Upon review of the news documentary clips, I found that there was a word that was often repeated. This word held significance, and possibly the very future of news stations and publications worldwide. This word? “Local.” Local, local, local. That’s what people want in news. They want information that pertains directly to them – even if it’s not dubbed “news” at all. This information can be gossip, or new trendy clothing styles, all the way down to the scores for the local high school basketball game. The news used to be dry, straight, informational, to the point, etc. That was what news was and it was accepted as such. However, times have changed, and so have news values from informational, to entertainment, and local news.
This shift has dramatically altered the way a large news publication such as The New York Times, or the Chicago Tribune works. Old-fashioned printed newspapers are quickly phasing out, and the newspapers have to work harder every year, and produce more than the year before just to keep their stockholders satisfied. The emergence of amateur online video news shows has seriously caught the attention of the major corporations and threatens their existence. These amateur news shows are entertaining, and relevant – two qualities that the newsrooms greatly lack.
A student who is considering a career in the news business may want to greatly consider the cost before proceeding into it. The news business really isn’t the news business anymore. The news that sells is entertainment, and if the student is willing to sacrifice the values of the news and it’s true role – informing the people of what is going on in the world – then he or she will more than likely have a successful “news” career. However, if the student remains true to old-fashioned news, he or she would be wise to watch out because he or she may be out of a job soon.
