| (Copyright) by Richard Markland (London, Ohio) |
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| How did Americans arrive at a point in time in which society is experiencing information overload, yet so many people are not only ill-informed but misinformed? In cities across the country local news is presented, on average, three to four hours a day when combining morning and evening coverage. What redeeming value is there when it comes to reaching the American people with news content that is on an elementary level? Networks choose what they want people to hear and see, not what people need to see and understand. A Profession Not Worthy of its Title Local news has become a dominant influence in the lives of far too many Americans. Newscasters have become extended family members without being required to pay room and board. Not only have local members of the media become household guests in millions of homes across the country, but they are also local celebrities. They are a far cry from their job description – presenters of news read from a monitor. A common sales pitch for increased viewership by competing networks is summarized with words such as, “Come and be a part of our family of viewers.” It is a home-grown recruiting tool equivalent to dangling a worm on the end of a hook in front of an unsuspecting fish with hope people will take the bait. The general public as a whole doesn’t realize local news is how Americans in any given community are viewed by the media. Coverage is a digitized version of a small-town newspaper when it comes to the depth of its content. It requires little effort to understand what is shown and heard on the part of viewers. All Too Predictable Reporting Seven examples of what is wrong with the way news is reported on a local level. Reports are biased against law enforcement. The police in any given city are viewed as criminal. Community activists, lawyers of victims and family members are quickly interviewed with accusations of racial profiling when a minority citizen is shot, resulting in death or injury. Any given incident is reported for days with emphasis placed upon whatever narrative is chosen that puts law enforcement under public scrutiny. It is knee jerk journalism at its unprofessional best before any investigation of what happened even begins. Local political corruption is considered the norm and is reported as such because politics is corrupt by nature. Bribery, extortion, larceny, and scandals involving sex are a natural part of the political landscape. Reporting murders has no shock value. Victims are faceless and any given victim of a crime is a mere statistic. The loss of life in America today by acts of violence is so common that today’s reporters and the American people have become desensitized to the blood flowing on the nation’s streets. Freeway accidents are casually reported and viewed as a nuisance for drivers held hostage by massive traffic gridlock. Victims of such accidents are quickly mentioned and soon forgotten. An inch of snow becomes a major news event. A ten-day forecast is an exercise in futility because it is always incorrect. Statistically, the local meteorologist is only correct, on average, sixty percent of the time, yet incorrectly forecasting the weather is the one profession in which a pay raise is still given for being wrong. Sports is the nation’s golden calf. Regardless of how serious the Corona Virus is reported to be, professional, collegiate, and high school sports is considered a must. It is the great American distraction equivalent to a mental fix in order to escape reality and an integral part of local news. Feel good stories can range from a child who has raised money by selling lemonade, cookies or setting up a “Go Fund Me” account for health care workers, to a family who had their dog returned after being missing for 30-60 days. One such story of baby ducklings trapped in a drainage ditch was considered “Breaking News” with regular updates of rescue efforts on a local Ohio channel which raised the question of how a reporter is able to look straight into the camera and expect viewers to take such a story seriously. News coverage on a local level is only worthy of a few minutes of airtime at the most but has been granted license for no justifiable reason. Local News has Become a Form of Entertainment In the news profession image is everything. Local news personalities are “babes” and “studs”. Pleasant smiles and lighthearted newsroom comments are common features that portray those who present news, weather, traffic, and sports as one happy close-knit family. It does raise the question of how many viewers have asked themselves what is said during commercial breaks and does everyone get along with one another as portrayed? A few years ago, I emailed a reporter of the local news station where I was from. Reports on location were never serious in nature, accompanied by odd facial expressions and sarcastic humor. I asked why? He responded by saying, “It’s important that viewers are not depressed by what’s reported.” His short response spoke volumes, and this was when I realized how out of touch those who report the news really are. Local news coverage has dumbed down the American people by failing in its responsibility to educate viewers. Instead, what’s reported is on a child’s level and the depth of what’s presented is equivalent to a one-inch hole dug by a teaspoon. The Lack of Personal Responsibility on the Part of the American People The majority of Americas do not understand the basics of what true journalism is. They do not take it upon themselves to stay informed about news that matters. They do not question why they are filling their minds with trivial news reports that lack depth and substance. Because local news focuses on the local interests of viewers the world has become a very small place. The area where people live has become America because in the minds of far too many people America is viewed as the place where they live. There are consequences for allowing both the local and national media to do the thinking for individuals and the nation as a whole. Ignorance is a choice and far too many Americans are embracing what is reported as fact without questioning what is presented to them. A Carefree and Careless Generation The bible describes conditions in the end time, comparing today’s pervasive attitude with the days of Noah. Mathew 24:37-39- “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in Marriage (performing same-sex marriages), until the day that Noah entered into the ark (39) And knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so, shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Local news will continue to thrive as long as the American people accept it without realizing it’s not only shallow and limited but a waste of valuable time. Because a large segment of the American people are content with the way local news is presented it will continue to be the source of information far too many rely upon. As a people we are a reflection of what’s shown on local newscasts and local newscasts are a reflection of what we’ve become as a nation – mentally malnourished and woefully unaware of what’s happening in the world. |
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