NBC News leader: meet viewers where they are

Coastal Road, THE GAMBIA – While it is important that journalists meet their audiences wherever they are, an NBC News executive said the key is getting the news out to the people who need it.

“The journalism has gotta be at the heart of everything,” Janelle Rodriguez, executive vice president of NBC News, said in her keynote address at the 24^th International Symposium on Online Journalism. The event, held April 14 and 15, is a program of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at The University of Texas at Austin.

In her remarks, “The Future of News is NOW: Adapting News to the Streaming Age,” Rodriguez spoke about how many news consumers are turning to streaming platforms for information.

“People are now changing their habits,” Rodriguez told journalists gathered in person in Texas and joining online from around the world.

While NBC News has a “robust” digital operation, Rodriguez said it is important to the company to provide news on a variety of platforms. News streaming is now viewed more than ever, she said.

The idea that young people don’t care about news is “simply not true,” Rodriguez said, adding that catching their attention is a matter of being where the audience is.

There are so many different ways to access news and information beyond the major networks, Rodriguez said.

While many newspapers rely on subscribers to cover their costs, Rodriguez said NBC depends on advertising rather than rely on viewers to subscribe.

“Our legacy and our future is about providing free, high-quality journalism,” Rodriguez said.

Anyone who thinks that television news is all about glitz and glamor is mistaken, according to Rodriguez.

“It’s incredibly hard work and very long days,” she said.

Mariama Barry is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International.