tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post866267949095964408..comments2023-07-12T07:00:42.975-05:00Comments on News McNabb: Do Consultants Choose the News?NewsMcNabbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040170736717649659noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-18632194809881790382009-09-05T21:52:49.427-05:002009-09-05T21:52:49.427-05:00You're right on. I'm a local TV news prod...You're right on. I'm a local TV news producer in a large Texas market with a decade experience, and I can tell you while "research" does dictate a large degree of what goes into a local newscast, most "research" is totally bogus, rewritten or disregarded by overzealous news directors and punctuated by lazy producers. What's happening with the economy and health care is far more important to my viewers than, say, that homicide downtown or the big fire or the kid on his bike who was run over and killed. But unless there's some "jazzy," compelling element (like angry people shouting), big "newspaper stories" (as many news directors call them) get pushed to the side for crime, catastrophe and the latest weight loss craze.<br /><br />Any producer who tells you otherwise or touts the value of "research" is missing the point. Local TV news ratings have dropped EVERY SINGLE MONTH for the last few years and will continue to do so until our industry is completely dead.Tim the Enchanterhttp://uphillsnowballs.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-83175897304891105902009-09-04T15:43:11.291-05:002009-09-04T15:43:11.291-05:00Sounds like either kxan OR keye gm's here. Sal...Sounds like either kxan OR keye gm's here. Sales types that become GM's don't usually have much knowledge of news but find fascination in it (as we all do) but end up making intrusive decisions that although can benenfit the bottom line in a positive way, can negatively impact the product. Thankfully, GM's don't last long.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-74106779872280412562009-09-04T13:01:54.856-05:002009-09-04T13:01:54.856-05:00Jim,
Now you're injecting another issue into ...Jim,<br /><br />Now you're injecting another issue into the discussion: whether research on what viewers want in a news broadcast plays too big a role in shaping what local television news stations cover. <br /><br />It's true that stations generally give too much weight to research on viewer preferences. I believe research should be used but it should never be the driving force in molding the ingredients for a news broadcast. <br /><br />From looking at research on viewer preference, I can tell you viewers always say they want more local news on education, consumer issues, local government and fewer stories on crime. They also say they want more news about key issues around the world. It's hard to pay a lot of attention to the research, since viewers always say they want more of the kind of news that makes them look more intelligent to the researcher who is asking them the questions. If anything, the research helps tell us if there's any new trends in viewer preferences.<br /><br />In general, it's important for a television station to provide viewers with stories that have broad appeal and that impact viewers' lives, regardless of whether they are local, state or international. The stories must have great video, sound and emotional soundbites, and not feature talking head interviews with bureaucrats who spit out facts that are better explained by a reporter.<br /><br />A news department wanting to do the right thing should do a lot of digging for news that affects the community and its viewers and not rely primarily on news releases and crime news. With such an approach, a news department will generate fresh, compelling and sometimes shocking stories that will provide viewers with what they need.<br /><br />The 10 p.m. broadcast, in particular, should continue primarily to be local in content, but the broadcast should also provide a segment for the key world news of the day. Of course, there is always the exception -- the days when a huge world story must dominate the broadcast. 9-1-1 was a good example of that.<br /><br />A downside in all this, as a final thought.<br /><br />Having a quality news broadcast with meaningful content that affects people's daily lives can be difficult to achieve since a station general manager also wants a say. A general manager will sometimes insist on changes that make no sense at all, but since he controls the purse strings, a news director has to pay attention to what he's being told. Considering that reality, not only must a news director have solid news skills, he must also have the ingenuity to convince the station's top brass to give him free reign to do what is necessary to provide a quality product free of trash.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-10158855160310360232009-09-03T11:26:11.574-05:002009-09-03T11:26:11.574-05:00Research is a tool, just like ratings.... You extr...Research is a tool, just like ratings.... You extract from it what your intellect and education tell you to. To look at a newscast, you have to pick it apart. For now, throw out sports and weather and focus on the news product. Breaking news will always rank high... but those in-depth uncover and discover stories need to be timely to the people of your audience (this is where you need to know your market and sadly also to what draws your market, i.e. murder, mayhem, tech, health stories, etc.) If you try to appeal to research and ratings without UNDERSTANDING what is important and then laying out the story in a way that helps the viewer understand it, then you've lost them. They don't see why it's important to them... If you do, then you've used those tools to your advantage.<br /><br />Example... a story about mismanagement in a school district would appear dry and dull to the viewer... but... if you are in a market with a large percentage of middle income, 2 kids per household environment, then obviously a story about mismanagement in the local school district would be more appealing but KNOWING that from research and ratings, you would recognize the appeal...but if that audience has an average education level of High School Junior, then breaking it down to that mentality would make it a story that would strike a chord with the viewer. That "chord" or connection is how you draw a viewer. You win them in the short term. Doing it on a regular basis is the long term benefit... and eventually you have a loyal viewer.<br /><br />Most people think it's ratings. It's many factors and even the time of the year, payday, holidays, etc. can play into the equation... learn how to plug in variables for the equation and you get a far more accurate and predictable answer. It's a formula more than a problem.<br /><br />Summation... Consultants are tools... ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-45439752678818392162009-09-03T10:52:35.679-05:002009-09-03T10:52:35.679-05:00research should always fall behind the real test.....research should always fall behind the real test..."Who Cares?"D.Lowrynoreply@blogger.com