This has been a running theory of mine, and I’m glad to see a study that backs it up, at least partially. Technology convenience isn’t the only reason people are watching less TV news — it’s because they don’t like TV news. For example, 39 percent of people who get their news primarily from the internet say they have an “unfavorable” opinion of network news compared to 29 percent of the entire sample. Cable news comes in at 38 percent (compared to 25 percent) and local news is 32 (compared to 22). Probably the most telling statistic in all of this is the question of whether TV “cares about the people they report on.” A whopping 68 percent of internet users say TV doesn’t care compared to 53 percent for the entire sample.
I have friends and family members all over the country who have abandoned TV news because it’s not “real” — plastic anchors with plastic words, an artificially urgent presentation with teases every 30 seconds. It’s hard to “sex up” an internet story like TV. The straightforward, scannable delivery is refreshing. And when combined with a non-linear presentation, on-demand video and two-way interactivity, the internet is clearly the superior medium for news.
Now, before my TV news friends and co-workers disown me, I’ll point out that there are exceptions to the rule — but many of the worst offenders are dragging us all down with their plummeting credibility. TV newsrooms that “get it” are focused on meaningful community enterprise coverage with smart, respectful storytelling and a ban on breathlessness. And close coordination with the web, of course. There’s room for two thriving news platforms here — TV and the web — but TV has to get more “real.”
