When the Uvalde tragedy unfolded last week, we all felt the immediate human reaction of sadness, sorrow, pain, and empathy. But at the same time, for those of us in the media business, there was content to create.
For talk radio, there was no shortage of going down the old rabbit holes debating gun laws, gun control, red flag laws, and the usual, generic topics that come with a tragedy of this magnitude that has, unfortunately, happened far too often.
However, that would have been a programming mistake. Sure, it would have been easy to open the phone lines and let callers defend the Second Amendment, why Joe Biden has no business taking guns, and so on. A host could navigate an easy four-hour program doing just that.
But what value would that really have provided? What new information, angles, topics, especially of a local variety, are brought to the table doing that?
The answer is none. It rinses and repeats. And for every decent caller you might get on that topic, the audience suffers through at least half a dozen who bring nothing of value to the table.
So, while having to deal with last week's tragedy, what could local talk shows have done to bring value to the audience?
How about starting by investigating what the local and state gun laws are in your own state and region? There are oftentimes misunderstandings on gun laws in general as talking-heads and social media take over with the same old ridiculous talking points about "assault weapons," age limits, and more. But how about educating the audience about laws that are currently on the books where they live? Do people even know? Who are the experts in government and/or law enforcement who can answer that question on your show?
Then, there's the school safety angle. It's an angle that every single parent was thinking about over the last week. Is my child safe? What is my school doing? How would they handle this? What are safety measures in place?
While a host can't talk to every principal or superintendent in a major metropolitan area, it would be great to hear from some of them who can bring some insight into what plans they have in place if, God forbid, this were to happen in their building. What do they do to try and prevent such a situation? What have they learned from Uvalde to possibly improve their own system?
Last but certainly not least is the law enforcement response, which has obviously come under much scrutiny over the last week. How is your local law enforcement prepared to handle a school shooting situation? How do they train? Are they expected to enter a classroom with an active shooter or wait for backup? All of these questions can be asked of some of the most important leaders of law enforcement around your region.
These are the angles that would have been at the top of every news talk listener's mind over the last week. And while the age-old gun debate may have its moments, with a segment here and there and be mildly entertaining, it's not moving the conversation forward, it's not teaching the audience anything, and it's not answering the questions that they likely have that could impact their children or grandchildren.
In moments like these, it's sometimes best to turn off social media (I know, it's tough, but just briefly), stay away from the cable news punditry, and think like a listener in your community. What is their concern? What do they want to know right now? And then approach your content from there. You'll be glad you did.
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