American Confidence In Television News At A Record Low

[bsquared11]

This is from a new Gallup poll: "Americans confidence in television news and newspapers has hit a record low - just 25% of Americans say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in either medium." According to Gallup these results continue a trend that began in 2002. This trend likely continues a spike in folks getting their news from the Internet or other sources, in some cases viewing the online off-shoot of TV stations and newspapers, but one trend is unmistakable, Americans want to feed themselves the news by using multiple sources when they want it, NOT what is determined by a TV station and then broadcast outbound to viewers at specific times. STOP being insulted by what some TV newsroom thinks is the right news for you to watch and subsequently force feed you at the time they dictate, make your own choice of what you think is the right news for you and when you want to consume it.

 

[DToTheJ]

I realize the subject matter appeals to more than just Philadelphia... but to localize this thread just a little bit, I would say that there are still a lot of Philadelphians who are loyal WPVI "Action News" viewers, no matter how many technological advancements are thrown at them. Philly folk are creatures of habit. (Exhibit A: the station still using "Move Closer To Your World" as the "Action News" theme.)

 

[bsquared11]

DToTheJ you are right with your observation which is so, so sad. The same theme song for some 30 years? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense in the digital age. Give me a break. I've always said this media market is an absolute embarrassment considering its size. Zero evolution, stuck in a time warp, folks not even willing to consider change and the use of technological advancements. Local TV news in Philly (like everywhere else) is totally insulting to one's intelligence coming from smarmy news directors who do not give a rat's tail about their audience, only about themselves, and who are gladly pouring the Kool Aid and encouraging those "loyal" viewers to drink it. Disgusting. Why would anyone in their right mind be a "loyal" viewer to a TV news product? Simply because that's the way it's been? It's a fake industry disguised to be something that it fails miserably to achieve - relevancy. That kind of "loyalty" is dangerous, shallow, and archaic. I'm trying to give residents of this DMA SOME credit, but they fail the test.

 

[imhomerjay]

Oh, no, we fail the bsquared test? :'( Quick, have the National Guard seal off the tri-state area so that no one may spread their caveman ways to the rest of the world. Oh, and change a theme song just because...um, why? Their job is to make money. They continue to do so. Sounds like business 101 to do what works, be that for 30 days or 30 years.

Tough to get over not getting the gig, huh?

 

[DToTheJ]

I've always said this media market is an absolute embarrassment considering its size. Zero evolution, stuck in a time warp, folks not even willing to consider change and the use of technological advancements...

Does the fact that Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia is still being fed via microwave fiber qualify for this? (Though reports are that they are going to change this, at least...)

 

[bsquared11]

DToTheJ said:

"Does the fact that Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia is still being fed via microwave fiber qualify for this? (Though reports are that they are going to change this, at least...)"

Yes, absolutely. Using the old PRISM method makes no sense in the digital age, other than to make it easy for Comcast to hide behind the 1992 loophole of terrestrial transmission to withhold the signal from satellite. Cowards, but let's let FIOS have CSN-Philly. The Philly market, for its size, remains SO backwards media-wise. Wake up, Philly we live in the 21st century. Look forward, not backwards the digital age is upon us.