Journalism

Next week, Gray’s Memphis NBC affiliate WMC is expected to launch (very softly) a new digital channel called WMC Plus — or in effect two digital channels. A linear version will be broadcast over the air while an on-demand version streams on the station’s OTT app. WMC Plus won’t officially kick off with a full slate of original programs until September, but the project is already a model of collaboration and innovation that balances technical challenges, creativity and experimentation with careful planning and cost controls.

During its months-long investigation, the TMJ4 I-Team regularly reported on Wisconsin’s overly complicated and neglected unemployment system, which collapsed under the pressure of the pandemic. It helped 83 people collect nearly $400,000 in unemployment back pay.

The news director at the company’s flagship station, WCVB Boston, moves into a corporate role. She succeeds Andrew Vrees, who recently was named GM of Hearst’s WMUR Manchester, N.H.

Join Dalet on June 23 for a live keynote presented by Raoul Cospen, director of product strategy, news at Dalet, who will be interviewed by TVNewsCheck Editor Michael Depp. They will discuss the next generation of storycentric workflows and how you can supercharge your newsroom’s performance. Register here.

Streaming executives from CBS News Digital, Fox Television Stations, Gray Television and KSL Salt Lake City say live and local content, good UX and quality control are key factors in finding and retaining audiences in the highly competitive OTT space.

The Associated Press’ recent firing of a young reporter for what she said on Twitter has somewhat unexpectedly turned company and industry attention to the flip side of social media engagement — the online abuse that many journalists face routinely.

The disclosure of the aggressive leak investigation tactic followed a similar revelation involving The New York Times.

Joel Simon, who will leave the organization after 15 years as executive director, says autocrats have become brazen in their efforts to block good journalism.

The storytelling formula adopted across the local TV news industry looks similar to what’s been used for generations. Yet the possibilities for innovation are growing by the day. For several years now, an RTDNA research project, Reinventing Local TV News (RLTVN), has been looking at this gap between practice and possibility.

Honorees include Kerry Washington, Catherine O’Hara, Lena Waithe, Kelly Clarkson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Dede Mcguire, Erin Andrews, Black-Ish, Mrs. America, Folklore and CBS This Morning. The awards ceremony will take place on Sept. 27.

TV news began as public service programming that broadcasters had to carry as a condition of getting a license from the FCC. The television news business eventually turned profitable, but it will soon face an existential crisis as to how to remain so.

Brendan Keefe, WXIA Atlanta’s chief investigative reporter, explains how to bring creative storytelling and novel visuals to standups, day turns and investigative stories, and how working alone amps up innovation. For more insights from Keefe, check out this episode of TVNewsCheck’s Talking TV. This is the latest installment of How To, a TVNewsCheck original video series that solicits innovative, practical and actionable advice from TV experts in news, technology, sales and marketing. Earlier episodes: How To Animate A News Story and How To Sell Local OTT Advertising.