Roy Hobbs
Jan 21st 2007, 07:48 PM
Wow...caught this on tvspy.com's watercooler section. Judging from the replies it's catching on. :
Jan 20, 2007 2:00 PM EST
I feel like a whore, a TV whore. Perhaps you feel the same way. I know I’m selling out but I’m not trained for anything else. So getting out of the business is hard to do. I still need to pay the mortgage, etc. and I come to work each day loathing the fact that Local TV news is universally despised by most of us TV insiders and I’m depressed that I continue to contribute to this ethical abyss which defines our livelihood. News, Production, Engineering… large, medium or small market, it doesn’t matter what corner of the business we occupy, most of us feel like the ethics of local TV news are terrible and we don’t feel like we can do anything about it.
So let me float an idea out there for everybody to chew on. Let’s organize a simple insiders’ protest. If you hate the sensationalized Breaking News stories, if you lament the “hook and hold” formula of A section, say nothing live shots followed by B section “caught on tape” video from 1000 miles away; if you disapprove of newsrooms populated with shallow, ex-cheerleaders and self promoting prom kings who can’t/won’t write and have little knowledge of history, politics or economics; if you feel like you’re drowning in unnecessary anxiety which is endemic to TV news and contributes to burn out and health issues; and if you despise the spineless person you’ve become because you know its wrong and bad for the nation but you just can’t seem summon the integrity to stand up, make your case, organize like minded people and DO something about it… if some of that sounds like you, then might I suggest the following.
On Wednesdays, wear something red. Yeah, it’s that simple. It’s someplace to start. Wednesdays seem to be the day everybody works, weekend people, the M-F long timers, everybody. It won’t cost you a cent and if enough people pick up on this idea we’ll be able to gage what kind of support there is for systemic change from the inside.
So wear red on Wednesdays to protest the shallowness and sensationalism of our once proud industry. Talk about it with your colleagues at the other stations. The down time when you cover the same story is a good time to spread the word to the reporters and photogs at your competition. Look around the newsroom and see who else is wearing Wednesday red and use it as an opportunity to start a conversation about the lamentable ethics of local TV news. Let’s see what happens.
Comments?
----------------
Breath of Fresh Air
Jan 21, 2007 1:47 PM EST
How pleasantly surprising it is to see that there are still some intelligent people in this industry. Writers who still know how to think independently, spell, turn a phrase and place proper quotation.
In my humble opinion Zorklobster was absolutely correct in assessing the current state of Local TV News. It's a pathetic cycle of ignorance: Intelligent, technologically savvy viewers are dumping out of the market to more relevant forms of news; we're left (by and large) with a less-educated, less socioeconomically placed pool of viewers who buy into "flash and trash" media. That's our target.
GMs want NDs to heed the OCF bottom line. NDs hire three pretty young things at the rate of one mature, experienced journalist. The PYTs just want to get their stories finished with the least amount of effort or argument from management. They don't have the experience or the inclination to dig deeper or find more compelling angles.
I am never one to give up, but I've come to believe local news is never going to be what I want it to be. No matter how much I fight for what I believe is right (and I often win those fights), the industry "is what it is" and the few remaining idealists are not going to change it. The intelligent audience is leaving us in droves. The cycle of ignorance will continue, with or without us. We can either continue to swim against the tide or stop fighting and ride the wave.
I'm still going to wear red on Wednesdays until the day I walk out the door for a more fulfilling job.
Jan 20, 2007 2:00 PM EST
I feel like a whore, a TV whore. Perhaps you feel the same way. I know I’m selling out but I’m not trained for anything else. So getting out of the business is hard to do. I still need to pay the mortgage, etc. and I come to work each day loathing the fact that Local TV news is universally despised by most of us TV insiders and I’m depressed that I continue to contribute to this ethical abyss which defines our livelihood. News, Production, Engineering… large, medium or small market, it doesn’t matter what corner of the business we occupy, most of us feel like the ethics of local TV news are terrible and we don’t feel like we can do anything about it.
So let me float an idea out there for everybody to chew on. Let’s organize a simple insiders’ protest. If you hate the sensationalized Breaking News stories, if you lament the “hook and hold” formula of A section, say nothing live shots followed by B section “caught on tape” video from 1000 miles away; if you disapprove of newsrooms populated with shallow, ex-cheerleaders and self promoting prom kings who can’t/won’t write and have little knowledge of history, politics or economics; if you feel like you’re drowning in unnecessary anxiety which is endemic to TV news and contributes to burn out and health issues; and if you despise the spineless person you’ve become because you know its wrong and bad for the nation but you just can’t seem summon the integrity to stand up, make your case, organize like minded people and DO something about it… if some of that sounds like you, then might I suggest the following.
On Wednesdays, wear something red. Yeah, it’s that simple. It’s someplace to start. Wednesdays seem to be the day everybody works, weekend people, the M-F long timers, everybody. It won’t cost you a cent and if enough people pick up on this idea we’ll be able to gage what kind of support there is for systemic change from the inside.
So wear red on Wednesdays to protest the shallowness and sensationalism of our once proud industry. Talk about it with your colleagues at the other stations. The down time when you cover the same story is a good time to spread the word to the reporters and photogs at your competition. Look around the newsroom and see who else is wearing Wednesday red and use it as an opportunity to start a conversation about the lamentable ethics of local TV news. Let’s see what happens.
Comments?
----------------
Breath of Fresh Air
Jan 21, 2007 1:47 PM EST
How pleasantly surprising it is to see that there are still some intelligent people in this industry. Writers who still know how to think independently, spell, turn a phrase and place proper quotation.
In my humble opinion Zorklobster was absolutely correct in assessing the current state of Local TV News. It's a pathetic cycle of ignorance: Intelligent, technologically savvy viewers are dumping out of the market to more relevant forms of news; we're left (by and large) with a less-educated, less socioeconomically placed pool of viewers who buy into "flash and trash" media. That's our target.
GMs want NDs to heed the OCF bottom line. NDs hire three pretty young things at the rate of one mature, experienced journalist. The PYTs just want to get their stories finished with the least amount of effort or argument from management. They don't have the experience or the inclination to dig deeper or find more compelling angles.
I am never one to give up, but I've come to believe local news is never going to be what I want it to be. No matter how much I fight for what I believe is right (and I often win those fights), the industry "is what it is" and the few remaining idealists are not going to change it. The intelligent audience is leaving us in droves. The cycle of ignorance will continue, with or without us. We can either continue to swim against the tide or stop fighting and ride the wave.
I'm still going to wear red on Wednesdays until the day I walk out the door for a more fulfilling job.