On Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 05:33, JW <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Unfortunately, the people who make local news such a joke are the > >> sorts who become network White House correspondents anymore. > > > > I don't think that is quite fair. The WH Beat is not exactly the forum > for > > hard core journalism, and the current newtork correspondents may not > > exactly be hall of famers, but I don't think they are jokes, and I think > > they are all competent to good political journalists. From our friends at > > Wiki (with all usual caveats):... > > Sorry. A longer response: It's probably always been the case that > looking good was the first requirement for an on-camera TV job, even > when talent was also required. Talent seems to be less and less of a > requirement in local news hires over time, and we end up with the > handsome airheads (of both genders) who make local news such a joke. > Of course, the networks often hire from local stations. I'll also > mention that broadcasters at all levels are "doing more with less", so > that reporters don't have the chance to gain expertise covering a > particular beat. So we end up with a lot of seemingly interchangeable > network correspondents who look good as they flit across the country > or even around the world, but who seem unable to uncover any > information that they can't get from an official spokesman or a > grieving family member. > > The current White House correspondents may well be sharper than what > I've just described, and there are a handful of people like David > Martin who have taken advantage of their opportunities to master a > particular area. Too many reporters, though, have no knowledge of what > they're covering, and they and their management don't seem to care..
Actually, what I see as part of the problem is that anyone with any talent ends up being scooped up by the networks early on. Soledad O'Brien was 30 when MSNBC launched. Network correspondent or cable anchor positions are being used to get people ready for the big time rather than the old way of working their way up from small market to medium market to big market to the network, so those we do see have the talent but not the experience that they used to. On the subject of lack of specialization ISTR hearing that, shortly after Miles O'Brien left CNN, they got rid of everyone there who worked full-time on science since they no longer had a reporter to front the unit's work. But I think the local situation is even worse for expecting people to bounce around from area to area. Even a dozen years ago, it seemed like most of the stations, even the ubercheap 24-hour local cable news operation, would have the same person covering the school board or city council week-to-week, even if (s)he might be reporting from City Hall on Monday and a murder on Tuesday. Now it's more like whoever's available on a given day. -- David J. Lynch [email protected] -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
