In a focus group I sat in on last week, one local news viewer said, “There are plenty of places I can turn to for opinion, no matter if it is left, right or something else. I watch the local news because it isn’t like that.” According to our research, his viewpoint is shared by [...]
Many say we “missed it.” I think they’re right. Critics say the media didn’t get it because they are “media elites” who are out of touch with the people. And I think they’re right. Honestly, I didn’t quite understand the meaning of “media elites” at first. But I think I do now. Many of us [...]
Disgust. Uneasiness. Anger. As voters put an end to election season tomorrow (hopefully), these aren’t the feelings generally associated with declaring winners. Those words also apply to how many people view the news media. So for news organizations, striking the right tone on election night is important. Here are some big picture thoughts before you [...]
You’ll hear it in almost every newscast: “…And you can download our app for breaking news and weather.” In many newscasts, it’s said the same way every day around the same time. In fact, odds are the copy is in the “format master” so the producer or anchors don’t have to add it. Unfortunately, it [...]
The attacks in Paris really hit home for me this weekend – as they have for many Americans. And so has the disappointing local TV coverage of this huge international story with direct implications in all of our hometowns. Friday night, my daughter was getting on a plane in Boston to return to college in [...]
"Watch our morning news and you could win a trip to England." "Watch our 6 pm news and you could win a cruise." "Watch our 11/10 pm news and you could win a mortgage or a $1,000 a week." Topicals have now been replaced with spots that remind me of car sales folks. Come in, [...]
When I went out for lunch today something caught my eye as I drove by my local cable company: a Brinks truck backed up to the front door (I’m not kidding). They were about to cart off another load of money, some of it probably mine from a monthly three-digit cable bill. I’ve never been [...]
How do you like your burgers? Chances are your answer isn’t “Like McDonald’s makes them.” Last week’s news had two burger stories that speak volumes about local news, too. First, the CEO of McDonald’s got himself “McFired” for slipping sales and lack of innovation. Second, Shake Shack had a huge public stock offering, instantly making [...]
You can almost hear it. That clicking sound. It’s getting a bit louder every day. Can you hear it? Listen carefully. If you have spent time at an airport, a mall, or waiting in line to pay at the grocery store, then you’ve probably seen it or even been part of it. It’s the sound [...]
Sometimes a dose of reality can be pretty sobering, and scary. We’ve all heard about the cord cutters in the trades, but you don’t often get a sense of how real it is. I’m in the OLDER demo. I must have my cable channels along with my Netflix. I don’t have Hulu plus, and while [...]
