www.mikemarcotte.com - TRAINING AND CONSULTING IN PUBLIC MEDIA

NOW PUBLISHED!

The Public Radio News Directors Guide

The first and only handbook for news managers in public broadcasting

A project by NPR's Local News Initiative and Public Radio News Directors, Inc

Authored by Michael V. Marcotte

Photo by Nicole Lozare

I offer three decades of experience -- primarily in news management and training. I enjoy working with all people and appreciate new ways of delivering high-quality, in-depth, public service journalism. My practice provides customized expertise to the public media practitioner. -- Michael V. Marcotte

Mike is currently working on:

Developing phase two of The Public Radio News Directors Guide for PRNDI

Generating proposals for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's "Strengthening Local Journalism" RFP

The next Regional Reporter Training by PRNDI

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Mike has finished working on:

Northeastern Regional Reporter Training by PRNDI

Western Regional Reporter Training by PRNDI

Providing assessment and individualized training plans for the news/talk staff of Iowa Public Radio

Spot news coverage of Santa Barbara wildfires for NPR

Launching The Public Radio News Director's Guide for NPR and the Local News Initiative, presented by PRNDI

Management Workshop for Southern Stations Sponsored by NPR's Local News Initiative

Content Track Planning for IMA's 2009 Public Media Conference in Atlanta. Session Title: "The New News Model"

Managing Editor for NPR's Next Generation Project at the "College Media Conference" in Kansas City, October 2008

"The Four Tiers" -- a workshop for PRNDI Conference 2008

"Improving Your Delivery" -- a workshop for PRNDI 2008

News Curator for PRX (Public Radio Exchange)

Health Dialogues Program Assessment for KQED, San Francisco

Midwestern Regional Reporter Training by PRNDI NewsWorks

Southern Regional Reporter Training by PRNDI NewsWorks

Radio News Standards and Practices Training for Broadcasters at Free North Korea, Open Radio and Radio Free Chosun -- all based in Seoul, South Korea (funded by NED (National Endowment for Democracy)

News Evaluation for KTOO, Juneau, Alaska

Planning and Moderating the "One Staff, Many Platforms" session at 2008 Public Media Conference in Los Angeles (Sponsored by the Integrated Media Association)

Go to Mike's Resume

A Q & A with Mike

Blog Post: "I Quit"

Blog Post: "Afterglow"

Article: "Let's Walk That Walk"

Article: "The Paralysis Effect"

Linked-In

A Testimonial From Iowa Public Radio News Director Jonathan Ahl:

"The Iowa Public Radio news staff benefited immensely from our work with Mike Marcotte.

From the veteran members to our newest hires, Mike established a strong rapport with each of them. He turned that instant mutual respect into great plans on what to work on with the staff, and how to achieve real goals.

Unlike many consultants, Mike develops tailored and specific plans - no boiler plate presentations here! Before the training was over, there were tangible and noticeable benefits that appeared on air.

I think one would be hard pressed to find a more immediate and long-lasting way to improve their news operation than working with Mike Marcotte."

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Michael Marcotte is an advocate for strong local news.

Mike has been in public radio since 1978 -- when he held his first air shift on college radio station WUOG. While there he became news and public affairs director. He also began his own radio theater series.

Mike's masters thesis researched 40 years of Peabody Award entries to note trends in radio public service.

Mike worked in commercial radio from 1982 to 1984 at WGAU/WNGC in Athens, Georgia.

He intentionally pursued a career in public radio news -- taking his first full-time gig at WOSU in Columbus in 1984.

As news director of KPLU, Seattle-Tacoma, Mike built up a strong local news department by hiring strong reporters, emphasizing aggressive regional coverage, and developing a beat system for in-depth reporting. KPLU was named Best News Operation in the Pacific Northwest by the Society of Professional Journalists.

After 8 years in the Northwest, Mike joined all-news station KPBS, San Diego, in 1995. Mike again grew a local news department -- only this time it would be linked to a television station and deliver joint programming. He also marshalled the newsroom into the digital age -- including its role in a sophisticated website. KPBS became recognized among the leading local news stations in the NPR system.

While in San Diego, Mike was graduated from LEAD San Diego, served on the board of APTRA, and led an annual summer boot camp for minority journalism students.

At KPBS, he also hosted a weekly television program, Full Focus. And he directed and helped establish the Jacobs Project for Reporting Excellence, a new media laboratory.

Mike was elected national president of PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Inc) in 2006.

Along the way, Mike taught broadcast journalism at four universities-- including three years on the journalism school faculty of Ohio State University.

Michael now consults from his base in Santa Barbara.