>Angry and Scared: What’s Wrong with Local TV News
>I was watching a local news channel not long ago when I heard a promo for an upcoming newscast.
“Coming up on the news at six, you’ll be angry and scared when you see what happened to this little boy!”
Angry and scared? What a brilliant promo! I hadn’t felt angry or scared all day. I would definitely tune in to the news at six so that I could get my angry and scared fix.
That one news promo pretty much sums up everything that’s wrong with local TV news. “Angry and scared” could be the litmus test for any story that’s brought up in newsroom editorial meetings. “Does it make people angry? Does it make them feel scared? No? Then to hell with it.”
It’s the kind of attitude that rubs off on employees, too. Most newsrooms are chock full of angry and scared people. After all, they’re covering ‘angry and scared’ stories all day long. How can they help but be affected by them? I get asked all the time if I miss being a TV news reporter. Hell, no. In the seven years I worked in news, I got enough ‘angry and scared’ to last me a lifetime, thank you very much. Even now, it’s hard for me to watch TV news for very long, without feeling that familiar knot of agony begin to form again in the pit of my stomach, the one that gnawed at me throughout the day when I was reporting. Of course, there were aspects of my job that I loved. I loved helping people and seeing things change as a result of my reporting, for example. But every single day, I dreaded receiving the call from the newsroom to kill whatever it was I was working on, because something had come along that would make people even more angry and scared, and I needed to get there right away!
Well, guess what? People are tired of feeling angry and scared every night at six. Local news ratings have been eroding across the country for years, and I’m pretty sure it’s got a lot to do with the skewed image we’re getting of our communities when we watch the news. We’re being told by our newscasters that we should go through our days angry and scared, because people are being murdered! In the worst part of town at two in the morning, but still! And! Some drunk guy fell off a boat and drowned! And it could happen to you, too! Time for a boating safety piece! And! There are rabid skunks in Brentwood! And they may bite your children!
Bullshit.
I’m not asking for a newscast filled with happy talk and Hallmark shlock, just one with more thoughtful stories than what we’re currently getting. I want every story in the first “block” of news to have relevance to the average viewer, instead of the meth addicted prostitute. I want stories to include information on what I can do to combat the kinds of things that create anger and fear. I want more analysis and less sensationalism. I want more follow-ups; too many stories are presented and then dropped forever as “yesterday’s news,” leaving us to wonder what happened next. I want to the news to be written as if viewers are intelligent, active members of the community, not drooling thrill seekers looking only to feel angry and scared.
And I don’t think I’m the only one. How do you think local news could improve? Do you even watch?
>Amen!I’ve always believed that if it weren’t for fear and weather, there’d be no local news. Most of the time that goes for national network news, too.
>i don’t watch. for these reasons exactly.
>No, I don’t watch. I think local news is poorly written, poorly presented and is just there for shock value. I don’t watch national news because I don’t think it’s news as much as it is entertainment, there for the ratings. I troll the internet (a variety of sites.. yes, I have a lot of time and I’m a dork) to try to determine what is really going on. Even that is taxing on my psyche.Honestly though, I am sick of feeling like life isn’t worth living because the world is falling apart around us. I’m sick of hearing about the one evil sick dude that does evil sick things and being forced to deal with it like everyone in my neighborhood could be that guy.
>I worked in local TV news as well and left for the same reasons – I worked in sports but that can be just as bad – I got tired of the nasty attitudes from athletes and coaches and but also of the way my bosses treated me and the other women around me. They cared more about what I looked like then what I said. I live in Boston and I cannot stand the local news in my area – it get worse every day and I refuse to let them control how I feel about the world around me.
>Nope. I don’t even watch. I scan the newspaper every morning, read the obits (yes, the obits), then I check to make sure my ipod has all my guilty pleasure podcasts on it, and I go to work. I’m glad you asked this, because I’m going to be a community blogger for the local newspaper beginning in the next few days, and the other blogs that are on there are all about politics and the latest headlines in my city. I was starting to feel a little shy about what my blog will have to offer, which is 100% what’s going on in my life, written 100% off the cuff. Do people really want to read more opinions on politics?? Do people really want more news?? So it’s refreshing to see the honest opinions here that say NO!
>Absolutely!I watch the news to get the weather report – and that is all. My husband just thinks I’m not interested in anything news related and that is part of it, but the biggest part is that I just don’t want to deal with all the negativity. Life is hard enough – do we really want to see how hard it is on everyone else, and how hard it “may” be if we don’t “act now”?!?
