The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional

The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional

Andy Marken March 28, 2024

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Hero image source News of the World, Perfect World Pictures

My name is Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, and I'm here tonight to bring you news from across this great world of ours. Now, I know how life is in these parts, working a trade sunup to sundown. No time for reading newspapers. Captain Kidd, News of the World, Perfect World Pictures, 2020

We seem to be at a pivotal point in history where local and national media (print/radio/TV) once held in high regard for honest/ethical news/information are increasingly scorned, held in disbelief or perhaps worst of all ignored.

In recent years, hundreds of newspapers have closed. Radio and TV news program ratings have shrunk as more and more viewers - especially younger generations - turn to streaming entertainment.

To be blunt about the situation, losing these independent news/information voices will mean we are totally s*****d.

Full disclosure, we have a double degree from a respected college in journalism and radio & TV.

First, let us emphasize that the outlets are not a public service.

They're businesses and with the advent of social media and now AI generated news coverage it's a d*** tough profession and business.

But the news business is really two equal and important segments - local/regional and national/international.

People somewhat follow national/international press, they skim their personal/professional media, they catch the news summary/highlights on TV, but they read their local news.

Local news (print, radio, TV) binds a community of people together.

While people don't like the coverage or agree with it from time to time, it holds officials and public institutions accountable.

We live in the heart of Silicon Valley, have two dailies and a number of weeklies.

In addition, there is an array of local radio and TV news organizations.

We didn't realize it until recently, but our area is more fortunate than many cities/towns across the US that have only one and increasingly, no newspapers that cover, explain and interpret local activities.

For example, our local PA Post brought to light the fact that the city council was holding a closed session, that the city hall had barred access to certain areas of the citizen's building and that building permits were being issued for projects that barely addressed affordable housing (yeah, that's a big problem in CA).

The news items aren't going to change the course of the country or world, but they did shine the spotlight on and hold local officials accountable.

Climate Change - Local news media (print, radio, TV) is vital for keeping people aware of what is happening in their area, but it is becoming more difficult for them to survive in the increasingly on-line world.

Good local news organizations are problem solvers. They identify area problems and help the community to come together to solve them.

They show how you are related to people in your area and how together, you can make a difference at least in your small segment of the world.

Losing that voice, as so many communities have, is like losing the area's soul.

Local TV stations also struggle to regain their lost audience and revenue as people - and advertisers moved to streaming services for entertainment and social media for questionable news bites.

The market changed from the days when studios/networks sold their programming to local broadcasters, and they derived major income from national and local advertisers. Fortunately, Pew Research found Millennial/Gen Z folks still seek out local TV news.

Credible - When people want to find out what is going on in their area, the first source they turn to is local media. For snapshot and overview updates, it's TV and radio. When it's a more in-depth discussion, it's local newspapers.

Sometimes, it's to obtain more details. Sometimes, for the local flavor with regional, national, global news. Sometimes, it's simply to see trusted faces.

Most local broadcast operations were late to make the move to streaming to replace/expand their viewing audiences.

They also had to become more resourceful in presenting/ selling the news.

Enliven News - Local TV stations need to do more to attract viewers in their communities than in the past when talking heads and information was enough. Stations like the Bay Area station KPIX and PIX+ television stations have added access to news with FAST channels, expanded local highlight programs and VR-enabled news/weather coverage.

Our local CBS station spiced up their weather presentation with a VR, stage, making it more interesting to see coverage in three dimensions rather than a one-dimensional map.

Silicon Valley stations were early to the table, offering viewers their news programs on FAST services such as YouTube, Pluto and Tubi as well as their own apps so people could catch the 6 p.m. news at 6:30, 7, whenever.

Prime time local news is now when it is convenient for the viewer and on the screen they have handy at the time.

Local broadcasters are also becoming more creative and broadening their local coverage/appeal with original programming spotlighting area businesses, places to visit and events/activities going on in the area.

The expansion is designed to educate, inform and attract citizens to help them understand and appreciate their community. And yes, it's also done to attract local/national advertisers to their audiences.

Believable - With the growing number of information sources available, the most credible is the local news outlets.

According to a recent Pew Research study, the need for local news and its trust remains strong:

The majority of Americans find local TV, radio and newspapers to be trustworthy and social media least trust

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