The Impact of Local Television in Today's Society
Media Management CJ 376
Nov. 15, 2012
Local Television in Today's Society Since the early 1940’s, it has been clearly evident that television has played a crucial role in the way people receive and perceive news media on a day to day basis. According to State of the News Media, viewership and ratings have drastically changed over the years and as of 2012, it is suggested that it is in large part due to the pressing and irreversible shift towards social media. Now our country not only relies on our friendly local newscasters to fill us in on the weather or breaking news first thing in the morning, but also on the latest KRQE tweet on Twitter or status update on Facebook. Our world is turning digital and as hard as many may try to stop it, there is no denying that a future in news will rely heavily on the efficiency and effectiveness of social media. So where does this leave our local television stations and ultimately, how will this digital frenzy effect their overall viewership, ratings and longevity? This is the prominent concern in our local news media world today and a question that must be discussed and actively researched to ensure the future of local television news. Throughout the course of this semester, the students in this Media Management course have had the opportunity to pick the brains of various news anchors, producers, directors, and journalists to question and investigate this shift from both print media and local television, to our growing reliance on internet and various social networking sites. Each of our guests was forced to explore the same question: In a time of slipping credibility and growing opinion, how do you succeed in the digital era while maintaining values and traditions of great journalism that brought us here in the first place? With no surprise, each speaker responded with a similar statement. The gist being that as a society, we must, as a whole, focus on seeking the truth behind any story. We must provide
Nov. 15, 2012
Local Television in Today's Society Since the early 1940’s, it has been clearly evident that television has played a crucial role in the way people receive and perceive news media on a day to day basis. According to State of the News Media, viewership and ratings have drastically changed over the years and as of 2012, it is suggested that it is in large part due to the pressing and irreversible shift towards social media. Now our country not only relies on our friendly local newscasters to fill us in on the weather or breaking news first thing in the morning, but also on the latest KRQE tweet on Twitter or status update on Facebook. Our world is turning digital and as hard as many may try to stop it, there is no denying that a future in news will rely heavily on the efficiency and effectiveness of social media. So where does this leave our local television stations and ultimately, how will this digital frenzy effect their overall viewership, ratings and longevity? This is the prominent concern in our local news media world today and a question that must be discussed and actively researched to ensure the future of local television news. Throughout the course of this semester, the students in this Media Management course have had the opportunity to pick the brains of various news anchors, producers, directors, and journalists to question and investigate this shift from both print media and local television, to our growing reliance on internet and various social networking sites. Each of our guests was forced to explore the same question: In a time of slipping credibility and growing opinion, how do you succeed in the digital era while maintaining values and traditions of great journalism that brought us here in the first place? With no surprise, each speaker responded with a similar statement. The gist being that as a society, we must, as a whole, focus on seeking the truth behind any story. We must provide