Let’s talk about alternatives during the decline of dead tree media.
For the most part, TV News coverage is more important, influential and more widely viewed than anything written in the daily newspaper. Unfortunately, most of it is crap. Of course there are exceptions, Michael Mahoney is one of the best political reporters in Kansas City and he regularly breaks important stories. Also, Russ Ptacek has taking investigative journalism to the next level with his series of reports highlighting contamination at the Bannister Fed Complex.
But other than that, it’s mostly live, late-breaking video footage of house fires and the aftermath of car crashes.
Still, this season there seems to be an extra emphasis on storm chasing.
If I wanted to be stereotypical like a run-of-the-mill HBO comedian, I could simply note that storm chasing is just another dangerous hobby for white people. While that may be a fact, I think the increased number of storm chasing videos on TV speaks more to a lack of creativity in local news; and maybe the fact that now just about every teenager has HD video capability on hand just like pro TV camermen.
Nevertheless, there are a great many things happening in this town. But some screaming white dude pretending he’s in a bad Summer Movie From the ’90s can easily eat up 1/3 of a nightly newscast. And why do they scream? They’re driving directly into a tornado and then somehow are surprised that it’s windy, loud and unpleasant? To me, these people are Midwestern paparazzi without the benefit of the occasional crotch shots of Lindsay Lohan.
In any event, at this point all the tornado footage runs together in much the same way that Katie Horner is going to have to take her top off to prove that she’s really excited.
With the decline of the dead tree media there really is a need for TV News to step up its game and find some way to create exciting visuals and more thoughtful local stories. Or maybe this is just one of the many reasons
smartman
I’d love to see Katie’s Twin Peaks.
Cliffy
I think TV news content is more of an indication of the mentality of population than lack of imagination by the news departments. Apparently people would rather see house fires and car crashes. Drives me crazy, though. Why does a reporter need to be doing a “live” shot from where something happened hours ago?
I’d like to see Katie topless. It would be like going to bed with the teacher.
Steve
More widely viewed? Ok.
More important? Maybe.
More influential? No way. Alright … so maybe it more greatly influences the idiotic masses who think television news is a legitimate source of information. But the people you would actually WANT to influence, the ones who are in educated, informed and able to influence others … newspapers still rule.
And before anyone chimes in about blogs, let me just say they are a great source … of entertainment.
To quote Wanda Sykes: “A lot of people are going straight to blog sites. Why the Hell do you want to get your news off a blog? Nobody checks the facts on blogs. Hell, the Penny Saver does more research.”