Ink and Airwaves

Welcome to Ink and Airwaves, where the timeless craft of journalism meets the dynamic energy of podcasting. Each season, we explore the world of storytelling, news creation, and the evolving media landscape through the lens of news literacy. Hosted by students, this podcast dives deep into the principles that define journalism—from the ethics that guide it to the challenges it faces in a rapidly changing world.Join us as we uncover untold stories, examine the forces shaping our media diets, and reflect on what it means to be news-literate. Whether you're a news junkie, a curious listener, or just someone who wants to think more critically about the news you consume, Ink and Airwaves invites you to question, explore, and discover the power of a well-told story.

Ink and Airwaves is a news podcast hosted by Patrick R. Johnson, with 60 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Patrick R. Johnson hosts Ink and Airwaves, a news show with 60 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #54

  What Local News Means to Us: Spectrum News 1

  Aug 7, 202621 minS2

  In this reflection episode, the team steps back from reporting and compares notes on what changed in their own news habits after analyzing Spectrum News 1 Milwaukee. They talk through where local news fits into their day-to-day lives, what pulls them toward national headlines or social feeds instead, and how emotions like stress, avoidance, and "doomscrolling" shape what they choose to watch or ignore. The group also names where Spectrum's approach to circulation and access met them or missed them, then connects those observations to bigger course ideas about news literacy, trust, verification, and civic responsibility. The episode closes with concrete next steps each person plans to take to stay more engaged with local news without letting it take over their attention.

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  Episode #53

  How Spectrum News 1 Milwaukee finds (or loses) its audience

  Aug 4, 20268 minS2

  This episode traces how Spectrum News 1 Milwaukee moves audiences from platform to platform, and what that design implies for access to local information. Using only what is publicly visible, we follow one story's "audience journey" from social discovery to a click-through on the site, then zoom out to the site's structure: a dominant top module, recirculation widgets that steer readers to additional stories, and navigation that organizes news by content type. A key finding is that Spectrum appears to prioritize its app as the main relationship tool in place of newsletters, which changes who gets consistent updates and how directly people can build habits around local news. We also look at Instagram activity through Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin, where posting cadence is steady but visible engagement appears low, raising questions about how circulation strategies translate into sustained attention in a specific local market.

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  Episode #52

  FoodShare uncertainty in Milwaukee and how USA Today framed it nationally

  Jul 31, 202613 minS2

  In this episode of Ink & Airwaves , the team compares how the same national policy pressure becomes two different stories depending on scale and audience. We break down Spectrum News 1 Milwaukee's reporting on FoodShare funding concerns and Gov. Tony Evers' letter urging the USDA to act, then compare it with USA Today's national coverage focused on whether SNAP benefits will be sent in November. Using a close read of each article's lead, nut graf, evidence, sourcing, and tone, we show how local coverage tends to foreground immediate community impact and state-level action, while national coverage emphasizes broader uncertainty, federal timelines, and system-wide consequences. The takeaway is about craft: framing and sourcing do not just describe an issue, they shape what the public thinks is at stake and who is responsible to respond.

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  Episode #51

  Inside the work of Aly Prouty, Multimedia Journalist of Spectrum News

  Jul 28, 202635 minS2

  In this episode of Ink & Airwaves , host Zoey Calvin takes listeners inside the day-to-day work of Aly Prouty, a Digital Media Producer at Spectrum News 1 serving Milwaukee and the wider Wisconsin audience. Through a process-focused interview, the episode traces how digital news gets made, from deciding what to cover to verifying information, choosing sources, and shaping a story for publication. Using Prouty's reporting on a high-stakes local healthcare contract update as a concrete example, the conversation surfaces the judgment calls that sit behind every headline: what counts as reliable, how ethical concerns show up in real time, and how trust is built with audiences who may encounter journalism on different platforms. The episode closes by reflecting on constraints in the newsroom, collaboration, and what it means to serve the Milwaukee community through digital reporting.

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  Episode #50

  Producing News in Brew City: Spectrum News and the Local Contexts of Their Practice

  Jul 24, 20268 minS2

  This episode of Ink & Airwaves maps the conditions shaping how Spectrum News operates in Milwaukee and what those conditions make possible, difficult, or unlikely. We introduce Spectrum News as a local outlet serving Milwaukee-area audiences, then break down the forces that shape its day-to-day journalism: who it serves, how the organization is structured, and how its business model influences priorities and resources. We also look at the legal and policy realities that affect reporting in Wisconsin, and the social and political context of Milwaukee that shapes trust, sourcing, and community impact. The episode closes by naming the biggest constraints Spectrum News faces right now, along with the opportunities that could strengthen its ability to inform and serve Milwaukee.

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