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OETA’s Dick Pryor on Convention Coverage

By Dick Pryor

As a journalist, I understand a lot of what is going on in the production and news decisions involved in covering the conventions. I know the network news operations grudgingly devote air time to what they consider highly-choreographed “infomercials.” They think politics is a turn-off for many. The nets want to showcase their anchor, reporting and commentary talent and produce “compelling” television that will hold viewers and develop audiences for their day-to-day programming.

The irony is that the nets gladly devote time for what amounts to a large extent to “infomercials” for their on-air capabilities, personnel and programs, while ignoring much of the content of the convention. In so doing, they diminish the relevance of the conventions, and then complain that the conventions are irrelevant.

Don’t get me wrong. Some of the discussion is enlightening, some is important, some may even be compelling. But, in the “new media” environment of the Internet and “citizen journalism,” “unfiltered” news is becoming more and more important to consumers, with journalists reporting on events and supplementing their reports with meaningful information (on-air and on-line), so that viewers can make up their own minds and become better citizens. THAT is the new reality of media “public service” and news in the digital world. Read more…

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 Decision '08, OETA Trackback URL for this entry

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