SDPB: Swimming against Tidal Waves of Fast, False News This month SDPB premieres American Masters Walter Winchell, starring Stanley Tucci as Winchell, the newspaper columnist, radio commentator and television personality who pioneered the fast-paced, gossip-driven, politically charged journalism that dominates today. At his peak, his audience was 50 million. SDPB Director of Radio Cara Hetland discusses the necessity of maintaining restraint in the storm. Photo: GRANGER
Walter Winchell c.1930
Katy Beem: Winchell may not be very well-known to the current generation of journalists, but in journalism school, we extensively studied the lasting impact his exploitative brand of “reporting” had on the media. Winchell became a millionaire – during the Depression! – because the appetite for sensationalized news among the American public can be so strong. How do you see Winchell’s impact continuing to dominate today? Cara Hetland: “The outrageous sells. The gossipy ‘can it really be true’ headlines catch our attention. It’s more difficult now in a social-media dominated, 24/7 news cycle to separate fact from fiction. I’ve participated in several presentations about fake news. I start by asking a series of questions. One is if they stop and think if it’s true before they forward something they see on Facebook. Taking the time to check the source, check the facts, and being certain something is true isn’t something we do on 22
Learn. Dream. Grow.
Cara Hetland.
social media. And we should. But that’s how everything spreads so quickly. I believe we all need to take a look at what lens we’re reading news through. I concede we all have bias, but which bias do we use when we judge if a story is real? If we agree with what’s being said, then it must be true; if we disagree then it must be fake. But that’s not always the case. I tell people we need to be honest with ourselves, and judge for ourselves and make a conscious effort to not spread something that’s false or harmful to other people.” KB: Yes, sensation sells. It’s the water we swim in. When you oversee the SDPB news team, how do we keep ourselves from swimming into that lane? CH: “It’s easy – we swim in our journalism lane. We ask questions, we look for truth because we know we have a responsibility to provide that truth. Truth matters. Conversations are important. Giving perspectives from different viewpoints leads to understanding and acceptance and just might
make a difference. We give voice to the voiceless and hold elected officials accountable. If a news source is swimming in the sensation lane perhaps find a different news source.” KB: We thought the news cycle was fast before. Then came the Trump Administration and the COVID pandemic where stories are literally developing by the hour. How is the news team handling this logistically, on a day-to-day basis? CH: “We had a plan-of-action in place before the first positive case in South Dakota. We had talked about it and were ready. We spread our staff out to make sure everyone was safe; we used the tools we had to improve our communication; and we put our nose down and got to work. It was a team effort from every department to make sure the information on our air was timely and accurate. We looked out for one another for signs of fatigue and encouraged time off. We are still separated and doing our best to stay safe and healthy. I couldn’t be more proud of the entire network pulling together to make all aspects work.” KB: What are the goals for news-gathering and reporting for South Dakotans in this current climate? CH: “I don’t believe this climate is really in South Dakota. I think the reporters in this state are topnotch and do the best they can. The problem comes when we’re treated as evil or fake. I hear time and time again that local news matters most. The reporters on my team live in their communities and care about what happens (continued on next page)
