Small Town, Big Story: Lessons from the Front Lines

“It’s been a month since a shooter killed 20 schoolchildren, 6 school staff, his mother and himself in Newtown, Connecticut,” wrote WSHU Public Radio News Director Naomi Starobin, in an article for Public Radio News Directors Incorporated. “Though we had covered our share of crises -- severe weather, industrial accidents -- this event touched us and challenged our 9-person newsroom in new ways. “

Following last month’s tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Starobin shared lessons learned from her newsroom in Fairfield County, Connecticut:

Click here to read the full article.

  • Coordinate.
  • Manage calls coming in from all over the world.
  • Move resources around…cycle reporters in and out.
  • Be creative…use the whole staff.
  • Coordinate with NPR.
  • Take advantage of opportunities for collaboration.
  • Use your gut and watch the ethics.
  • Get help for reporters and other staff.