Today’s post yields to a Tampa-based blog called “the Feed.” It suggests that the pressure to squeeze revenue from TV stations has impacted the thinking of local TV newsrooms. Y’think?
Old rule: news is news. New rule: news is marketing.
Old rule: news is never old New rule: news has an expiration date
Old rule: live shots compliment the story New rule: live IS the story
Old rule: weather gets the attention it deserves New rule: rain is a lead story
Old rule: Cover the issues New rule: cover the emotions
Old rule: Staff experience is valuable New rule: 1 year is experience
Old rule: Cover breaking news New rule: make up breaking news
Old rule: Build credibility and you’ll gain a bigger audience New rule: Reach more people through the Internet
Old rule: Be good storytellers New rule: more stories, less telling
Old rule: Report the facts New rule: report what people say
Old rule: Follow the news director’s lead New rule: Who’s the news director?
Old rule: Consultants suggest New rule: Consultants control
Old rule: Ratings rule New rule: Demos dominate
Old rule: Know your community New rule: know your research
Old rule: Bad staff behavior is not tolerated New rule: address your questions to our attorneys
h/t to JW!
As a viewer, here are the ones I identify with and the reasons I stopped watching TV news long ago:
news is marketing
live IS the story
rain is a lead
cover the emotions
make up breaking news
These problems will never be fixed. TV news is not news, it’s entertainment. The TV news show that is the most entertaining will get the most viewers. So what’s the point in watching when there are better news sources?
I wonder if the root cause is the “Gordon Gecko” drive for money/power, or something even more basic? And couldn’t this phenomena actually be the root of many of our current national and world issues, and perhaps the news and media in general is simply a mirror of our society as a whole.