESH AND BUILD NEW COMMUNITIES AND NEW CONNECTIONS IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND TO BE ABLE TO TRY OUT-- WHAT IS REALLY EXCITING ABOUT THIS TIME, IT IS DEPRESSING TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE SOMETIMES, BUT TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE NON-PROFIT OUTLETS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS AND WE ARE TRYING TO PLUG INTO THAT AND LEARN NEW PRACTICES, BEST PRACTICES FOR ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES AND BUILDING AN AUDIENCE FROM SCRATCH.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES, JUST GETTING FOLLOWERS IS SOMETHING THAT I NEVER HAD TO REALLY DEAL WITH AS SOMEBODY WORKING AT LEGACY MEDIA OUTLETS.

THERE IS A CHALLENGE IN THAT, DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY AND MAKING SURE THE AUDIENCE REFLECTS THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE COMMUNITY.

I WOULD ECHO A LOT OF WHAT PROFESSOR LEWIS SAID, TOO.

BUT IT'S EXCITING, TOO.

>> WHEN I STARTED AT THE DAILY GAZETTE BACK IN 2010, I LOOKED AROUND THE NEWSROOM WHERE THERE WERE WHAT I WOULD CALL ADULTS, WHAT I STILL CALL ADULTS, PEOPLE IN THEIR 50s WHO MADE A CAREER OUT OF LOCAL JOURNALISM AND THEY HAD INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, PEOPLE THAT WOULD I TURN TO AND SAY HEY, WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE TOWN OF ROTTERDAM, THEY WOULD HAVE BACKSTORIES, INFO THAT WOULD PROVIDE DEPTH AND CONTEXT TO MY STORY.

THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE CASE ANYMORE.

IT SEEMS LIKE THAT GENERATION, IT'S RETIRING AND IS NOT BEING REPLACED BY A NEW GENERATION OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 10, 20 YEARS.

ALMOST SEEMS LIKE LOCAL JOURNAL LIKE LOCAL JOURNALISM IS A PIT STOP BECAUSE BOTH THE PAY IS NOT SUPER COMPETITIVE AND THERE ARE BIGGER, BRIGHTER OPPORTUNITIES.

IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM A FULL-TIME CAREER FOR PEOPLE, SOMETHING WHERE THEY SPEND 30, 40 YEARS IN IN THE FUTURE OR DO YOU NEED TO ADAPT TO THE REALITY THAT THIS IS A PIT STOP.

IT'S GOING TO BE A TRAINING GROUND AND YOU ARE GOING HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.

>> I THINK IT DEPENDS A LOT OF THAT, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, WILL DEPEND ON THE MARKET, THE ORGANIZATION, THE RESOURCES.

BUT I DO THINK THAT THE BIG PICTURE ANSWER IS YES.

AND I THINK THE BIG-- THE WAY IS PAYING PEOPLE BETTER, TREATING PEOPLE BETTER, VALUING THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS MORE, MAKING THEM FEEL MORE VALUED.

I THINK PART OF THE REASON WE SEE SO MANY YOUNGER JOURNALISTS COME INTO THIS FIELD AND LEAVE, THEY'RE LIKE OH MY GOSH, LIKE THIS IS NOT THE LIFE I WANT TO HAVE.

AND I THINK WE'VE GOT TO DO BETTER AS AN INDUSTRY.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS GOES ACROSS TV, NEWSPAPERS, EVERYTHING, OF REALLY SAYING LIKE WE GOT TO SHOW PEOPLE THEY'RE MORE VALUED.

FOR SO LONG, NEWSPAPERS GOT AWAY WITH PAYING PEOPLE NOTHING, NEXT TO NOTHING.

PEANUTS.

EVERYBODY WANTED THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR AND THEY SAW THIS IS A CAREER THEY WANTED TO HAVE AND THERE WERE-- EVERYONE WAS LINING UP TRYING TO GET THESE JOBS.

AND SO THAT'S SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT INTO THAT PATTERN AND I THINK IT REALLY CAME BACK TO BITE THE INDUSTRY OVER TIME.

THAT'S NOT THE REALITY OF THE WAY THINGS ARE AND IT SHOULDN'T BE.