>It’s really not just local TV news. It’s network news. It’s cable news. It’s the daily newspaper. It’s the online news. I don’t watch any news on TV, and I pick and choose what I read in the newspaper (on print and online). I spent 10 years at a daily newspaper — not as a journalist — and I had my heart broken so many times sitting in news budget meetings. I ached when I went home. And I pulled my children closer.
>Local or national, all the news channels could use some serious improvement. That’s why I stopped watching, plus if my daughter caught a glimpse of some of those video clips she would have nightmare. Now I just scan various newspapers online.
>Angry and scared? What a brilliant promo! I hadn’t felt angry or scared all day. I would definitely tune in to the news at six so that I could get my angry and scared fix.Gosh, I just had a good laugh. An ex-broadcaster myself (with maybe-yes-maybe-not plans to return “someday”) this post made me laugh so hard. There are days that I miss the newsroom. But those are few and far between anymore! Ah, the cat fights and the male superiority complexes were enough for me to say, “SEE YA!” when it came time without much regret!
>I want a story that gives me information I can respond to, and not by visiting the mall. If there is nothing I can do about it, I don’t want to know.
>Every once in a while the Hubby will turn the local news on, but only because we moved to Nashville 6 mo ago and are interesting in getting to know the area better. But, I could shive a git because news is usually depressing. Loved the post
>I hardly ever watch TV news because it’s so full of horrible, scary stories. The teasers are awful, too: “Is your handbag killing you?” “Why your child could die from a cold.”AAUUUUGGGHHHHHH!I read most of my news online now, and pick and choose what stories I want to read. Online news also seems to offer more local and human interest material. About the only time I turn on TV news is a.) when I want to see a visual of something (like a local landslide that happened here recently — I couldn’t tell immediately if it was near a church we occasionally went to); or b.) accidentally, on my way to some other channel.
>The whole “scared and angry” thing is one of the reasons I usually avoid local news shows. My other peeve are the promos for the things in your home or community that are “really dangerous” or “could kill you and your children” and then they tell you to tune in 2 or 3 days from now at 11. If it’s so dangerous, shouldn’t I know RIGHT NOW!
>National Public Radio is my everything-you-said-you-want.
>Amen meeshemama! NPR is the best. I had my own wake-up call to the lameness of local news this morning when I flipped between all 3 major networks and they all had crews on the scene of the apparently single tree in Donelson that fell during the rainstorm last night. Literally all 3 networks had the same image up at the same time with their breathless-on-the-scene-of-the-tragedy reporters. Pathetic.
>Our local “evening” news runs on most channels from 5-6:30 p.m. Inevitably it’s the same stories over & over with the odd shock teaser for the late night edition. My coworkers are glued to it every day, hoping that there will be a new bit mixed in with the rehashes- sadly, there never is.
>i stopped watching; too depressing. i read news online or in the paper, but local news is just annoying to me.
>Don’t even watch. If it’s not on NPR, my local public radio or the top headlines of MSN, I don’t know about it. Oh, I do pay attention to my local Business Journal. When I moved from Portland, OR to Chicago in 1991, at the age of 17, I was determined to put down roots, become involved in the community and continue my political activitites. I looked to the nightly news to tell me what was going on at City Hall, etc. I only got the crime report and the weather. It was so depressing. By the time I got back to Portland, after having given up on Chicago (for a lot of reasons, but mainly because I needed to be somewhere else) Portland local news had changed to the same “format.” Since then, I never watch. News is supposed to inform the citizens/voters of a community so that they can make responsible decisions about our communities and our democracy. It’s role is to be the watchdog. Instead, it’s the gossip hound. And it’s the single most frightening problem facing our nation. The problem is, news outlets don’t perceive us, readers/viewers/listeners as their “boss.” It’s the advertisers that have influence. The only way to change this is to have more non-profit news outlets and prove they can be successful. I heard yesterday that NPR has something like 18 foreign bureus now, and ABC has 2, a direct reversal of 7-some-odd years ago. So business models like NPR can work. And in Oregon KOPB is wildly successful, as far as public broadcasting goes (top station in drive time). We need more local models like this to make sure people have access to information that truly matters.
>You explained EXACTLY the reason I don’t watch the news.I have no need to be depressed.
