Fayetteville's Very Own Local News (On YouTube)

I think having things like the zombie walk covered by the local news crew with video would further people's interest. I haven't been to one yet, and it's hard to find any pictures or videos of what the zombie walk is, mostly so that I can be prepared and know what to expect. For instance, it's a family friendly event, but does that mean blood and gore should be toned down, or is it okay to go full on walking dead makeup? Am I expected to be in character apart from the walk? And for people who don't want to dress up, how prevalent are non-zombies? Would I stick out like a sore thumb? For other events, maybe like a gaming event, sometimes seeing it happening gains interest so that next time people decide they want to come. Sometimes just reading about an event isn't exciting enough to actually want to take the chance and go.

I think Fayetteville is highly underrepresented on any NC news channels and would do well with having their own. The Fayetteville Observer has plenty to report on for things that go on around here, and I think it would do well to have a crew and bring together all the social media outlets to one platform where they can be shared. It doesn't have to be a 24/7 channel, but could report on specific weather in different parts of the city, outages/road closures/etc., talk about up and coming changes in the city (like encouraging pedestrians to use the new sidewalks, telling everyone where there are new sidewalks (particularly important for people who don't use the roads to keep up to date with where work is being done), and encouraging pedestrians to wear something reflective. A section on it that shows just how hard it is to see someone with versus without could go a long way, since not all pedestrians have cars and understand from a driver's perspective. It could also highlight things that are going on at the libraries, or have a This Week in Fayetteville section that goes over all the happenings across sectors. It would be a great place for people to submit pictures like cool sunsets or a great lightning video (which could then be put on the facebook page and other social media), for shelters to feature pets, to highlight toy drives, fundraisers, and other poverty-related events like the state of homelessness and what to do if you are homeless (like outreaches, shelters, and food pantries), and so much more. There could also be crime reports. I only ever saw one crime reported in Fayetteville which involved a police chase on the morning news (ABC11) in all the years that I saw it. So knowing where crime is happening and what crimes happen most could help people protect themselves and report it.

A YouTube channel that livestreams would be a great addition to downtown, particularly for those interested in landing a larger job with a bigger company. College communications majors interested in becoming a journalist or reporter would have a place to start nearby. They could offer internships, day in the life presentations for schools (like what it's like to be a reporter, camera man, journalist etc.), along with other student benefits like school closures and report annual testing scores across schools as well as other records like school sports team interviews after big wins or comparing reading and math comprehension percentages across school systems. It could probably promote healthy competition and make our school systems not just better but also more well-known.

I remember when my high school expanded their journalism sector. Every morning, instead of the announcements being just over the radio, they were on the TV, and different students would have the chance to give them. They included prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as sports reports, important reminders like uniform requirements or schedule changes, and they also had a news paper circulated. It was a long rectangular paper folded in half and written on the front and back. It was great when big events like prom were coming up, or for other things like voting on a class president or the week where each day was themed (like pajama day or wacky wednesday). They also read birthdays which was fun, though I was glad my birthday wasn't during the school year since I don't like the attention! But it was still a nice gesture. Perhaps they have expanded to YouTube. It would give those interested in reporting some further instruction in YouTube and give parents a chance to see their money at work while keeping up to date on current events in their kid's school. It would also keep a social media page active daily, and could include livestreams of things like the class dance competitions, sports games, or other major events like plays or recitals. This would also give students something shareable from the night, and get them used to performing in front of both people and cameras. It would also provide camera work and a great start in becoming a cameraman if someone wanted to go to a filmmaking school, which I could see expanding into lighting and sound operation. It could be a club that turns into a class. Other things they could record could be other classes like the robotics class and what they covered that year (which could help students decide if they want to join when they're able to), or follow the fencing team to an event and record highlights to share for their page on the school's website. It would be great to have a catalogue of each club and team to get to know what it's like to be part of them before joining, and would help prospective students and parents see all of the benefits their child could have if they join this school. And speaking of kids, the Fascinate-U Museum has a little newscaster station. It would be wonderful to see that job come to life here in this town.

I think if Fayetteville expands their journalism sector, it would do well for everyone in a myriad of ways, and just be cool, particularly for the younger crowd like college students that tend to get their news via social media, but also for the aging crowd that is techy. The e-newspaper with the Fayetteville Observer is a bit lacking to me, and the paper one is limited and doesn't seem to cover only Fayetteville News. I get that national news is important and will effect our community in some way, but there's only so much that can fit on the pages, and not everyone likes to read. Letting the news cast play in the background while I do something else is much easier for me than sitting down and reading it. It's basically Audible, but for the news, and including only Fayetteville news (though maybe sometimes other NC news like the state fair coming up, or other big events nearby). Although I would watch it in the background on a smart kitchen tv, phone, or laptop if I just wanted to catch up on truly local news.

Maybe the name could be something like eyewitness 8, FAY8, or each topic could have a different name like Fayetteville Pulse for health news, Fayetteville Scene for entertainment, Fayetteville Focus for the headliner, Fayetteville Daily for what to expect today in Fayetteville or what happened 'Today in Fay,' and Fayetteville Report for crime, education, and other statistical analyses. I used BrandCrowd.com to get these name ideas, and they have a lot of logos. Sectors like Neighborhoods could team up with the news station to help put out a weekly or monthly newsletter specifically for their community called Neighborhood News Division, and any neighborhood-related things like yard sales, changes to local home laws, and the like could be aired in the topic of Neighborhood News. Fayetteville Digest could cover local restaurants. Fayetteville Insight could cover military base events and other resources that are open to the public, and educate the public on how to get a visitors pass or any other base-related materials like recruitment, veteran's benefits (like if a restaurant is running a veterans eat free special or something, they would advertise here), and any other military-related news.  I can google search which gates are 24 hours and how to get a pass, but the best answer comes from AI, not from the sources. People need to know and not everyone has a military contact, so this would be useful for the town. There could also be a history section that is part of Fayetteville Scene that covers the historical signs downtown, or historical sites like cemetaries, buildings, and whatnot, but in a reenactment sort of way that teams up with Cape Fear Theatre. Reiterating what the signs say in a report is boring, but it is important to stay factual and respectful in reenactments, but still find ways to be entertaining.

Would You Watch It?

• No, I like my regular news channels.
• No, I don't watch news.
• Maybe I'd give it a chance.
• Yes, I'd love to be more connected locally!

A news reporter standing behind the desk on set.