Full disclosure: AI was not used in the writing or the planning of today’s holiday blog post. But I did go back to my Fourth of July post from 2018 as an inspiration for today’s Independence Day missive. For a post that ran over a long weekend, it generated a lot of comments when it was originally posted. So, with some modifications to make up for six years of time, here goes July 4th Weekend 2025. I hope in some way it resonates for you. Best wishes to you and yours for a fun, meaningful, and safe holiday weekend. – FJ
I often think of Independence Day here in America as everyone’s version of “halftime.” The second half of the year officially starts Monday, there’s a lot on our plates, and we’ve got some pressing business to attend to.
Somehow, as America celebrates its birthday tomorrow, it’s looking every bit as old and tired as the years indicate. Maybe that’s because a lot of very fundamental questions are somehow outstanding, no matter which side of the aisle you happen to be seated.
You’d think by now, we would have figured this stuff out. But a big part of the challenge facing us today is that whatever tribe, group, camp, issue, or cause you’ve chosen, there are likely as many of you who are diametrically opposed to it.
Our forefathers, foremothers, patriots, and military fought hard for this democracy. And now we’re stuck with it.
And so the questions remain on this July 4th:
Who are we? What do we stand for?
That’s a lot to ponder this week, this weekend, and whenever you get a spare moment. Amidst the fireworks, family, friends, burgers, baseball, and barbeques, there’s a lot going on in our worlds and in our heads.
There’s something to be said for turning off Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and CNN this weekend, as well as taking a little Facebook and X vacation during these hot, humid days of early July. It might be easier to answer the questions without the steady cacophony of voices and tweets.
Clearly, the national landscape feels especially up for grabs at this moment at time, as fundamental questions about what kind of country we want to have and what kind of people do we want to be have emerged as primary questions in 2025. For years, many of us assumed we tacitly knew the answers. But in today’s unsettled environment, they are up for debate.
So maybe you’re more comfortable just addressing these same questions about your radio station or the company you work for, because no matter whether you’re in San Francisco, South Bend, or Savannah, if you can’t provide that level of clarity about your brand, you’ve got a much harder task at hand.
Who are we? What do we stand for?
As someone who has consulted and engaged in research and strategy sessions for hundreds of stations and scores of companies over the last four+ decades, broadcasters typically end up in one of two camps.
You either know your mission, your position, and your audience—or you don’t.
And radio stations and the companies that own them are a whole lot easier to program, manage, market, navigate, and even pivot when you’re confident about where you stand and where you’re going.
Google Maps, Alexa, and Shazam cannot answer those questions for you. ChatGPT can’t wrap it all up in a neat and tidy summary. There’s no app for that.
We have to figure them out for ourselves.
These are the times when clarity and common sense matter, so I hope you’re successful at achieving both as we return to work on Monday to start the second half of 2025.
I wish you a wonderful 4th and whatever extra time off you can negotiate with your employer. Enjoy “halftime,” and we’ll be ready to take on the challenges, dragons, and holy wars on the other side of this weekend.
We’re taking tomorrow off, but I plan on being back Monday morning with a fresh blog post.
That’ll give me time to review the answers to those questions:
Who are we? What do we stand for?
No one said it was going to be easy.
Originally published by Jacobs Media