AND YOU KNOW, WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT AT THE CITIZEN, WE'VE GOT MOST OF OUR STAFF IS PRETTY MUCH 10 PLUS-YEAR EXPERIENCE.

AND I THINK THE ONE-- ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THAT-- I STILL WANT TO TRY TO PUSH OUR CORPORATE COMPANIES TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR PAY.

BUT JUST VALUING PEOPLE AND SAYING YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOUR INPUT.

WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE DOING AND WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU FLEXIBILITY TO BE A JOURNALIST, TO BE THE KIND OF JOURNALIST THAT YOU THINK BEST SERVES OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS ARE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR NEWS MANAGERS ESPECIALLY TO WORK WITH AND I THINK A BIGGER PICTURE ISSUE THAT COMES BACK, YOU KNOW, TO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU MENTIONED, WE GOT TO GET OUT AND COVER THESE COMMUNITIES IN ORDER TO BUILD THESE AUDIENCES AND THAT TAKES INVESTMENT.

THAT TAKES, YOU KNOW, PUBLICLY TRADED CORPORATE OWNED MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS TO SAY YOU KNOW WHAT?

WE ARE GOING TO SPEND SOME MONEY THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE SEE THAT POTENTIAL.

THAT'S HARD FOR THEM TO DO BECAUSE THEIR SHAREHOLDERS WANT INCREASED PROFITS.

>> HARD TO SELL THAT FINANCIAL POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY BASED ON A FINANCIAL MODEL THAT YOU KNOW AND YOU THINK WORKS TO A CERTAIN DEGREE.

>> I WAS GOING SAY, THE EMPLOYMENT PICTURE ON THE BROADCAST SIDE IN TELEVISION NEWS IS GOING THROUGH A SIMILAR SORT OF PERIOD, RIGHT?

WHERE ONCE UPON A TIME, IT WAS SEEN AS REALLY COOL TO BE ON TV, RIGHT?

>> I STILL ENJOY IT IN CASE SOMEONE IS LISTENING.

I'M HAVING A GOOD TIME HERE.

>> BUT IT DOESN'T HOLD THE SAME ALLURE THAT IT USED TO IN AN AGE WHERE ANYBODY CAN WHIP OUT THEIR CELL PHONE AND POST SOMETHING ON TIKTOK, RIGHT OR POST SOMETHING ON YOUTUBE AND GET HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VIEWS OR LIKES.

I REMEMBER MY FIRST JOB IN TELEVISION.

I THINK MY MOTHER HELPED ME BUY MY FIRST THREE SUITS FOR TV AND THEN I GOT A COUPLE OF SUITS AND TIES FROM GOODWILL, RIGHT?

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS MAKING IN MY FIRST COUPLE OF JOBS IN THE BUSINESS.

AND WE HAVE STATION MANAGERS WHO CONTACT US AT THE UNIVERSITY INTERESTED IN HIRING SOME OF OUR GRADUATES FOR ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS AND WE HAVE STUDENTS GETTING MULTIPLE OFFERS.

WE HAVE SOME MANAGERS WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO FILL THE POSITIONS, ALL THE POSITIONS THAT THEY HAVE AND I THINK THE POOR STARTING SALARIES ARE A BIG REASON FOR THAT; WHEN HAVE YOU OTHER COMPANIES OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAS A WEBSITE NOW.

EVERYBODY WANTS VIDEO ON THEIR COMPANY WEBSITE, RIGHT?

SO YOU CAN TAKE A STUDENT WHO IS GRADUATING FROM A DEGREE IN BROADCAST JOURNALISM AND SAY YOU KNOW ALL THOSE VIDEO SKILLS AND STORY TELLING SKILLS THAT YOU LEARNED TO BE A JOURNALIST?

WEL,L, WHY DON'T YOU COME OVER TO OUR COMPANY AND YOU CAN USE THOSE SKILLS TO MAKE VIDEOS FOR OUR WEBSITE AT TWICE OR THREE TIMES THE PAY OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO OFFER YOU AT THE TV STATION.

>> JULIE, THAT VERY BLEAK FINANCIAL OUTLOOK IS A PRODUCT OF, AT LEAST FOR THE MOST PART, A NEWS INDUSTRY THAT'S DRIVEN BY FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES.

YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

YOU ARE PART OF THIS EMERGING WAVE OF NON-PROFIT NEWS OUTLETS.

