Dish It To Downing: Is it News?
By: Downing Bolls
Updated: February 27, 2009
In this week's "Dish It To Downing": Is it news or isn't it? A viewer had a question about a promotional advertisement for NBC Nightly News.
In the video, news anchor Brian Williams is talking about the search for a new dog for the First Family.
The viewer lamented about why so much was being made over a story that he felt was a stretch to even be called "news".
Actually, we get complaints like that quite a bit in this business -- and I can tell you that what constitutes "news" is entirely subjective.
News to you may be "mush" to someone else.
Years ago, it was all about "hard news". Such things as crime, fires, car wrecks, ... There's still a lot of that, but more and more we're seeing lifestyle and consumer news.
That is what the viewer wants, according to consultants, is "news" they can use.
We now live in what's called the "postmodern era".
Among the changes we're seeing in society is the blurring of traditional lines of separation.
It's not "news" and "entertainment" anymore -- it's "news/entertainment".
That's why you are seeing a lot more news about personalities, movies starts, and popular fads.
NBC's Today show now stretches four hours each morning, but the final hours is a far cry from the first hour.
That's because the audience changes and along with it, the interests of the viewers.
The long and short of it is this: one man's trash is another man's treasure.
The times they are a'changing and news reporting is a'changing right along with them.
I saw a Calvin and Hobbs cartoon a few years ago. It went something like this: Calvin is sitting in front of his TV set shouting: "You call this news?! This isn't news. It's hype. But, unfortunately ... it's all I have time for right now."
