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Where Is Television News Heading?

T

tothedj

I was watching our local 10pm News on Friday evening, July 20th, and the lead
story was the anticipation of the new "Harry Potter" book.
What is going on with television news these days?, there are more important
stories to cover that a new book being released, in addition, they did a story
on a new website where "gossip" is taken to another level, is this newsworthy?,
i don't think so!
Our broadcast media should return to covering "what is" news, and what is not.
In addition, cut out segments of newscasts that are meaningless!
 
Here's the thing: you watched. More importantly, many other people watched. Going back to what worked a generation ago sounds great, but if no one watches, how, exactly, is that a good thing?
 
WNBC lead last night at 11 with the NBA ref scandal, then went on to the steam pipe explosion.
Harry Potter was the pre-weather light story.
 
Depends on the station's operations...either go up, or go down the toilet like so many affliates have done so.  If you're watching news on a station oh say owned by a penny-pinching company, for example Raycom or Sinclair, you'll going to get a second-rate newscast filled with fluff, VNRs, and sensationalism at a local level. The TV sales exec in me knows it always will end up paying off, but at what cost of a quality news organization? 
 
Once upon a time the news director at WSB/2 Atlanta
told me I had the makings of a news consultant; he
could train me in a couple of days. I'm glad now that
I didn't take him up on it. Ever since local stations went
with news consultants, the emphasis has been on what
makes a good visual, or what kind of scandal the local
city council/mayor/sports team is mixed up in. I know of
exactly one station, WHAS/11 Louisville, with a full-time
reporter covering state government who actually tells you
what laws are coming out of the capital (in his case, Frankfort).

The networks are better, although not much better.
However, you can get some substantive news in the first
fifteen minutes of ABC's World News (they devote a lot
of time to Iraq and the alleged doings of Al-Qaeda); Harry
Potter turned up in the second half of the broadcast last
night.

The old guard may have blanched at stories about popular
culture (I remember once when Frank Reynolds balked at
reporting that "Hill Street Blues" had received 13 Emmy nominations),
but the fact is: the environment is too competitive to overlook
what people "want" to know about; if any news director in Atlanta
had ignored the Michael Vick story, that person would be on the
street right now. No, I don't give a fat rat's you-know-what about
Paris Hilton, but somebody does, and as long as enough somebodies
do, I'm afraid we're stuck.

In the golden age of radio, local news readers would, in effect, admit
that they were providing a mere headline service; they would say, "For
more details, consult your morning (or afternoon) newspaper." That's
still good advice. I recommend a good newspaper or newsmagazine as
a supplement to what you see on your local channels.
 
bpatrick said:
In the golden age of radio, local news readers would, in effect, admit
that they were providing a mere headline service; they would say, "For
more details, consult your morning (or afternoon) newspaper."
Click to expand...

If that newspaper or its chain happened to own the station, that blurb served as obvious cross-promotion.

At least one station still does that: WEEU-830 Reading, PA (owned by Reading's newspaper, the Eagle).

ixnay
 
tothedj said:
I was watching our local 10pm News on Friday evening, July 20th, and the lead
story was the anticipation of the new "Harry Potter" book.
What is going on with television news these days?, there are more important
stories to cover that a new book being released, in addition, they did a story
on a new website where "gossip" is taken to another level, is this newsworthy?,
i don't think so!
Our broadcast media should return to covering "what is" news, and what is not.
In addition, cut out segments of newscasts that are meaningless!
Click to expand...

It's the End of the World.... News is now meant to be "Entertaining".... To "Tickle" your fancies..... Hard, unbiased New reporting --- has left the building.... :'(
 
bpatrick said:
Once upon a time the news director at WSB/2 Atlanta
told me I had the makings of a news consultant; he
could train me in a couple of days. I'm glad now that
I didn't take him up on it.
Click to expand...

Is WSB full of sensationalism? I know its sister station in Charlotte WSOC Channel 9 stands for "We Show Only Crime."
 
Newspapers have always been scandal driven. We just forget that. We also forget unlike newspapers, TV doesn't give viewers a choice of what to and not to read.

It's about ratings, and unfortunately the news operations are so interchangeable that outside of the order of the stories they all cover the same thing.

We have enough news in Chicago for each of the three major network stations not to repeat but they don't. Each station tries to be number one covering the same news.

So it's boring and repetitive, this is why FOX news is successful, because they cover the same news but bring a new slant to it. Note I didn't say it was better, (or worse) I said it was successsful :)
 
If you want to know the blueprint for today’s so-called television news then please rent the movie “Network.”

The movie depicts how the entertainment factor in broadcasting took over control of television news.

TV news today, at least on the local level, consists of
1. The latest homicide
2. Details of the most recent press conference by some elected leader.
3. Oh my God, it’s snowing outside; send a reporter and videographer to do a live shot.
4. A vacant house fire.

