When people want to make the case that journalism matters, they often begin with perhaps the most foundational and least controversial idea: that people rely on professionally produced news about public affairs to make decisions that shape the social and democratic wellbeing of communities. And it’s undeniably true. For decades, research has shown that news media play this vital role, for societies and for individuals — that when people follow the news, they are more likely to be informed, vote, engage in their communities, and so on. What’s not to like? Well, apparently a lot, it turns out.
In her column, Judd writes that after her mother died by suicide she was horrified to learn that details of a closed investigation could be made public. (Photo of Naomi and Ashley Judd by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP File)
Attentiveness, Trustworthiness, Experience, Work-Life Balance and Approachability, according to the female multimedia journalists who frequent the Facebook page MMJane.
The decline of network news has been well documented for several decades, accelerated by the rise of cable news and then the Internet. Sharing in this fall has been the network news anchor, once among the most visible figures in American media.
TV News 2013: Busy Year For Local, Networks
Once again, a wide range of breaking news stories kept local television news departments as well as broadcast network operations scrambling and, in some cases, working together to make sense of horrific events like the Boston Marathon bombings. This is the first part of TVNewsCheck’s annual look back at the year. Tomorrow in Part II we’ll reprise the major developments in business, regulation, programming and new media. Part III, the year’s big stories in technology, will be featured on Thursday at noon and Part IV on Friday will highlight those the industry lost during the year.
Americans’ confidence in newspapers and television news rebounded slightly in the past year, having been stuck at record lows since 2007. However, the 28% of Americans who express a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in newspapers and the 27% who say the same about television news still lag significantly behind the levels of trust seen through much of the 1990s and into 2003.
Exclusives
Job Quandary: Is There Life After TV News?
With growing cutbacks in both personnel and budgets at news departments in stations across the country, many are thinking they need to have options and are choosing to leave TV news before they are forced out. “It’s very difficult out there now,” said Steven Dickstein, a Philadelphia lawyer who represents TV talent. “There are cold winds blowing in the job market and it’s difficult for everyone.”
The Boston Fox O&O’s retooled10 p.m. broadcast leans on anchors and studio interviews to fill more time with less staff.
