Welcome to the online home of Barrett News Media!
This is our first journey into covering the world of news media, and I’m extremely excited about the opportunities and challenges ahead. Two years ago this existed as an idea in my head, which I wasn’t sure we could pull off. I kept looking at the rapid activity of news media content, and the workload on our other platform, Barrett Sports Media, and it felt like way too big of a mountain to try and climb.
Maybe I’ll look back in the future and ask myself ‘what the hell were you thinking’ but what fun is life if you don’t swing for the fences every now and then?
Reaching this point would not be possible without the help of our entire crew. I especially want to acknowledge Ryan Hedrick and Eduardo Razo who wrote a combined 20-25 stories in the past few days to get us ready for launch day, and Steve Stone who pledged his advertising support to this brand so we could get off on the right foot.
If you’ve followed my other brand, Barrett Sports Media, then you’ll have an idea of how I operate. If you’re just learning about me, allow me to fill you in on what you can expect on our site.
First, we are a news media website. We have 11 excellent writers contributing to BNM, and they’ve been charged with elevating the awareness of news radio, television, print, and digital brands, talent, executives, and support staff. As much as you may know about the top local or national radio or television stars and brands, there are thousands of other stories waiting to be told, and we want to help tell them. If you’re with a news radio or television station or an online or digital brand and have future news to share, please email it to me at Jason@BarrettNewsMedia.com. You’ll also be able to reach us thru Twitter @BNMStaff.
Secondly, our columnists may weigh in with opinions surrounding political matters that connect to the broadcasting business, but what you’re not going to find on BNM are deeper dives into presidential candidates, state laws and bills, protests or COVID-19 responses by different states. We’re wise enough to recognize there are larger brands in the industry doing tremendous work covering those stories, and we prefer to stick to what we know, the media business. There may be times where those issues involve or affect a media member or brand, if they do, we’ll explore it, but only for that reason.
Next, some may agree, some may not, but I prefer not to blur the lines between sports media, and news media coverage. Therefore we will operate BSM and BNM as two separate brands. Most of our writing teams are specifically designed to focus on each platform, and though there may be a little bit of crossover when it makes sense, my preference is to let them each concentrate on providing value for their targeted audiences.
The online brand is just one part of this venture, the other involves consulting news radio stations. There have been a number of people who have texted, called, emailed, and direct messaged me to inquire why I decided to make the jump into news/talk. I’d love to give you some complex answer that blows your mind, but it’s actually quite simple, it interests me. As much as I love sports, I also listen to news radio, watch news television, and read about a variety of different things. I believe in keeping my brain sharp, and staying informed. My first job in the business actually involved writing and reading news, and covering local issues.
I’m 46 years old and have had the benefit the past 5 years of working in a consulting role after spending the prior 10 years constructing, developing, and programming sports radio stations. I consider myself a better programming executive today then I even was when I operated inside of a building. What draws me most to news media is the mixture of content, personalities, conflict, and urgency. Similar to sports, the storylines are engaging, important, and absorbed by large amounts of people.
But as I look at the news/talk format today, I see nearly two thousand stations (two third the size of sports), many facing an uncertain future given the age and health of some of the format’s key stars. This puts a lot of brand managers in an uncomfortable spot because they have to look to the future while hanging on to the present. Nobody knows for sure when each host will ride off into the sunset, but one thing is certain, new ideas, energy, and strategy will be necessary to remain relevant, and continue succeeding.
As eager as I am to dive in and work with brands, I’m not going to be doing this alone. I’m thrilled to have Ryan Maguire on board because similar to myself, he has traveled the country and led a number of stations to success. At his last stop, KIRO-FM in Seattle, he was part of the crew that brought home a Marconi for Best News Talk Station of 2019. Whether I’m personally involved with a brand or Ryan’s running point with a client, the goal is to help our partners grow their business – end of story. That means adding more than just an ear and critique of a talent or piece of content. There are many factors that go into helping brands, and after establishing a positive track record for sports radio clients the past 5 years, I’m confident we can do the same for our future news talk partners.
But enough about our consulting plans, and online content strategy. This is our first day online and I’m sure you’re interested in checking out the content. I want you to have a positive experience, so please browse the site, familiarize yourself with our writers, and get a feel for what we do. We are committed to serving you and highlighting the best and most interesting parts of our industry, and will be counting on you to tell us how we’re doing along the way. Thanks so much for taking the time to check out BNM. Now it’s time to climb that mountain.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
