Television News

Most Popular News News SourcePercentage Local TV News65.5% Local Newspaper28.4% National Network TV News 28.3% Local Radio News Programs 14.7% Internet11.2% National Newspaper3.8% Someplace Else1.3% Source: RTNDF Survey of the Future of the News, October 2006

Evening News Ratings Source: Nielsen Media Research

Sources of Information 62%Local TV News 62%Local TV News 50%Cable TV News 50%Cable TV News 49%National TV News 49%National TV News 38% Newspapers 38% Newspapers 31%Internet 31%Internet 30%Radio 30%Radio Rasmussen Poll Conducted August 3-4, 2008 Rasmussen Poll Conducted August 3-4, ws_sources_august_3_4_2008

2* Which cable news network do you generally watchFox News, CNN, or MSNBC? 2* Which cable news network do you generally watchFox News, CNN, or MSNBC? 35% Fox 35% Fox 42% CNN 42% CNN 20% MSNBC 20% MSNBC 3% Not sure 3% Not sure

Network News The Big Three: Tom BrokawPeter Jennings Dan Rather

Network News The (New) Big Three (and PBS) Brian WilliamsCharles GibsonKatie CouricJim Lehrer

Cable News Anchors

TV News Viewers In 2006, the median age of nightly news viewers stayed at roughly 60 years In 2006, the median age of nightly news viewers stayed at roughly 60 years TV News desperately wants to attract younger viewers without losing older ones TV News desperately wants to attract younger viewers without losing older ones

2006: Katie Couric Joins CBS First woman anchor Recruited from Good Morning America (breakfast television) Cohost of Good Morning America, Charles Gibson, recruited to anchor ABC CBS increases soft news at first

CBS Reduces Hard News Source: Andrew Tyndall

CBS and Katie Couric

Network News Who Is Winning? Brian WilliamsCharles GibsonKatie Couric 3 rd : 7,810,0002 nd : 8,950,0001 st : 9,380,000

Network News: Changes over past 20 Years: Ownership changes: conglomeration by multinationals a.1985 General Electric buys NBC (5% of profits, 1994) b.1985 Capital Cities Communications buys ABC 1995 Disney buys both c.1995 Westinghouse Electrical Corp. buys CBS (40% of profits in 1995)

Week 9: Television News 1.Ownership changes: Effects a)Profits over Prestige (no more public service requirements) b)Cost Cutting c)Drive to increase audience share

Week 9: Television News Changes over past 20 Years: 1.Ownership changes: Effects 2.More accessible stories: a)Graphics b)Soft News (infotainment) c)Shorter, faster paced stories d)Teasers (to stop people from using the remote)

Week 9: Television News Changes over past 20 Years: 1.Ownership changes: Effects 2.More accessible stories: 3.Less Foreign News a)Too expensive b)Seen to be less relevant/important to public

Foreign Coverage

Week 9: Television News Changes over past 20 Years: 1.Ownership changes: Effects 2.More accessible stories: 3.Less Foreign News 4.More commercials

Week 9: Television News How much news is in a 30 minutes broadcast?: CBS: 1981: 23: : 18:20 NBC:2000:19: : 20:20

Cable News Source: Kagan Research, LLC, a division of Jupiter Kagan Inc.

Week 9: Local TV News Why do we have local television news?

Week 9: Local TV News Why do we have local television news? 1.Reflect local community interests 2.US is a very diverse, decentralized society: people think local 3.Most services controlled at state/local level: education, police, transportation, health, social services, etc. 4.PROFITS!!

Percentage of TV Station Revenue Produced by News YearAverage Percentage % % % % Source: RTNDA/Ball State University

Factors That Drive Local TV News: 1.Time 2.Staff 3.Technology 4.Dramatic power of visual images 5.Competition for viewers 6.Costs

Factors That Drive Local TV News: 1.Time 2.Staff 3.Technology 4.Dramatic power of visual images 5.Competition for viewers 6.Costs 7.Profits!!!

New Developments One of the major issues in local TV news in recent years has been the trend toward stations producing more news without increasing their staff to do it. One of the major issues in local TV news in recent years has been the trend toward stations producing more news without increasing their staff to do it. Local TV content can now be accessed as podcasts, on cell phones, on outdoor screens and streamed over the Internet. Local TV content can now be accessed as podcasts, on cell phones, on outdoor screens and streamed over the Internet.

Week 9: Local TV News Group Exercise 1: Pretend you are a local tv station here: 1.What sorts of stories are important for people in a local community? 2.Will people watch if you show these stories? 3.How do you maintain an audience?

Topics in Local TV, Percent of all time MorningEveningLateAll Govt/Elections8%12%13%11% Crime Accidents9668 Business85*5 Domes. Issues Science1242 Foreign Rel.5234 Defense/Military2512 Celebrity/Entertainme nt 7224 Lifestyle168310

TOPIC RANGE STORY FOCUS ENTERPRISE LEVEL NUMBER OF SOURCES VIEWPOINTS SOURCE EXPERTISE LOCAL RELEVANCE What is a "Good" Newscast?

Watch the local news broadcast: 1.What tactics were used to attract viewers? 2.Are these examples of bad journalism? 3.What aspects were good?