For New Jersey to lose our only public broadcast station would be a tremendous loss, writes Jay Redd, an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School who teaches about lobbying and advocacy.
By Jay Redd
A year ago, we found out one of New Jersey’s oldest and most well-respected papers, the Star-Ledger, would stop print production. Now, after two brutal rounds of layoffs, NJ PBS will cease as well. While media conglomerates promise high-quality digital content, we have lost sight of the importance of accessible, reliable, local journalism. Too many of our “local” outlets have become overrun with generic listicles and click-baity national headlines.
New Jersey has invested millions in becoming a hub for the film and entertainment industry — yet here we are poised to let our only public broadcast station fall. What does it say about us, as a state, if we’re willing to spend more money vying to attract Hollywood productions than in ensuring our citizens have access to reliable, quality news about their communities?
The state’s film tax credit program is allocated $100 million a year, and yet NJ PBS lost $750,000 in this year’s budget, leaving them with a fourth of the funding they had in years prior. As more and more outlets shift to online-only models, we’re leaving behind a huge swath of our population who simply want to pick up their daily paper or tune in to a nightly broadcast. We seem to forget that not everyone has the same access to smartphones and computers.
Having worked in the Legislature, I recognize the importance of accessible, quality journalism. It is not just about those of us “inside the beltway,” it is about the everyday citizens of our state who are continuously asked to work harder and shell out more money to find out what is happening around them. NJ Spotlight News anchor Briana Vannozzi has done an incredible job keeping the public informed, and while WNET has promised to keep her nightly broadcast going, it is not enough to rely on their good nature for such an intrinsic public good.
Throughout my time working in Trenton I’ve watched the Statehouse press corps dwindle, and adapt to the ever-changing news media landscape. We’ve seen storied institutions continue to cut veteran beat reporters and refocus their attention on what can garner the most views and bring in the biggest ad buys. It’s not to say there isn’t outstanding work being done by reporters across the state. New Jersey is fortunate to have many incredible reporters holding public officials accountable and keeping the public informed, but they are constantly asked to do more with less, and we’re all suffering for it.
At a time when people are inundated with fake news and misleading headlines, we have a responsibility as a state to ensure access to well-researched, easy-to-understand, nonpartisan coverage of what is happening both in Trenton and within our communities.
NJ PBS and NJ Spotlight News have been a mainstay in statehouse reporting for years, reliably offering in-depth coverage of complex issues facing our state. For New Jersey to lose our only public broadcast station would be a tremendous loss. I am hopeful that the Legislature and the incoming governor will see the value in continuing the station and work towards a solution. We owe it to our residents.
Jay Redd currently serves as the managing director of STONO Public Affairs and is an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School, teaching lobbying and advocacy. He has previously worked as chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and senior counsel to the Senate Majority Office. All opinions are his own.
