TV news: an endangered species?
Cory Bergman February 10th, 2008
No, I didn’t write the editorial in this week’s Broadcasting & Cable. But it mirrors much of what we’ve been writing on Lost Remote: newspapers are in a freefall, and flashy formulaic TV newscasts could be next. “Most network magazine shows, and morning newscasts, are now more like People than Newsweek or Time,” writes B&C. “Many local newscasts are in trouble because their cookie-cutter Action Eyewitness Newscenter formats are parodies of news, not purveyors of it. Alas, cable news, on its worst days, is just a dogfight between ‘celebrity’ ideological egotists.” The editorial says “our provocation is intentional” and suggests journalists visit the Newseum “to be reminded that it’s the news profession they are in, not showbiz.” Well said.
Adds TR: “My dear former professionmates have indeed found themselves — and until 2 months ago, I was right there with ‘em — in a series of little ruts that just keep getting deeper and deeper. If the stories don’t fall into the framework for those little ruts — weather, child molesters, abused animals, etc. — fuggedaboudit. I know, I know, supposedly the ratings /researchshow that’s what people ‘want.’ Well, not me. I want information, and sitting through a packaged half-hour or hour is not an efficient way to get it. Let’s bury the transmitters along with the presses and just get on with the everything-online world already.”
17 Comments Add your own
1. Treehouse | February 10th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Local TV news shows = “parodies of news” is right !!!!!!!!
What a phrase. I wish I thought of it.
2. Amanda E. | February 10th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
“cookie cutter” news is spot on.
During the sweeps I see here in Spokane, in-depth news packages that remind me of KING’s fare of the late 80s-early 90s gets aired.
The rest of the year, little 90 second news widgets get turned out that don’t do a damned thing to differentiate the three stations from each other and won’t be remembered past the last commercial of the newscast.
Why bother to watch the news when I can find more in-depth accounts of the same story online.
3. Allen | February 10th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Have any of the alternatives to “cookie cutter” news worked? The vj system has been a failure.
What’s the answer?
4. Dave | February 10th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
“Have any of the alternatives to “cookie cutter” news worked?”
Yea, it’s called non-news content.
5. El Dangeroso | February 10th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I make my newscast a parody of news intentionally.
6. Cory | February 10th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Really, it boils down to instilling an environment of innovation and redefining what consultants have told us is “news.” The problem is, this requires a fair amount of risk, and budget-strapped newsrooms today more risk averse than ever before.
But the easiest thing to change right out of the gate is toning down teases, both inside and outside of newscasts. Get rid of all those little catch words the consultants taught us. Then kick “live, local and latebreaking” out the door once and for all. Start covering news that’s RELEVANT to people and deliver it in ways that doesn’t insult their intelligence. Bring enterprise back to the newsroom, and get involved in the community even when there’s no sales component.
VJs have a role, in my personal opinion, but when appropriate. The reason why WKRN failed is because they tried to switch just about everything to VJs. Adding two or three to a newsroom with a focus on niche enterprise could yield some fascinating, personal coverage without jeopardizing quality.
7. Barney Lerten | February 10th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Maybe a trade mag like B&C should offer its own suggestions/alternatives rather than just flog the ol ‘TV news isn’t about the news any more, it’s all format and hype” blah blah.
Same could have been said in the ’90s, ’80s, ’70s etc. That, to me, was a parody of an editorial. (Makes as much sense as the barb they flung.)
But hey, I just enjoyed the heck out of ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ at the Grammys, in part because I imagine 80 percent of the audience going ‘what the ….???”
Dinosaurs rule. (Okay, RULED;-)
8. TR | February 11th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Live/local/latebreaking has a role when it’s REAL, and MAJOR. That is the ONLY type of news I have turned on my TV set to look for, in the 2 months since I walked out of TV news after 20-plus years. But my dear former professionmates have indeed found themselves — and until 2 months ago, I was right there with ‘em — in a series of little ruts that just keep getting deeper and deeper. If the stories don’t fall into the framework for those little ruts — weather, child molesters, abused animals, etc. — fuggedaboudit. I know, I know, supposedly the ratings /researchshow that’s what people “want.” Well, not me. I want information, and sitting through a packaged half-hour or hour is not an efficient way to get it. Let’s bury the transmitters along with the presses and just get on with the everything-online world already.
9. tdc | February 11th, 2008 at 3:48 am
TR, you are not suppose to bury toxic waste.