>You hit the nail on the head. This is exactly why I don’t watch the local news ( or if I do it’s in very small doses)
>That’s exactly why I don’t even watch the news. I read my news on the web.
>We live about an hour from Philadelphia. It is the major market local news that is broadcast to us. Very occasionally, we will watch it and when it is done, and we’ve seen the endless stream of reports about house fires and shootings, I always say that if I lived up there and watched that news, I’d be afraid to leave my house! Since then, both my daughters have moved up there so I NEVER watch it now!
>I refuse to even watch the local news for the reasons you stated. It’s nothing but murders, rapes, house fires, car-jackings, tornado stricken trailer parks, stalkings, babies left in hot cars. And…why do they always find the biggest white trash people with 2 teeth to interview in their stories…Is it the “freak” factor, because I cannot relate to the: “I’s was sittin’ on me porch when dis boy just plowed through’s my neighba’ ladies picture window in’s the front uh her house-uh”…It’s crazy what they choose as feature stories…I of course do watch the weather because my friend Charmaine is the meteorologist…
>Damn! I missed the story about the meth-addicted prostitute. Do you suppose they do re-runs?I will only be angry if they don’t have re-runs. I will only be scared if she’s supremely ugly.
>Brilliant Lindsay. Just perfect.I think the first step is for the news to actually report, um…news. The stuff that affects us. Unfortunately they’re not really reporters, they’re salespeople and what they have to sell is our eyeballs, so they will run any lurid thing to get you to stay tuned after the commercial break. It sucks. I think it should all be not for profit.
>I don’t watch. I have too much stress as it is.
>I think local news should stop spreading fear and negativity. I am sure there is more going on out there. And it would be pleasant to see a news story that does not involved some form of violence or tragedy.
>I don’t watch. Instead I read the news, and skip over the “angry and scared” pieces.The weather is usually all I’m interested in, anyway.
>It’s too depressing and sad. I only like to watch the news at State Fair time in late August because they have fun, happy stories with community interests. And these interests involve people of all ages, young and old. Where are the reports like: how to get a bigger raise at work, or where to get information if your child is starting kindergarten or your local library hours and what the schedule is for the week, or how to get involved in charity events, or how to keep a marriage intact and where to go for help. See where I am going with this? Information that matters in everyon’s daily lives. I don’t care about Edward Jones who murdered so and so and is a sex offender to boot. Because it won’t matter to me the very next day.I’m not trying to brush it off because bad problems need to be solved too. It’s just that there is TOO much of it and not enough INFORMATIONAL stuff that matters to my family.
>I hate watching the local news. Any kind of news for that matter.The angry & scared tactics are compliments of the U.S. government – primarily our Resident Evil, George W. Bush. He managed to get re-elected in 2004 by campaigning and preying on people’s fears.[Back to my non-political commenting now]
>I spent 17 years in local news. Even though I left years ago, I still get recognized, asked if I miss it (like you, the answer is a resounding HELL no!) and asked over and over again WHY I left. Although I would love to rant and rave to them about the bullshit that is TV news, I finally boiled my answer down to a simple “It just wasn’t that important to me anymore.” Now I make half the money, and am twice as happy. I get my news from NPR and trusted websites, and I only get the weekend newspaper – and I usually only get that for the shoppers and coupons!
>I love this post. I HATE watching the news. I never watch, unless I’m trying to get the weather. And, on that note? I wanted to punch our local weather guys last night, they were so crestfallen because we DIDN’T have any tornadoes! Even worse than the scared and angry reporting here in Louisville, though, is the local news trying to take every big national story and somehow finding a local connection. Like when Anna Nicole Smith died, and the whole baby custody thing? (ha, like that’s news) Since Larry Birkhead is from Louisville, that was the lead story for weeks, even though it’s entertainment gossip, and nothing remotely like news. Yargh. Boo news!!
>Oh yes!I stopped watching the news for years.It’s more yellow journalism than true journalism. If I want to get angry or scared, I’ll look at myself naked in the mirror.I won’t even watch the news for the weather anymore, which was the one thing that kept me going. Now I turn to my computer.
>thought you might enjoy this!http://www.defectiveyeti.com/archives/002302.html
>There are several reasons I watch very little local news and the subject of this post is among those reasons. It seems like whenever I do happen to catch a local newscast I’m immediately reminded about why I don’t watch anymore. I witnessed the following bit of “journalism” recently that really irritated me.The news anchor led into a story with the “angry and scared” type of hype and a questioning tone of what should be done about it and could it happen to you? (I wish I could remember the actual subject/story) Then the news anchor hands off the story to a field reporter who totally debunks the lead in and tells the viewing audience that there’s no need to be alarmed, such and such is not likely to happen to you. WTF?? First, your are so insulting my intelligence by trying to lure me in with “angry & scared – it could happen to you” only to have someone else say “it’s okay folks, everything’s under control”. Second, isn’t the news anchor the one we’re supposed to “trust” and feel as if we have a relationship with? What news anchor in their right mind would agree to do a misleading lead-in only to have the field reporter supposedly soothe everyone’s fears and get all the glory?
>We went on a “news diet” years ago and have never looked back. We extended it to ALL network and cable tv when our children arrived — the TV is used to show movies, watch PBS, Food Network or Discovery, period. We are better off for it.News reporting attempts to control how you think, and of course ads on TV attempt to control not only what you think but what you buy. Why ‘buy’ into any of it? Do your mental and physical health a favor – turn off the stupid TV. Go outside more, read more, play more games with your kids.
>three words: bowling for columbine
>My hubby and I won’t watch the news. There’s nothing positive on the news and it just brings me down and makes me feel fearful about the future, which I do NOT want to feel. I hate it. I figure if something is THAT important, I’ll hear it on the radio or someone will call me and tell me about it. Am I totally “informed”? Hell no. Do I mind? Hell no. ~Monica
>NPR only.
>We don’t watch either, for those same reasons. I think Kent Brockman said it best on The Simpsons: “Coming up at 11, a certain kind of soft drink could kill you! But we won’t tell you which one until after sports and the weather.”
>Don’t watch the news. Too depressing. And quite frankly I agree with you, I get enough of the “what you eating for dinner could kill you, news at 10pm” to fill my day before 10pm. Be a nice change to see some positive stuff on the news.
>I was a newspaper journalist and I left the industry because I couldn’t bear every editor’s drive for the “worst ever” type stories. At the moment in Sydney Australia, there’s a terrible story of a little boy who was killed and put in a suitcase in a lake. It’s become the “body in the suitcase” story. The media gleefully taped and aired the locals screaming abuse at the mother who has been charged with the death of her son. This kind of “news” sucks.
>I loved the local news in Philadelphia (Channel 6- Action News, always leading off with a fire or murder, and notorious for broadcasting State Treasurer Bud Dwyer’s suicide live and then reshowing the film, on a SNOW DAY no less!).It doesn’t have the same edge in Nashville.We watch Fox News Channel at home. It’s probably the most family friendly cable news outlet.
>I’m pretty tired of all the news teasers too. Nick calls our local NBC affiliate anchors the “Hyperbole News Team”. One of our favorites was:”If you know a woman on the pill, call her to watch tonight…our news story may save their life.”WTF?
>”…viewers are intelligent, active members of the community” I wish our local newsfolk would treat us this way. Of course, the administrators in our local school district (my employer, darn it)treat the mediafolk like idiots, so I think some of it is mutual disrespect.(and my word verification ends in f-o-x. hmmm)
>My husband is a newscast director, so I can say AMEN to a lot of this. It has stressed him out so much that he is dipping his toes into something new…being a weatherman. He loves it, he filled in when a girl went to a bigger market and came home everyday with a huge smile. He is about to start as a weekend weatherman and now wants to go to school for meterology. He is switching gears because of the things you have mentioned. The negativity involved with so much of it gets to him. He gets frusterated by the FEAR tactics always used in stories and the general lack of creativity allowed for reporters, producers and photographers (he was a photographer for a # of years as well).
>I spent 20+ years in network news and things aren’t much better there anymore either — and the morning shows (I worked at one) are the worst. If it’s not “angry and scared” it’s “you’re too dumb to watch a piece that actually takes the time to explain a major issue – so here’s a story about a dog that survived being frozen. Literally.More than our personal anger at all of this is that our country can not be well-governed if its people are not well-informed and it seems that broadcasting has abdicated all responsibility for that. I am not a socialist or anything but there used to be requirements of a certain amount of genuine public service and since those rules were lifted we’ve moved more and more to a pure search for profits. Of course every company needs to make money but there’s just not sense of mission or responsibility left.It’s sad for us, sad for our kids who get scared by the news promos that run in after school cartoons and sad for our country and its future.