WHY IS NON-PROFIT POTENTIALLY THE BETTER WAY TO GO IN TERMS OF PRODUCING JOURNALISM IN THE FUTURE?

>> I THINK CORPORATE MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SHOWN THEY'RE NOT UP TO THE TASK OF PROVIDING THE KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTS WHERE GREAT JOURNALISM CAN BE DONE CONSISTENTLY WITHOUT HAVING TO MAKE MAJOR SACRIFICES, RIGHT?

AND WE SEE THIS IN THE QUALITY OF LOCAL JOURNALISM.

I'M ALL FOR AS MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF JOURNALISM AND AS MANY NEWS OUTLETS WHETHER THEY'RE FOR-PROFIT OR NON-PROFIT.

I SUPPORT THEM AND HOPE THEY CONTINUE TO EXIST.

BUT I THINK AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS, UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'RE NOT CULTIVATING WORKPLACES, FRANKLY, THAT PROVIDE ROOM FOR GROWTH, ROOM FOR INVESTIGATIVE WORK AND WE ARE DOING LESS AND LESS OF IT.

SO I AM REALLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THE NON-PROFIT MODEL CAN PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE.

SO ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO IS WHEN WE REALLY STARTED TO SEE ACROSS THE COUNTRY A LOT OF OUTLETS SPRING UP AND THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL LONG-TERM.

IN THE LAST LIKE SIX MONTHS REALLY WE HAVE SEEN ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLEVELAND FROM HOUSTON, AND I'M FORGETTING A FEW OTHER BIG ONES, WHERE NEW GROUPS HAVE FORMED MOSTLY DRIVEN BY COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS WHICH ARE COLLECTING MONEY FROM PHILANTHROPISTS, LOCAL PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS GOING THROUGH THESE EFFORTS.

CENTRAL CURRENT IS SMALLER, CENTRAL NEW YORK IS SMALLER AND THERE ARE CHALLENGES THAT GO WITH THAT AS WE'VE DISCUSSED ALREADY.

BUT THE HOPE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, RELYING ON PHILANTHROPY, RELYING ON LOYALTY WHICH GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE SUBSCRIBER MODEL THAT JEREMY WAS TALKING ABOUT, TOO, WHICH IS GREAT TO SEE FROM LOCAL MEDIA, BUT REALLY OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR BUSINESS MODEL RELIES ON PEOPLE WANTING TO SUPPORT JOURNALISM AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT'S WHAT THEIR DOLLARS ARE GOING TOWARD.

SO THE MODEL IS MULTIPRONGED, SHOE, WHICH IS WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT WORK.

SO EARLY ON WE ARE RELYING ON PHILANTHROPY, FOUNDATION FUNDING, THAT KIND OF THICK BUT WE ARE GOING TO LOOK MORE TOWARDS SPONSORSHIPS AND MEMBERSHIPS THAT GET CREATIVE IN TERMS OF HOW PEOPLE CAN SUPPORT THE MISSION AND WHAT KIND OF VALUE THE NEWS ORGANIZATION CAN GIVE TO PEOPLE, TOO.

>> JULIE, IS IT FAIR TO SAY THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOR-PROFIT AND NON-PROFIT OUTLET, INSTEAD OF HAVING SUBSCRIBERS, YOU HAVE MEMBERS.

INSTEAD OF ADVERTISERS, YOU WERE UNDERWRITERS.

IS THE BIG DIFFERENCE THEN JUST WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO WITH THAT EXCESS MONEY IF THERE IS ANY, FINGERS CROSSED AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHETHER IT GETS REINVESTED INTO THE PRODUCT, WHETHER IT GETS INVESTED INTO STAFF OR GOING TO SHAREHOLDERS OR SOMEBODY ELSE'S BOTTOM LINE?

>> YEAH, SO WE ARE NON-PROFIT, RIGHT?

THERE IS NO-- WE HAVE A BOTTOM LINE IN THAT WE NEED TO RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO KEEP FUNCTIONING.

SO WE ARE REALLY LUCKY THAT WE HAVE A HUGE DESIRE AND, YOU KNOW, GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY FUNDRAISED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN BUT LONG-TERM WE NEED MORE SUPPORT THAN THAT, TOO.

SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING A COUPLE OF ANGEL INVESTORS COME IN AND SAY WE ARE GOING GIVE YOU YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, A BIG LUMP OF MONEY WHICH IS COOL BECAUSE IT'S A LUMP OF CLAY TO MOLD A NEW JOURNALISM OUTLET.

BUT THAT'S NOT A LONG-TERM MODEL.

SO REALLY WHAT THIS RELIES ON EXACTLY IS SORT OF OUR VERSION OF SUBSCRIBERS, BUT YOU KNOW, WE ARE FULLY TRANSPARENT.

YOU ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW MUCH MONEY I'M MAKING, HOW MUCH MONEY OUR REPORTERS ARE MAKING, WHAT OUR BUSINESS STAFF IS MAKING AND WE HAVE TO JUSTIFY THAT TO OUR MEMBERSHIP CONTINUOUSLY TO SAY THIS IS WHY WE ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS WE ARE MAKING.

THIS IS WHY WE ARE COVERING WHAT WE ARE COVERING.

THIS IS HOW OUR SPONSORSHIPS WORK.

IT WILL BE TRANSPARENT.

OUR HOPE IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, ANY BIT OF MONEY WE FUNDRAISE, REVENUE STREAM THAT COMES THROUGH, GETS REINVESTED BACK INTO THE PRODUCT WHICH, CORPORATIONS DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF DOING THAT IN SO MANY WAYS.

RIGHT?

WORKING AT A LARGE MEDIA OUTLET, IF I WANT TO REDESIGN THE WEBSITE, LIKE ALL THE RED TAPE HAVE TO CUT THROUGH SO WE DON'T BOTHER WITH SOME OF THAT STUFF.

SO THERE IS LIMITATIONS IN THAT SORT OF ENVIRONMENT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE LOCAL DECISIONS TRANSPARENCY, THAT KIND OF THING.

>> AND WE HAVE ANY EXCELLENT SWAG THAT MIGHT COME WITH SOME OF THESE MEMBERSHIPS, JULYY?

JULIE >> THAT'S UP FOR DISCUSSION BUT I EXPECT WE WILL HAVE SOME SORT OF SWAG.

>> AS WE SEE THE RISE OF NON-PROFITS, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE NOTICED SPECIFICALLY IN NEW YORK WITH A GROUP THAT'S CALLED NEW YORK FOCUS, IS THE RISE OF WHAT WOULD I CALL ADVOCACY JOURNALISM.

ESSENTIALLY OUTLETS CHAMPIONING A DEMOGRAPHIC OR A CAUSE.

IS THAT A FAIR, I GUESS, DISTINCTION TO MAKE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS BECOMING MORE PROLIFIC AND IF SO, DO YOU THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING?

>> I CERTAINLY THINK WE ARE SEEING MORE OPINION-DRIVEN JOURNALISM.

I MEAN YOU SEE THAT WHEN YOU WATCH ANY OF THE CABLE NEWS CHANNELS NOWADAYS, RIGHT?

>> ARE YOU TALKING JUST ABOUT HAVING TALKING HEADS OR REPORTING THAT COMES WITH A SLANT TO IT?

>> BOTH.

RIGHT?

SO YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FOX NEWS GETS BEATEN UP A LOT IN THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT JOURNALISM ETHICS AND ADVOCACY JOURNALISM OR OPINIONATED JOURNALISM.

I'VE KNOWN SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED AT FOX NEWS OVER THE YEARS.

AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE, THEY'RE GOOD JOURNALISTS, BUT THEIR PRIME TIME PROGRAMMING LINEUP HAS BASICALLY BLOWN AWAY ANY CREDIBILITY THAT THE NETWORK ONCE HAD IN TERMS OF TRYING TO DELIVER THE NEWS STRAIGHT AND IMPARTIAL.

SO WE ARE CERTAINLY SEEING A RISE IN OPINION-DRIVEN JOURNALISM.

IT USED TO BE THAT YOU DIDN'T BLEND THE TWO, RIGHT?

IT USED TO BE THAT I COULD WATCH A NEWS PROGRAM THAT WAS ANCHORED BY SOMEONE AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEIR PERSONAL SPIN OR TAKE OR OPINION WAS ON THE NEWS OF THE DAY THAT THEY WERE READING.

NOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

WHEN YOU TURN ON ANY OF THE CABLE NEWS CHANNELS, CERTAINLY.

SO THERE IS THAT RISE IN OPINION DRIVEN JOURNALISM.

I THINK WE SEE ADVOCACY DRIVEN JOURNALISM JUST TAKING THAT A STEP FURTHER, WHERE IT'S MORE ABOUT ADVOCATING FOR A PARTICULAR CAUSE AS OPPOSED TO REPORTING ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY AND LEGISLATION THAT IMPACTS A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.

>> COULD IT BE A GOOD THING THOUGH, SAY YOU ARE ADVOCATING FOR THE LITTLE GUY AND HIGHLIGHTING ISSUES THAT MAY NOT BE GETTING AS MUCH PLAY, EVEN IF YOU ARE PROMOTING A CERTAIN VIEW POINT WITH THAT OR IS IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN IMPARTIAL VIEW, A NEGATIVE ULTIMATELY BECAUSE OF HOW JOURNALISM NEEDS TO BE FUNCTIONING?

>> WELL, I THINK IT JUST NEED TO BE CLEAR TO PEOPLE CONSUMING THAT NEWS PRODUCT THAT THIS IS NOT JOURNALISM IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE, RIGHT?

THAT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A NEWSLETTER FROM AN ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION THAT IS PUSHING A PARTICULAR AGENDA.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF ORGANIZATIONS ARE CLEAR ABOUT THAT, AND IF NEWS CONSUMERS ARE CLEAR ABOUT THAT, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IT'S A BAD THING, BUT WHEN WE START LOOKING AT THAT PRODUCT AND THINKING THAT WE ARE GETTING, YOU KNOW, AS CLOSE THIS AN OBJECTIVE VIEW AS WE CAN OF A PARTICULAR ISSUE, THEN I THINK IT BECOMES A PROBLEM.

>> THE WORD THE PROFESSOR USED THAT ONE POINT WAS IMPARTIAL.

WHAT DOES IMPARTIAL LOCAL NEWS LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

>> LIKE YOU SAID, TELLING IT STRAIGHT.

>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

SIDE A SAYS THIS, SIDE B SAYS THIS?

DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT EVERYTHING.

>> HERE'S WHAT IT MEANS, RIGHT.

IF I'M SELLING YOU A HOUSE AND I DESCRIBE THAT HOUSE AS A PALATIAL ESTATE WITH BREATHTAKING VIEWS, RIGHT?

THAT IS NOT AN IMPARTIAL DISCRIMINATION OF THE HOUSE, RIGHT?

IF I DESCRIBE THE SAME HOUSE AS IT'S A FOUR-BEDROOM, THREE BATH HOME WITH A TWO-CAR GARAGE, THAT'S TELLING IT STRAIGHT.

>> YOU CAN'T USE COLORFUL DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE?

>> YOU CAN TO A POINT I SUPPOSE.

DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF ARTICLE YOU ARE WRITING.

BUT YOU KNOW, IF I HAD A STUDENT IN ONE OF MY NEWS WRITING CLASSES WHO CAME TO ME USING A LOT OF FLOWERY ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS IN THEIR NEWS COPY, I WOULD SAY YOU GOT TO TAKE THIS OUT, RIGHT?

THIS IS TOO MUCH OF YOUR OPINION BEING REFLECTED IN THIS NEWS COPY.

>> HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE THOUGH BETWEEN A PERSON'S OPINION OF WHAT HAPPENED AND SOMETHING THAT IS JUST A DESCRIPTIVE WAY OF SOMETHING WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED?

IF SOMEBODY RAISES THEIR VOICE, DO YOU SAY THAT THEY YELLED OR DO YOU SAY THEY SPOKE ABOVE NORMAL CONVERSATIONAL TONES.

HOW DO YOU WALK THAT LINE?

>> THE COOL THING ABOUT BEING A TELEVISION REPORTER IS I CAN JUST PLAY THE SOUNDBITE, RIGHT?

AND THE VIEWER CAN DECIDE, YOU KNOW, HOW EMOTIONAL OR OUTRAGE OR OUTRAGEOUS THE PERSON WAS BEING.

I THINK SOME OF IT, TOO, AND JOURNALISM, ESPECIALLY THE-- GOING ON A SOAP BOX ABOUT NATIONAL POLITICAL JOURNALISM.

IT'S SO OFTEN BENDING OVER BACK WARD TO DO BOTH SIDE THING THAT WE ARE LOSING SIGHT OF WHAT IS TRUE.

I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, THE ANALOGY, IF SIDE A TELLS YOU IT IS RAINING OUTSIDE AND SIDE B TELLS YOU IT IS SUNNY, WHAT IS THE JOURNALIST SUPPOSED TO REPORT.

THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SAY WHAT IT IS AND SIDE A IS LYING.

SO IT'S A MATTER OF TELLING PEOPLE THE TRUTH BASED ON THE FACTS WE HAVE GATHERED, I MEAN YOU CAN SAY YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IS SAYING SOMETHING BUT YOU ARE GOING PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT OF THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW.

AND WE HAVE LOST A LOT OF THAT IN THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS SORT OF POST TRUTH ERA YOU COULD SAY IN POLITICS, WHERE YOU KNOW, LYING IS PRETTY MUCH ENCOURAGED AND USED AS A STRATEGY NOW.

>> IS LYING A WORD YOU WOULD LET SOMEONE USE IN YOUR PAPER?

WOULD YOU SAY SOMEONE LIED?

>> IF-- YEAH, IF IT'S A LIE.

>> HOW DO YOU PROVE THAT BECAUSE THEN HAVE YOU TO DO INTENT AND THAT'S A WHOLE BAG OF WORMS.

>> I MEAN THAT'S PART WHAT HAVE REPORTING IS ALL ABOUT.

LIKE I SAID, IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING AT YOU WITH YOUR BUT I -- IF YOU'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO BREAK IT DOWN TO REALLY BASIC ANALOGY, BUT YOU SEE THE WEATHER OUTSIDE AND THEY'RE TELLING YOU THAT THERE IS A HURRICANE AND IT'S NOT.

YOU ARE GOING TO SAY NO, THAT'S A LIE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETIMES WE BEND OVER BACKWARDS TO TRY TO SANITIZE EVERYTHING WITH SOME OF THE LYING THAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT ULTIMATELY SORT OF UNDERCUTS OUR MISSION, WHICH SHOULD BE TO GIVE PEOPLE THE TRUTH.

IT'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE I'M ALSO A FIRM BELIEVER IN FAIRNESS AND, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING ABOUT ANY ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.

GIVING CONTEXT, BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T JUST TAKE THAT MODEL AND TURN IT AGAINST ITSELF.

>> JULIE, IT SOUNDS LIKE A REAL PAIN IN THE BUTT TO BE ON THE PERSON ON TOP.

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO TAKE ON THIS CHALLENGE AT CENTRAL CURRENT?

>> IT IS A CHALLENGE AND THE THING THAT HAS GOTTEN LOST AND MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS CAN DO BETTER AND THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IS REALLY A LOT OF WHAT JEREMY AND PROFESSOR LEWIS HAS SAID, ABOUT TRANSPARENCY IS ABOUT THIS KIND OF SACRED CONTRACT THAT JOURNALISTS HAVE WITH THE REARED.

YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE DEBATING WHAT IS GOING ON OUTSIDE AND WHO IS SAYING WHAT ABOUT THE WEATHER, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH THE TRUST WITH THE REARED AND ME HEADING UP THIS INSTITUTION TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, TO DO MY BEST JOB AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT WITH A CONTRACT.

MAKING A PROMISE TO OUR READERS, TO OUR COMMUNITY, THAT I'M GOING TO DO THE BEST THAT I CAN TO GET YOU THE ANSWER AND GET YOU THE TRUTH.

AND THAT IS MESSY AND THAT MIGHT MEAN THAT I HAVE MY OWN BIASES THAT PLAY INTO THAT.

SO I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK HAS GOTTEN LOST BECAUSE AS JOURNALISTS WE HOLD THESE VALUES TO BE SO SACRED, AGAIN, BUT WE DON'T OFTEN SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING TO OUR READERS ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU KNOW, ADVOCACY JOURNALISM AND STRAIGHTFORWARD BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE.

LIKE 1619 PROJECT FROM THE NEW YORK TILES.

PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS.

