Journalism

ABC News’ World News Tonight with David Muir is the most-watched evening news program on network television so far this year in both total viewers and in the key 25-54 demographic, the first time it has clinched both top spots in 24 years, according to Nielsen. Last week, World News Tonight drew nearly 9.03 million viewers, which topped NBC Nightly News at 7.79 million.

In addition to the refreshed look, the association plans new and updated resources on RTDNA.org, expanded in-person and online training opportunities and a redesigned curriculum at its annual conference.

Thomson Reuters Corp. said on Tuesday it had appointed former Nielsen Holdings President Steve Hasker as its new chief executive officer, succeeding Jim Smith. The parent of Reuters News also announced higher-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.

He will lead and help build Scripps-owned Newsy’s newsgathering unit based out of Washington.

She comes to Austin, Texas, from NBC News in New York to succeed Tim Ryan, who moved to KUSA Denver last year.

New jobs posted to TVNewsCheck’s Media Job Center include openings for a producer for WRAL in Raleigh, N.C.; a reporter for WICU in Erie, Pa.; and a producer/anchor for WENY in Elmira, N.Y.

During the run-up to elections, stations are inundated with requests for political ads during newscasts and stations are happy to oblige. However, for news directors that can mean less time in the broadcasts for news. Hard decisions have to be made such as, “Do we even have time for sports tonight?” News director “victimhood” is often on display. Rather than just acting like a victim, here are some things that might make life a little more bearable.

Charles Hobson, an Emmy Award-winning producer who helped shatter racial stereotypes by delivering a black perspective that had been missing from early television programming, died on Feb. 13. He was 83.

What local journalists need to know, and do, to combat misinformation. The threat is not only a barrage of misinformation — false reports, images, and videos — directly aimed at journalists. Even more alarming, today’s organized misinformation campaigns use journalism’s own strengths, like fact-checking and community reputation, and turn them against the news media.

The toolkit provides broadcasters with resources to identify misinformation online, suggestions about fact-checking statements made by political candidates, tips for helping get out the vote and ideas for social media engagement with citizens. It also offers scripts for PSAs about voting in primary and general elections, as well as information about sponsoring debates and candidate forums.

On the heels of Wednesday’s fierce Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Buttigieg spent Thursday at a televised town hall at USC, an event sponsored by Fox O&O KTTV. Fox-11 anchor Elex Michaelson hosted the event at Brovard Auditorium, filled with students eager to see the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., who fared well in initial campaign skirmishes in Iowa and New Hampshire.

It’s generated controversy over its fundraising, its paywall and its staffing. But it’s also about as close as a major American city has gotten to a digital news site that can go toe-to-toe with the local daily newspaper.

Coming before the Nevada primary vote, Wednesday’s debate drew 12 million viewers tuned in to NBC, with 7.6 million on MSNBC — the third-largest audience ever for a single telecast on the cable network. The debate had more than twice the viewership of two previous Democratic Presidential debates.

California State University Fullerton won TVNewsCheck‘s second annual contest aimed at showing broadcasters how younger viewers want to see TV news presented, and will accept the award at BEA’s annual convention during April’s NAB Show.