Then we go to the “feature of the day/week” That could range from some sweet old lady turning 100 to one of the local anchors practicing dancing to promote a network show.

Call me old fashion, but I miss Walter Cronkite. Thank goodness at least Charlie Gibson is still around.

If you want to know where Television news is heading I can answer that question in two words: Katie Couric. Class dismissed.
 
imhomerjay said:
Here's the thing: you watched. More importantly, many other people watched. Going back to what worked a generation ago sounds great, but if no one watches, how, exactly, is that a good thing?
Click to expand...

Are they? Local TV news ratings are declining. In almost every market, viewership is way down compared to 5 years ago or 10 years ago.

Some of this can be blamed on more choices I suppose, but certainly dumbing down the news has run people off. With the sports coverage cut to minimal levels on some stations and the mix of tabloid crime, gossip, and "health news your family needs to know about", local news has run off men in droves. I think most nights in Dallas, women now outnumber men 2-1 in terms of audience make-up of the local news.

As for where news is heading, I'm wondering how long it will be before you see news disappearing off some local stations in larger markets because viewership keeps shrinking. At some point, it can't be profitable to produce a newscast if very few are watching. As it is now during the summer time, some of the major market morning newscasts are getting sub-1.0 ratings in the 25-54 demos. What are the ratings going to look like in 5 or 10 years if the trends continue?
 
johnnya2k6 said:
Mark_Giardina said:
Call me old fashion, but I miss Walter Cronkite. Thank goodness at least Charlie Gibson is still around.
Click to expand...
So are Lloyd Robertson and Peter Mansbridge up North.

Jonathan Allen
Click to expand...

Mansbridge is excellent. Unfortunately our cable outlet decided not to show The National or any Canandian television. Instead we get our information from the likes of Katie Couric, the savior of the CBS Evening News. Let us pray.
 
I’ll tell you were Television news is heading today; right in the crapper.
That’s because the older generation is tired of hearing stories about Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan. They are sick of all of the “fluff pieces” inserted into newscasts; Tired of the typical Barbie and Ken anchors that make Ted Baxter look like he was a member Ed Murrow’s team in London during the blitz. The younger generation could give a damn about watching either the local or national nightly news. Instead they watch Jon Stewart on the Daily Show and laugh along with all of the jokes.
And that is what Television news has become, a joke. I bet you there isn’t one TV station in this country that doesn’t have a typical young blonde co-anchor or reporter; a “Tad Nifty” type also as an anchor; a jock reading sports scores; and your friendly neighborhood weather person.
 
The Voice of Reason said:
I’ll tell you were Television news is heading today; right in the crapper.
That’s because the older generation is tired of hearing stories about Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan. They are sick of all of the “fluff pieces” inserted into newscasts; Tired of the typical Barbie and Ken anchors that make Ted Baxter look like he was a member Ed Murrow’s team in London during the blitz. The younger generation could give a damn about watching either the local or national nightly news. Instead they watch Jon Stewart on the Daily Show and laugh along with all of the jokes.
And that is what Television news has become, a joke. I bet you there isn’t one TV station in this country that doesn’t have a typical young blonde co-anchor or reporter; a “Tad Nifty” type also as an anchor; a jock reading sports scores; and your friendly neighborhood weather person.
Click to expand...

Hey Voice of Reason, I love your writing, especially the Ted Baxter mention.

One other thing to consider is freedom of the press. In my lifetime I remember the press being the catalyst for bringing down a corrupt president, now those freedoms are used to give us "Breaking News" about Lindsey Lohan getting busted for DUI again. What goes on in Washington is only good if there is a hot piece of video or quick sound byte associated with it. I am embarrassed by the people that bring us "News" in this country. They have bastardized a freedom guaranteed in our Constitution and totally given up on their responsibility to inform the public of real news just to make a buck or keep expenses down. (I won't even get into how this administration has taken advantage of lazy journalists and greedy owners to spin the news)
 
wncc said:
bpatrick said:
Once upon a time the news director at WSB/2 Atlanta
told me I had the makings of a news consultant; he
could train me in a couple of days. I'm glad now that
I didn't take him up on it.
Click to expand...

Is WSB full of sensationalism? I know its sister station in Charlotte WSOC Channel 9 stands for "We Show Only Crime."
Click to expand...

Pretty much, I'm afraid. WSB might be Atlanta's "news leader,"
but its newscasts are no different from WAGA's, WXIA's, or
WGCL's when you come right down to it.

A note about the Bush administration and "lazy reporters":
the person who posted that is on-target. I just finished reading
a book about Don Rumsfeld, and the Pentagon took every opportunity
to distribute what it wanted the media to know, knowing that
reporters covering that beat wouldn't follow up, while he was
Secretary of Defense.
 
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