In journalism, few titles carry as much perceived weight or conceal as much ambiguity as “producer.”
In broadcast, print-adjacent digital outlets, podcasts, and especially radio, the term often suggests a kind of editorial leadership, a behind-the-scenes mastermind. But peel back the label in many newsrooms, and you’ll find something else: logistical work, light research, and in some cases, a glorified booking assistant.
This gap between title and substance is especially glaring in radio.
Radio’s “Producers” and the 4-Hour Illusion
Radio producers, particularly for daily talk shows or news magazines, are often tasked with “producing” a 3–4 hour show. That sounds impressive on paper until you realize what this typically entails:
- Booking 4–5 guests.
- Writing intro blurbs for the host.
- Selecting a few listener emails or tweets.
- Occasionally suggesting a talking point or segment idea.
And… that’s it.
There’s rarely deep research. No digging through public records. No interviewing multiple sources to verify claims. No confrontation of power, no beat reporting, no fact-checked investigative work. Sometimes, producers haven’t even read the guests’ books they’re interviewing them about.
They rely on press kits and skimmed reviews, because time is tight and “content” needs to move.
In short, the majority of the airtime is filled by people outside the station the guests while the so-called producer just plays matchmaker and gatekeeper. Yet when the credits roll, they get a title that suggests they shaped the entire narrative.
Is Booking a Guest Producing Journalism?
There’s no question that booking can be challenging especially with high-profile guests or sensitive topics. But is curating voices the same as producing journalism?
Absolutely not.
You’re not verifying a guest’s claims. You’re not offering context or competing perspectives.
You’re often not even setting the editorial tone – the host does that. If the guest dominates the segment with a half-truth or misleading angle, no one in the production room seems accountable. And that’s dangerous.
Booking is part of production. But when it becomes the whole job and gets wrapped in a title that suggests full editorial control – it warps what audiences think journalism is supposed to be.
The Content vs. Journalism Divide
There’s a deeper issue at play: many news organizations have blurred the line between producing content and producing journalism.
- Content: timely, attention-grabbing, low-lift, often reactive.
- Journalism: intentional, rigorous, time-consuming, verifiable.
Radio shows, particularly those trying to fill hours of airtime five days a week, lean heavily toward content. It’s fast, it’s flexible, and it doesn’t require a newsroom. Just a guest and a mic.
Producers are told to keep the wheels spinning, not to slow down and interrogate the quality of the information going out. And when your job is judged by how smoothly a guest segues into a break, not what they actually said, the results speak for themselves.
So What Should “Producer” Actually Mean?
A true producer should:
- Do background research on guests and topics.
- Vet the claims that will be made on-air.
- Balance perspectives, not just find someone who’ll “sound good.”
- Work with hosts on framing not just intros.
- Be accountable for editorial quality, not just logistics.
If that’s not what someone’s doing, maybe we need a new word for the role. “Coordinator.” “Guest Booker.” “Segment Assistant.” These aren’t insults. They’re just more honest and in an industry struggling for public trust, honesty about who does what is long overdue.
Final Thought
Journalism doesn’t need more titles it needs more truth. And if we’re going to keep calling people “producers,” let’s make sure they’re producing something worth the name.
