In America, TV news needs some work. Television news was created as a public service for all of us. TV stations broadcast over "our" public airwaves. Broadcasters used to have an obligation to provide responsible news content that will help all of us make better decisions and become better informed about the issues that affect our lives. That landscape has changed.
TV news is now big business and provides a major cash flow for most commercial TV stations and networks that provide news. Like any for profit business, the bottom line is now the top priority. So now, in many cases, responsible journalism has taken a back seat to the sex appeal of any given news story.
This may seem an overstatement of the obvious. But remember, news is supposed to be one of the underpinnings of our fundamental rights of freedom of speech. And TV news was supposed to be a public service.
Generally, TV news organizations fill a good portion of their news segments with more low-hanging fruit stories, the easy targets, that have little or no true news value. Shootings, stabbings and famous people in trouble. Often, stories that have no connection to us, except that they were "caught on tape" make the cut. TV news organizations can create a major news event out of a celebrity gone wrong. News broadcasters say what a celebrity does is news, simply because that person is a celebrity. But trying to attach true news value to a celebrity scandal can be tricky. More likely, broadcasters are trying to get you to watch them, and tune away from their competitors. The more viewers, the better the ratings and the more money that station can charge for commercial time. But that doesn't necessarily make better and more valid news. It's not a matter of whether or not TV stations should be allowed to commercialize their news programs, it's to the degree they have been allowed.
News organizations claim we have the right to know. But is it right for us to know about celebrities' tawdry acts in great detail? And at what expense to what is really going on in the world around us that truly affects our lives?
In America, the news has fallen down... particularly, television news. In short, it's broken. Television news was created as a public service for all of us. After all, TV stations broadcast over "our" public airwaves and they have an obligation to provide responsible news content that will help all of us make better decisions and become better informed about the issues that affect our lives... not fill our airwaves with trash.
But TV news is now big business and provides a cash cow for most commercial TV stations and networks that provide news. In my opinion, the bottom line is now the top priority. Responsible journalism has taken a back seat to the sex appeal of any given news story.
You may think this is an overstatement of the obvious. But remember, news is supposed to be one of the underpinnings of our fundamental rights of freedom of speech. I feel like the general public has fallen asleep, willing to accept and be spoon-fed the garbage that TV news organizations try to pass off as news. So, I think it's time for us to wake up and take our airwaves back.
I was originally a part of it. I produced TV news for a variety of television stations for several years. I got into the business, like many, in an attempt to make a positive contribution to the communities where I lived at the time. But, over time, I came to realize that the American TV news business has given up on quality journalism. Instead, TV news organizations generally fill their newscasts with more and more low-hanging fruit stories... like celebrities in trouble. Often, TV news organizations create a major news event out of their woes... all in the effort to gain or retain viewers... to report better ratings... ultimately, to make more money from their advertisers. But most of it is not news. In my opinion, it's a disturbing reflection of an institution that was once revered as the "crown jewel" of broadcasting.
I produced this film out of a growing disgust of the abuse of free speech. News organizations claim we have the right to know. But is right for us to know about celebrities' tawdry acts in great detail?
My hope with this film is that the viewer will wake up and turn off TV news... thereby demanding that news organizations re-evaluate their ethical priorities and work towards correcting their irresponsibility to the public.
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