Journalism

A solid business contingency plan gave Fox-owned WTTG and WDCA in Washington, D.C., a leg up in pivoting for the coronavirus pandemic. VP and GM Patrick Paolini says a priority now is staying on top of the news deluge while keeping staffers and advertisers calm amid the uncertainty.

For those watching KAIT on TV or on the station’s Facebook page Saturday, the coverage no doubt saved lives. It’s about as riveting live weather coverage as you’ll see.

Maria Mercader, a veteran CBS News staffer, died at age 54 Sunday from coronavirus complications after being on medical leave since February. Mercader battled cancer and other illnesses for two decades, and said that the treatments left her vulnerable to the virus.

Hank Stuever: “In two-plus weeks of staying home, I’ve renewed my faith in the broadcast networks’ nightly newscasts, perhaps out of some faintly nostalgic idea that watching it is what grown-ups do, come hell or high water. People who long ago gave up the habit — or never acquired it — are finding a similar solace at the end of the day with a half-hour of ABC’s David Muir or NBC’s Lester Holt or the CBS Evening News’s Norah O’Donnell.”

Amy Listerman is stepping down as chief financial officer of Fox News Media and will be succeeded by Joe Dorrego, according to a company-wide memo

NBC News Special Report: Coronavirus Pandemic to air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET, beginning March 31 for three consecutive weeks.

More than 40 news leaders took part in an unusual Zoom meeting this week organized by The Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Journalism, a nonprofit organization that provides continuing education for TV and digital news managers. Amidst the extraordinary pressures on their newsrooms, the executives took an hour to compare problems, share solutions, and find solidarity in a common cause: serving their communities in a pandemic.

Chauncy Glover, 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. anchor for ABC O&O KTRK Houston, announced that he has tested positive for coronaviurs and is self-quarantining.

In an apocalyptic advertising downturn, ideas that would have been unthinkable weeks ago deserve immediate consideration.

WCPOCinccinnati’s Evan Millward: “If you told me three weeks ago that I would soon be anchoring a newscast from my living room, I would have laughed. Maybe rolled my eyes. Said, you clearly don’t understand how my job gets done. Well … joke’s on me.”

The annual ceremony, previously scheduled for June 18 in Los Angeles, today was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Viewers are able to tap into a curated 24/7 channel featuring COVID-19 segments from local stations across the country.

A cooped-up audience hungry for information on the coronavirus is driving up viewership of TV news to extraordinary levels. Cable and broadcast networks typically see a Nielsen ratings bump when the public is captivated by a major crisis. But the networks have rarely experienced anything quite like the viewership surge they are seeing at all hours of the day, as half the country is ordered to stay home in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Kantar has just released findings of what it says is the largest-ever survey of consumers about the fast-moving pandemic, checking in with 25,000 consumers in 30 markets around the globe. Among the findings: People are doing 70% more web browsing, 63% more TV watching, and spending 61% more time on social media. WhatsApp has become increasingly more important, with an overall 40% increase in use.