Reinventing the News

Sean McLaughlin: To assess local TV’s compensation problem in the cold light of day means acknowledging hard market realities. Here’s what the industry needs to address them and some potential solutions that won’t be without controversy.

Across the country, open positions at TV newsrooms stay vacant or draw a drizzle of poorly equipped, unimaginative applicants. Changes at journalism schools and compensation, along with reframing how we think of applicants, could be among things to change that.

The industry’s focus on newsroom culture is critical, but nothing can fundamentally change unless leaders take these active and essential steps.

Time- and staff-starved newsrooms often cling tightly to practices they’ve always had, impeding their ability to take on newer, more relevant projects. Here are some practices to question and some enterprises that might better replace them.

If local TV journalism is to have a future, its leaders need to assess the true value of everything it holds sacred and empower the change agents who may have been pushed to the margins.

How a station handles weather — and the caliber and connectedness of weathercasters in a local market — are critical to a successful news reinvention.

TV anchors in their conventional form have outlived their sell-by date. It’s time to think about jettisoning many and putting those worth keeping out into the field where they can prove their connection—and value — to local viewers.

TV stations throw many impediments in the way of reporters trying to produce quality work. Clearing the way for their success starts with asking hard questions about where station resources are allocated and considering options like shared field resources.

Local audiences no longer see the value of TV news, and newsrooms are barreling towards the end of their runway to change that. But there are changes they can make immediately to repair trust and relevancy and secure their future.