Information overload

For being in the 'information' business, I can honestly say I am currently in the midst of an 'information overload!'

How do some people do it? Keep it all straight?

Back in the day (this next factoid will truly show my age), there were two daily newspapers and 5 stations if you include WUAB and UHF Channel 61 in the mix.

Families would eat dinner together, talk about their day and watch the local news, national news and then the nightly television line-up on their favorite station ending the day watching Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.

Fast forward through time using the DeLorean time machine, flux capacitor into a land with HDTV, news via the blackberry, cellphones which take motion pictures, televisions in automobiles, vehicles spewing directions to their driver and calling for help if their owner is in distress, newspapers falling by the wayside in lieu of the world wide web, soldiers in Iraq speaking via satellite with their loved ones at the holidays AND being able to watch their favorite sports team. I've touched the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Who has the time to be in command of all the information being cranked out?

Who has the luxury to be tied to their computer, cell phone, or blackberry 24/7?

When we try absorbing all of this information, are we neglecting something else? Our family? Our health?

I work in the news business with information at my fingertips around the clock and I can not even keep it all straight. We effort stories on our air different from the competition, which I try to log to make sure we are not missing out on anything big.

We generate loads of original news on our website, much of it different from what airs on tv, and frankly, I can not even keep up with my own website! I suggest stories, which I might add, are very good suggestions only to hear that a reporter or web reporter has just posted that on the web! At least I am offering viable ideas!!!!

We offer information on peoples' cell phones and distribute school closing details.

Our weather people give continuous forecasts on the local radio stations.

Facebook and Myspace have become tools used to reach the younger crowd, disseminate information on the top story, and tease what is coming up on all of our shows!

We even fire up the lights on the top of our building to alert travelers of pending weather conditions.

When I log on each day, it's time to wade through hundreds of email sent in from viewers, various agencies, public relations firms, and businesses trying to sell their product, their brand, push their story and get some publicity.

While I am logged on, the wires continue to refresh, yellow or orange alerts popping up in the lower right hand corner for breaking news.

Day after day, I sit listening to hundreds of police scanner channels trying to filter out the important calls from the insignificant mundane broadcasts.

It's an exciting time offering multiple platforms to our customers on how they get their news. Being able to give our viewers up-to-the-minute information when they want it. I look forward to the months and years ahead as my station, hopefully, will be on the cutting edge and in the forefront of this new age of information.

I know how I am feeling right now --like a cartoon character with stars spinning around my head! I just hope we don't saturate the audience or send out so much information that we bury the lead!!!!!!