Is Local Television News Going the Way of SportsCenter?

How much real and vital local news in all those hours?

 

Car chases are not news.
Blood and gore is not news, either.
Local news in my market fails everyone.

 

It's crazy to realize most news stations have half the staff working the AM block and the other half the PM block. Or how many of the reporters at big markets are technically freelancers. 20 years ago a lead anchor at a big market network affiliate made $400k easy. Now, the same amount of money, probably less.
I remember thinking how "sad" it seemed when a TV reporter would take a job as a spokesperson for a public agency or utility - but clearly they are doing better than the people still in the business these days. Better hours, better pay and no hanging outside some location four hours or more after something happened for the "live shot" at 11 p.m. or 5 a.m.

 

Generally, there are two main reasons why a reporter is live in that situation.

1) They went to the meeting, they're putting together the story at the site of the meeting, so they're presenting it live from the site because that's where they are.

2) It helps the pacing and variety of the show. Even if the live shot is fairly pointless, it's a little like adding art to a grey newspaper page. It breaks it up and adds to look of the show.

 

Comic strips are not news. Classified ads are not news. Oddly, they keep showing up in the local paper.

And blood and gore is quite frequently news. It gets overrepresented, clearly, but it's news.

Here's the problem: I've worked for a lot of news directors who took the obligations of the job very, very seriously. They made sure we covered the legislature thoroughly. They stressed quality investigative work.

I also worked for one guy who was strictly an ambulance chaser. He actually covered the news trucks with images of gun sights and bullet holes. We did nothing but chase the police scanner all day, every day. If some guy suffered minor injuries in a fight in a ghetto bar at 3am, you'd see it on our air.

It was a soul-sucking time in our newsroom. Everyone hated it. We felt like sleaze balls.

We also got the best ratings we've ever had.

 

People say they want high-minded journalism from local TV news. They want more positive, in-depth stories. They want more investigative journalism.

They also say they eat salads and vegetables.

On the investigative... yes. People watch and react.

The other high-minded content. Nope. Maybe in affluent markets with high college degrees (Minneapolis, Denver and Vermont come to mind) but, otherwise, no.

Crime, school closings/consolidations, extreme weather. That's what drives us.

People don't often realize they hold the power here on what we show or prioritize. We see what gets traction on social media and what doesn't. We follow accordingly.

 

This is awful for our business. This will be celebrated like Bonds hitting 73 homers. No one wants it.

Tribune has actual stations - good ones - in large markets. How will a nickle and dime operation like Sinclair do business in high-tax states with unions and high-priced employees??

Down to four decent companies left in the business. Hearst, Gray, Meredith and Scripps.

 

The unions will soon be gone.