When local elections take place, they need reporting on the candidates, the issues and the decisions that will directly affect their lives, writes Ward Huey. Picture here, television reporters setting up microphones at a podium before a primary election night watch party last March in Houston.
Ashley Landis/AP
My father retired from broadcasting in 2000, before social media platforms, search engines and artificial intelligence transformed the way people consume information. But he understood something that matters even more now: Local broadcasters have a responsibility to serve their communities, earn their trust and be there when people need them most.
That belief shaped my career. And today, as the future of local journalism is being tested in ways few could have imagined, it feels less like a lesson from the past than a charge for what comes next.
That mission matters because local news is different.
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When severe weather threatens East Texas, viewers do not need national commentary. They need accurate information about which communities are in danger, which roads are closed, where shelters are open and how to keep their families safe. When local elections take place, they need reporting on the candidates, the issues and the decisions that will directly affect their lives. When challenges arise in our schools, businesses and neighborhoods, they need journalists who live in the community and understand what is at stake.
Stations like KETK-TV, owned by Nexstar Media Group and where I serve as vice president and general manager, provide that service every day. We are not a distant media brand reporting from hundreds of miles away. We live here. We raise our families here. We experience the same challenges and celebrate the same successes as the people we serve.
That is why local television remains one of the most vital and trusted sources of news in America.
At the same time, local television stations are facing significant challenges. Due to the rise of social media, Big Tech and AI, many have been forced to scale back coverage, reduce resources or close altogether. Like local broadcasters across the country, KETK is competing for viewers and advertising revenue in a media environment increasingly dominated by trillion-dollar technology companies.
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Sustaining local journalism requires long-term investment and a commitment to serving communities.
I have seen that commitment firsthand at KETK, where Nexstar’s investment in local journalism has provided our newsroom with the resources and technology needed to better serve East Texas. Those investments have helped us strengthen our weather coverage, modernize our newsroom and better connect with the communities we cover.
Over the course of my tenure, we’ve expanded local news programming, including launching a half-hour community affairs program dedicated to telling stories about the issues shaping the future of East Texas. We now provide news coverage morning, noon and night, and have expanded our lifestyle programming to highlight the people and organizations that make our communities unique.
That investment helps us deliver news faster and more accurately and allows our journalists to spend more time doing what they do best: reporting the stories that matter.
The trust local broadcasters enjoy was not built overnight. It has been earned over decades through consistent service, accountability and a commitment to getting the facts right. That trust matters, and it is something we work every day to maintain.
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We are here to serve our communities with credible journalism, local perspective and a commitment to the public good. In East Texas, we do not have to debate whether local news still matters. We see its impact every single day.
My father belonged to a generation of broadcasters that built trust one story and one community at a time. Today, our industry faces challenges he could never have imagined. But the mission he believed in remains as important as ever.
Far too many communities across America have lost their local newspapers or seen them dramatically reduced, leaving residents with fewer trusted sources of information. We cannot afford to allow local broadcasting to follow the same path. Communities need strong local journalism, and preserving it will require continued investment, innovation and public support.
Local broadcasting undoubtedly looks different than it did 20 or 30 years ago. But our mission remains unchanged: to provide fact-based, timely reporting that helps East Texans stay informed and connected. As long as our communities continue to rely on us, we will continue showing up for them.
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Ward Huey, a longtime Texas media executive, was named broadcaster of the year by the Texas Association of Broadcasters.