10. Larry Parrodeez | February 11th, 2008 at 4:39 am
Really, the boil on my back is down to the left because I was in an environment of innovation just once. I love what consultants have told us is “news”, because most of the people in my newsroom don’t have a clue. The problem is, this requires a fair amount of risk, some cream for my boil, and budget-strap-ons for everyone in the newsroom. Except for the photog because there more at risk for exposing themselves without warning. More than ever before.
But the easiest thing to change right out of the gate is how I dress for success, while cloning teases throughout my newscast. Both inside and outside of newscasts. Get rid of all those little catch words like the smarter than us consultants taught us dumbos. Then kick “live, local and latebreaking” out the door like I did your mother last night. She’s out once and for all. Start covering news that’s RELEVANT and EVANGELICAL to people and deliver the promise of God with some good ol’ snake handlin’. Once I insulted my own intelligence. Bring the enterprise spaceship back to the newsroom, and get involved with that hot chick that works next to Capn’ Kirk. There’s no sales component in free government cheese. Damn.
VJs have a role, in my personal opinion, but when appropriate and slightly oiled with man sauce. The reason why WKORN failed is because they tried to switch just about everything to soybeans and become WSOY which has one less letter. Adding two or three letters to call letters is cool. But a newsroom with a focus on niche, and a bottle of Mad Dog, could yield some fascinating, personal coverage without jeopardizing quality. Hiccup.
11. Lol | February 11th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Oh I get it… your mocking Cory.
It was hard to tell at first, you know with all that bullsh*t, unfunny crap in the way.
12. Rob | February 11th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
The first line of defense for TV news is the same first line of offense for web news: The college classroom.
The generation who will ultimately make or break the industry are in our classrooms as we debate this. Are students being taught the glitz and get it on first and live or are they being taught to innovate and enterprise … are they being taught about web journalism as a major part of their course curriculum or is it an elective and / or an afterthought.
Sure decisions can be made today in the here and now that may chart the futures of TV news and web news in the near term, but the long term future of the industry is being developed in college classrooms through what is being taught and what is not.
Fingers can be pointed at consultants, shrinking budgets or corporate mandates that aren’t exactly in touch with what viewers really want, but that won’t change anything. Making sure people are getting the education they need to help the industry survive and thrive will ultimately be one of the most important factors in whether or not TV and newspapers survive or go the way of the T-Rex.
13. Safran | February 11th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
I’m a consultant. So go ahead and blame me. I used to blame the consultants, too. It made me feel better.
Or stop figuring out who’s to blame. Be a voice for change in your newsroom. So many great projects have started in newsrooms because someone just started doing them. There weren’t committee meetings or budgets. Someone just dove in. Sometimes they failed (maybe most of the time) and sometimes they succeeded.
There are so many reasons to give up. There are so many places to lay blame.
But blame doesn’t pay your bills and it doesn’t make better journalism. You are not powerless, no matter what you think, in your newsroom. If you think you have clueless managers: offer them a clue. Show them how an RSS reader works. Make a news blog and show them how it can contribute to their workflow. Be the online expert that finds solutions.
I travel in lots of cities right now, and there’s no question the local newscasts are homogeneous. Falling ratings should take care of that. Someone’s gonna have to be brave when they have nothing left to lose and find a new way. Or they will go away. Would it really be a tragedy to lose a fifth local newscast?
Same with the web. I don’t buy it when I hear that the web is the end of journalism. It’s a new beginning. It just doesn’t save the old model. It creates a new one. There are lots of people who don’t like that.
That Newseum is going to be paleolithic if we don’t adapt.
Journalists: heal thyself. It doesn’t start by calling Sam Zell names.
14. tdc | February 12th, 2008 at 7:42 am
picking up where safran left off, i’m hearing the guy (steve baron) behind livenewscameras(dotcom) is/was the meteorologist at the chicago fox affiliate.
anyone notice they registered that domain in mid-january of this year!
talk about a quick turn.
15. LMAO | February 13th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Oh I get it… your cocking Mory.
It was hard to tell at first, you know with all that bullsh*t, and really funny crap in my panties.
16. aidian | February 13th, 2008 at 5:38 am
“I’m a consultant. So go ahead and blame me. I used to blame the consultants, too. It made me feel better.”
Thanks Safran. I will. It does.
17. Safran | February 13th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I’m here to help.
Leave a Comment
(Please keep URLs out of the comment body or the spam filter will block you.)Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed