Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | March 6, 2023 13 new level of complexity should be viewed as an opportunity. "We can put a fundamentally cohesive ad plan in front of a client or an advertiser or a community partner that can constructively touch all of our viewers," he said. "No matter the platform, they're consuming our content. Our advertisers have responded to that." But being seen as an authentic and relatable brand on newer platforms like social media is not as straightforward as simply repackaging what's appearing on the TV screen. "They can absolutely compete, but it's going to require a rebrand of sorts," said Mercy Quaye, president of The Narrative Project, a New Haven- based marketing and communications firm. "If folks see NBC 30 as a channel and not a social media influencer in the space, then I think it's going to be hard to capture their attention," Quaye added, referring to younger demographics. Some of that rebrand may have to do with the personality that news organizations can project. "A bit of a more personal touch, a bit of behind-the-scenes palace intrigue, things that allow you to pull back the curtain and say, 'this is who we are,'" said Quaye. Social media can also develop into a useful two-way street for TV journalists, said Rebecca Castellani of Quiet Corner Communications, a Connecticut-based digital marketing and content strategy agency. "The Connecticut subreddit is a great place for journalists to scour new ideas," she said. "There's a really interesting way to mine content out of social media while also still being able to use it as a vehicle to get primary quotes and keep your ear to the ground." For older generations, a sense of engagement with the news depended on seeing a trusted anchor on the nightly broadcast, but now there's more of an opportunity for genuine interaction. "That desire to feel like you're connected to the news," said Castellani. "People have always wanted to interact. I just think they didn't have as many outlets to do so." "TV news is really, really hard," said Rich Hanley, a journalism professor at Quinnipiac University. "It's like a general circulation newspaper. You gotta please everyone, but you have to do so in a very narrow window of time." Hanley said compared to the decline of the traditional print newspaper industry, local TV has maintained a level of stability. In part that's because there are fewer stations and the market size they serve is larger, which can make them an appealing advertising buy. It's also because of the big cyclical boost they get from election advertising dollars. "Congressional campaigns pump up the revenue," said Hanley. Bilingual news NBC Universal made a very deliberate play for the Hispanic market with its acquisition of Telemundo in 2018. In Connecticut, Telemundo offers a Spanish-language newscast local to New England; it's anchored out of Boston. NBC Connecticut's newsroom hosts a bilingual Telemundo news reporter, Doris Bardales. Guerrero said the opportunity this presents was hammered home by the 2020 census. "The state's population grew about one percent," he said. "But the Hispanic population in Connecticut grew 30 (percent). So it just highlighted the importance of speaking to this population in the language that they prefer." He points to the synergies of having a bilingual newsroom where local information like severe weather warnings and school closures can now be given in both languages. And while the pandemic ratings boost may have flattened somewhat, he said the social and economic changes of the pandemic continue to resonate in TV. "People aren't in 9-to-5s anymore, so the way that they consume their content has changed. We've tried to innovate and evolve with that," Guerrero said. CORNER OFFICE Rich Hanley Mercy Quaye Rebecca Castellani Relationship Banking. Loans. Treasury Management. Convenience and Accessibility at home, work and wherever you go. We serve our individual and commercial customers anywhere, anytime. We also support our communities and local organizations as volunteers, sponsors and donors. It's part of our culture and sets us apart. Looking to change banks? We can help you switch to us. Member FDIC NMLS ID: 510148 nwcommunitybank.com | collinsvillebank.com | litchfieldbancorp.com

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