THAT'S MAGAZINE JOURNALISM AND ADVOCACY JOURNALISM.

SHE DOESN'T REPRESENT HERSELF TO BE A SCHOOL BOARD REPORTER AT A NEWSPAPER SO THOSE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS.

WE HAVE TO SPEND MORE TIME TALKING AND EXPLAINING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE TO OUR READERS.

>> UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AT A SEPARATE TIME BECAUSE WE ARE OUT OF TIME HERE I WANT TO THANK OUR GUESTS - CENTRAL CURRENT'S EDITOR IN CHIEF, JULIE MCMAHON - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR J. ELLIOT LEWIS - AND THE CITIZEN'S EXECUTIVE EDITOR, JEREMY BOYER.

AND BEFORE WE PART WAYS, WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE STORY OF LEWIS REDFIELD, WHO - INSPIRED BY BEN FRANKLIN - FOUNDED THE FIRST NEWSPAPER IN BORN IN FARMINGTON, CONNECTICUT 1793, LEWIS REDFIELD FORMED A STRONG INTEREST IN BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AT A YOUNG AGE AND BECAME PARTICULARLY FASCINATED IN HIS CAREER AS A PRINTER.

AT THE AGE OF 7, REDFIELD'S FATHER, A COBBLER AND VETERAN OF JORK WASHINGTON'S CONTINENTAL ARMY LEFT CONNECTICUT AND MOVED THE FAMILY TO CENTRAL NEW YORK JUST EAST OF WATERLOO.

WHEN REDFIELD WAS 15 YEARS OLD, HIS PARENTS GOT HIM AN APRENT APPRENTICESHIP WITH THE PUBLISHER OF CANANDAIGUA'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER.

AFTER A SIX YEAR STINT WORKING WITH BEAM US, 21-YEAR-OLD REDFIELD TOOK A LOAN FROM HIS FORMER MENTOR AND PACKED UP TWO WAGONS WITH SECOND HAND PRESS, HIS BOOKS AND REST OF HIS BELONGINGS AND SET OUT FOR ONONDAGA HOLLOW TO MAKE HIS OWN NAME AS A PUBLISHER.

IN 1812, LEWIS REDFIELD ARRIVED IN ONONDAGA AND BUILT A SMALL HOUSE AT THE CORNER OF WEST SENECA TURNPIKE AND MEDICAL BORN DRIVE WHERE HE WAS LIVING WHEN HE PUBLISHED ONONDAGA COUNTY'S FIRST NEWSPAPER, THE ONONDAGA REGISTER IN SEPTEMBER OF 1814.

GAINING POPULARITY RAPIDLY, THE ONONDAGA REGISTER ATTRACTED APPROXIMATELY 1,000 SUBSCRIBERS AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

REDFIELD'S WRITINGS ABOUT THE WAR OF 1812 CAPTURED READERS ATTENTION ACROSS CENTRAL NEW YORK.

MOST WRITERS POST WRITERS WOULD PURCHASE THE PAPERS FROM REDFIELD AND DELIVER TO NEIGHBORING TOWNS.

ASIDE FROM HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AS ONONDAGA COUNTY'S PUBLISHER, REDFIELD ALSO USED HIS PRINT SHOP AS A STATIONARY AND BOOKSTORE.

HE WOULD INCLUDE ADVERTISEMENTS IN EACH EDITION OF THE ONONDAGA REGISTER LISTING NEW TITLES AVAILABLE AT HIS SHOP.

THIS BECAME A LUCRATIVE PART OF HIS BUSINESS AND BY 1817, HE HAD MADE ENOUGH OF A PROFIT TO PAY OFF HIS DEBT TO HIS FORMER MENTOR JAMES BEAMUS.

IN THE SPRING OF 1817, THE ONONDAGA REGISTER WOULD BECOME CRUCIAL IN DISCUSSING GOVERNOR DEWITT CLINTON'S PROPOSED CANAL.

THERE WAS STILL A STRONG AND VOCAL OPPOSITION TO THE PROJECT ALL OVER THE STATE.

REDFIELD HAD DEVELOPED A FRIENDSHIP WITH HIS NEIGHBOR AND SUBSCRIBER JOSHUA FOREMAN.

