A Fast-talking New Media Solution

By Brooke Anderson

On Oct. 10 political consultant and commentator Dan Proft visited my journalism class as a guest speaker at DePaul University’s downtown campus. He arrived looking exactly how I’d imagined him-- clean-cut, fast-talking, his hair as slick as his personality. I anticipated his sarcastic, conservative insights after listening to some of his weekly radio commentaries on WLS-AM 890. I was not, however, expecting a master plan for informative communication to the younger demographic of Illinois. I was pleasantly surprised by this quintessential spokesperson’s atypical idea. It’s an answer to an important question that is at least worth considering.

Through a variety of subjects, Proft’s enthusiasm held steadfast to one topic—his new media project. He deemed local television coverage as “cookie-cutter,” fiercely objecting to predictable coverage of stories like rising gas prices. “The lobotomized content we get from local news is terrible,” Proft said.

He also expressed discontent with its ability to capture the younger audience.

“The local news does not provide context for viewers as in, why should I care? How does it relate to me?” Proft complained.

This news coverage has resulted in a young audience who is disinterested in public issues. His answer: A hypertargeted local news program distributed via the Internet, YouTube and cell phone. He plans to assign a news team to cover local issues in depth, delivering 15-minute reports in 1.5-minute increments through a communication medium of the viewer’s choice.

This will provide a quick, digestible method of absorbing policy information and becoming more informed. By utilizing popular tools such as YouTube and wireless devices, the plan will make the information process more convenient. Proft cited school funding as one future story. “The rising high school dropout rates in Illinois are a crime and must be addressed,” he said.

This self-proclaimed “untraditional journalist” said he will opt for unique methods. For example in the case of school funding, instead of going straight to the school principal for comment, Proft’s news team will dig deeper. His crew will interview teachers, parent groups and legislators to provide more understanding and context. Proft and his gang will work to illustrate ideas that are locally relevant and not driven by national TV personalities, such as Keith Olbermann of MSNBC and Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly. Instead of telling viewers what is going on, Proft’s plan is to show them and let them decide.

Coming from a guy whose last commentary was on Sen. Barack Obama’s lack of presidential potential, I was surprised that the bulk of Proft’s speech wasn’t more political. I figured he would spend most of his time ranting about his favorite candidate. It was refreshing to instead hear of this new twist to new media.

Proft is certainly an idealist. News feeds providing relevant information in concise chunks, through a timely and convenient method, could be an answer to the prayers of many. At the end of his talk, Proft advised students to have strong opinions, be independent thinkers and work to understand the issues of the day when writing columns. Perhaps if his new project succeeds, getting informed might be a little bit easier for us all.