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Thomas Jefferson said,

“Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.“

I have a new opportunity to inform the public and I take that responsibility seriously.  In an era when many newsrooms have been gutted to within an inch of their lives, I have been given a gift:  A strong, vital new outlet for news about state government.   This is an opportunity that cannot be squandered. 

My question to you is this:  

 How can I make the most of this opportunity?

Radio is not print. Print reporters provide the public with both ends of the information spectrum:  Both the minutiae of deficit reduction negotiations by legislators, and the broader view – the historical context of New York’s current financial picture, and what it means to readers.   Both are absolutely critical. 

Radio can also be illuminating, but in a different way.   Thanks to the nature of the medium, radio is intimate.  Radio listeners are able to hear the voices of elected officials as if they are in the same room.  More importantly, listeners can judge the quality of an official’s arguments, intellect, compassion and abilities if they are properly engaged on the radio. 

Again, I have a new opportunity to inform the public and I take that responsibility seriously.   At the top of my priority list, I am responsible for making the program relevant; I want to ensure the topics, guests, and how they are approached serve the public in a way that’s both interesting and illuminating. 

If this radio program interests you in state government, it has done an adequate job of fulfilling its mission.

If this radio program interests you enough in state government to pick up the newspaper to learn more, I have done a service to the community.

How can I make the most out of this opportunity?

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On today’s edition of The Capitol Pressroom, a round-up of editorials from around the state, an update on the trial of Joseph Bruno, and we hear another perspective on the push to collect excise taxes on the sale of cigarettes on Indian lands:  JC Seneca of the Seneca reservation will join me to present the issue from the perspective of native Americans. 

You can hear the Capitol Pressroom on-line in real time at www.thecapitolpressroom.orgor by podcast at the same website.  It is broadcast on public radio stations through central & western NY as well as the North Country and the southern tier.  Beginning December 7th, listeners in Albany, Schenectady and Troy will hear the program on WROW AM 590 from noon to 1pm. 

As always, feel free to write to me:  susan@thecapitolpressroom.org

Have a wonderful holiday!