FOREMAN WAS A STATE LEGISLATURE WHO HAD BEEN ENDORSING AN INLAND WATERWAY FOR OVER A DECADE WHEN HE AND REDFIELD MET.

IN ORDER TO SWAY PUBLIC OPINION, FOREMAN WROTE A SERIES OF ARTICLES CHAMPIONING THE BENEFIT OF THIS MASSIVE PROJECT SIGNING EACH WRITING WITH AN X IN ORDER TO KEEP ANONYMITY.

THESE ARTICLES WERE GIVEN THEIR FIRST RUN IN THE ONONDAGA REGISTER AND WERE REPRINTED WIDELY ACROSS THE STATE.

FOREMAN'S PERSUASIVE ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF THE CANAL CONSTRUCTION WERE ACCEPTED BY HIS PEERS.

REDFIELD'S PAPER WAS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE STRONGEST ADVOCATES FOR THE CANAL IN THE COUNTRY AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE ERIE CANAL BEGAN ON JULY 4, 1817.

THE ERIE CANAL HELPED ESTABLISH SOME OF NEW YORK'S MAJOR CITIES, INCLUDING ROCHESTER, BUFFALO, ALBANY AND SYRACUSE.

AS A RESULT OF THE CANAL AND SUBSEQUENT CANAL RELATED INDUSTRIES, SYRACUSE'S POPULATION INCREASED BY 780% FROM 250 IN 1820, TO OVER 22,000 BY 1850.

CONSIDERED TO BE A HIVE OF ACTIVITY AND GROATD, SYRACUSE ATTRACTED PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER WHO WANTED TO BE CLOSER TO THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THIS BRAND NEW CITY.

THIS INCLUDED JOSHUA FOREMAN HIMSELF, WHO MOVED FROM HIS HOME IN ONONDAGA HOLLOW TO SYRACUSE IN 1818 AND WOULD LATER BECOME KNOWN AS THE FOUNDER OF SYRACUSE.

LEWIS REDFIELD CONTINUED TO PUBLISH THE ONONDAGA REGISTER OUT OF HIS HOME UNTIL 1829 WHEN HE DECIDED TO MOVE HIMSELF AND HIS NEWSPAPER TO SYRACUSE.

HE OPENED A FOUR-STORY PRINT SHOP AND BOOKSTORE IN THE GRIDLY BUILDING WHERE HE BEGAN PUBLISHING THE SYRACUSE REGISTER AND GAZETTE.

IN 1832, CITING POOR HEALTH, HE SOLD THE NEWSPAPER AND RETIRED FROM PRINTING.

THE YEAR FOLLOWING HIS RETIREMENT, REDFIELD WAS ELECTIONED AS PRESIDENT OF THE VILLAGE OF SYRACUSE BY HIS FELLOW CITIZENS TO RECOGNIZE HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE VILLAGE'S SUCCESS.

HE ALSO BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE BANK OF SALINA AND THE SALT SPRINGS NATIONAL BANK AND MADE A FORTUNE IN LAND SALES.

LEWIS REDFIELD DIED IN 1882 AT THE AGE OF 90 AND WAS BURIED IN OAKWOOD CEMETERY.

A BRONZE STATUE HONORING LEWIS REDFIELD AND JOSHUA FOREMAN STANDS IN DOWNTOWN SYRACUSE AT FOREMAN PARK.

HIS ESPECIALLY TATH WHICH HE WROTE YEARS BEFORE HIS DEATH READS LEWIS H. REDFIELD, PRINTER, A WORN AND BATTERED FORM GONE TO BE RECAST MORE BEAUTIFUL AN PERFECT.

>> AND THAT'S OUR SHOW.

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BEN FRANKLIN - CHECK OUT THE NEW KEN BURNS' DOCUMENTARY, WHICH YOU CAN FIND AT PBS.ORG.

AND FINALLY, IF YOU'RE ALREADY PAYING FOR SOME FORM OF LOCAL NEWS - THANK YOU.

IF NOT, PLEASE CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING TO A LOCAL NEWSPAPER OR CONTRIBUTING TO YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC BROADCAST STATION.

DEMOCRACY DIES IN THE DARKNESS, AND IT TAKES MONEY TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON IN NEWSROOMS.

I'M DAVID LOMBARDO ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE NEWSROOM AT WCNY.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.