How The Media Handles A Pandemic With Tara Finestone

Now more than ever we need our journalists to provide the information we need to stay informed, be prepared and know what to expect in an almost constantly changing world. But whether it’s in a newsroom, on the street or in most cases, working from home, the responsibility is huge. Tara Finestone is Vice President and News Director at KCBS and KCAL in Los Angeles. She oversees one of the largest local broadcast and digital news departments in the country. She’s a veteran journalist with twenty years of local and national news experience, with four Emmy awards under her belt. Tara is a wife and mother to three sons, who happens to be a former colleague from my days at KNBC. Tara reveals a behind the scenes look into how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the newsroom and how she’s managing and keeping safe a staff of 180 people. What are journalists doing to protect themselves when they’re out on the beat gathering information for daily news reports? And how is the news itself changing? Tara reveals how she feels about the politicizing of the pandemic by some national news outlets and why it’s even more important now for local news to deliver unbiased information on what’s going on in our local communities. How the content of local news is evolving to be even more helpful to the community with new segments to help the unemployed find jobs and even resources for those encountering mental health issues. Tara gives her tips for how other working parents can manage their lives, do their jobs and be there for their children. She reveals her secret to managing her kids’ exposure to the news and how to talk to them about what they’re seeing and hearing. I hope you learn a little more about what goes into your local news reports and the awesome people behind them. https://www.instagram.com/stage29podcasts https://twitter.com/stage29podcasts https://www.facebook.com/Stage29Podcasts/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices