Local news. It's a funny thing. In small U.S. television markets, you may get something like:
"Tonight at eleven...
Bear goes on dumpster rampage...
Costs of road gravel rise...
And I'm bakin' muffins!"
But even on the major metro stations, there seems to be a focus on the local. Of course, Iraqi suicide bombers get some mention...on a par with the latest weight of the thinner Olson twin...but then it's quickly back to fires and murders, the stuff that sells.
Don't get me wrong, I love fires and murders, to a point. But every once in awhile I check out the BBC news, if only to remind myself that there is a world out there. For instance, did you know that recent flooding in Ethiopia has killed over 130 people? Me neither. Because it wasn't on my local or network news. And to be fair, the floods didn't kill all those people. The crocodiles had their share. No, I'm not kidding. Crocodiles. If we are to believe George Carlin, that news is in fact simply another form of entertainment, we certainly must concede that a few dozen people devoured by crocs trumps a bear rummaging thru a box of Honey Bunches of Oats.
So why, from a sheer ratings standpoint, isn't this making it to local news? Perhaps it's simply that "local" means local. And that we'd rather see the house down the block burn to the ground than try to understand the subtle nuances of international politics. OK, I can see that. And there just isn't time to cover the crocodile thing AND bake muffins.
But our network-affiliated news programs really aren't much better. Really, we could take the "medical segment" which usually features a plastic surgery procedure gone wrong, or some new treatment for thining hair, and throw it in the dumpster. After all, that's not really news, and it's not quite entertainment either. It's vanity. And we really have enough of that. Or give us a little less Paris Hilton all around.
Then perhaps we'd have a cozy eight minutes to devote to floods, crocodiles, and coups.
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Slang of the day: melted out: broke, usually as a result of gambling.
Seems like I get more and more of my news from the BBC as well, oh and the Canadian news makes most U.S. news shows look like Entertainment Tonight.
Posted by: Anne | May 02, 2005 at 10:57 PM
Ah, yes. I live in Wisconsin, and last week during The Today Show when they took a quick break from the national "news" (read: non-stop coverage of that woman who skipped out on her wedding) for the local "top stories," all we got was a live aerial shot from Milwaukee of a bunch of cops standing around wondering which semi truck a black bear was hiding under. News indeed.
Posted by: Molly | May 03, 2005 at 09:12 AM
I don't think its a bad thing that local news is focusing on the local. That's what it's for. People *do* need to know that level of detail about their hometown and how it is being run (well, maybe not the garbage eating bear, but certainly, it would behoove us all to be informed about where our local taxes are going and what our local elected officials are doing. Far too many people get psycho about national elections but don't even know who is running for mayor, for school board, for state representative.
And the move towards covering big (read: dramatic, scary, or licentious) stories from around the country rather than local news is, I think, part of the growing trend of people thinking that the world is a scary place full of monsters out to grab your children and perverts out to suborn the status quo. For example - the raw numbers of stranger-abducted children have remained level for decades - yet ask anyone on the street and they're convinced that it never happened in the old days and it happens everywhere, all the time, now. Why? Because every time it does happen, TV news across the country covers it in excruciating detail for days...
Posted by: Sara | May 03, 2005 at 09:35 AM
Sara -
True, tho my local news covers as much (if not more) of the intentionally scary stuff as the national affiliate. Fear, as we know, is sexy. And so, it sells....on the local AND national level.
Posted by: Charlie | May 03, 2005 at 10:20 AM
I don't watch the news and this post pretty succinctly explains why.
Great post!
Posted by: Noelle | May 03, 2005 at 12:08 PM
*applauding*
Posted by: Cecily | May 03, 2005 at 03:53 PM
Which dumpster is the bear in? I might wanna go down there and see it! Maybe take some pictures! ;)
I liked Sara's thoughts on this - local news is for local info. And the national news needs to do just that - NEWS! OMG, if they were actually to start doing some serious investigative reporting again.... (And no, the rising cost of breast implants is NOT investigative reporting, lol.) I don't know if my heart could handle it!
Awesome post once again Charlie!
Posted by: Mel | May 03, 2005 at 11:21 PM
You have one great sense of humor, Charlie. Ever think about ghost writing sermons? I think we could make the vanity bit work. Seems like I've heard something about that somewhere before...
Posted by: Rob Merola | May 05, 2005 at 09:36 AM
My Mother and Brother play this little game at home
where they try to guess what the news segment will have on for the night,
It goes kind of like this:
My Mom:I am gonna say tonight will be two fires, a shooting, a school shooting and one rape
My Brother: No, I am thinking a fire, a car bombing maybe two, and a kid left in a car for an hour.
Posted by: Emily | May 05, 2005 at 04:22 PM