Broadcast News Blog

Local news sucks. It is always the same: one female anchor and one male anchor with some box next to his or her head. Television is potentially the most creative medium in the world. It is all about manipulating pictures, sound and music. Graphics and great writing can make for amazing storytelling. It saddens me that the best we can come up with is a guy at a desk with a box over his shoulder. The content in the local Denver news is poor at best. The Fox 31 News at 9 had such a lack of content that they were pulling BORING prefab packages of the national wire just to fill their time slots. Local cable news clearly offers is another choice of news for viewers, its not flashy or slick and source are not cited clearly, but maybe that is what some people like.

National news, like 60 Minutes, offers another avenue of news for viewers seeking more in-depth coverage. An average story on local television is, at the most, three minutes. In shows like 60 Minutes, the story segments run an average of fifteen minutes per story. The content is clear, well thought out and the sources are cited clearly because they have more time. If the national news is the NFL then local news looks like a D2 school football game where no one knows what is going on.

Mike Huckabee's show, Huckabee, on Fox News focuses on specific stories and interviews with people of prominence. Every where you turn local and cable news are focusing mainly on the upcoming election. Tonight on Huckabee's show, actor Richard Dreyfuss and comedian/ TV show host Bill Maher discussed issues relating to the upcoming election. No sources were cited, because it is an interview based talk show. Huckabee's show is on Fox News which is known for being a conservative network and Mike Huckabee is a Republican, which makes for an interesting show when both guests are Democrats. However both sides were represented clearly.My final thoughts are, the internet is my favorite way to receive news. It is fast, easy and no one annoys you.

Summarize the story.
How many sources were presented?
If a controversy was cited, were the two sides equally represented?

November 2, 2008
Fox 31 News at 9pm
News starts off with the Barack Obama’s Campaign speech in Pueblo; CO. Small businesses owners are feeling the effects of the Obama campaign. The campaign calls the speech its “closing arguments” on tax cuts. Several small businesses were shut down because of the speech. Small business owners were in an outrage after being shut down. The store owners were compensated with free VIP tickets to the rally. Sources include various shop owners.
Next, the reporter discussed Obama’s aunt, who an illegal immigrant is living in a Boston public housing facility. Sources cited include: Senator Obama and the Associated Press. Both sides of the story were presented.
McCain rally- You Decide 2008-in Virginia.
McCain presented his economic plan at the rally. Reporter states McCain will be in NYC tonight. Sarah Palin back in Colorado on Monday. No sources.
Mitt Romney was interviewed at a Colorado rally.
Colorado Most Wanted
Denver gunman shot three people in Stapleton. Three separate incidents. The most recent shooting occurred. The suspect‘s description was given on a graphic. Sources included: neighborhood residents, female Denver deputy, victims of the shooting gave their descriptions of the suspect. No controversy.
Denver YG30 Bandit; A bank robber still on the loose.
Updated: A murder was caught in Kansas. He was arrested for carjacking and killing a Colorado man.
Fatal Fires:
Lafayette Motel fire, neighbors pulled out a man caught inside. The fire is under investigation. No sources cited.
Barn fire; four horse barn caught on fire, horses were pulled out from inside the burning barn. Police expect no foul-play. Sources cited: police officer, no controversy.
Mitt Romney comes to Colorado to speak on the half of McCain. Romney says polls are very close because voters are not comfortable with Obama. Reporter brings up race and tries to get Romney to bring up the race issue. One source cited: Romney.
Election Night coverage piece-internal advertisement
Across America segment: Police officer shot and killed in St Louis.
Two North Texas earthquakes, No sources
Naked voting in Pasco County Florida, head of the nudist colony cited. No controversy.
Daylight savings time; firefighters cited, No controversy.
Weather
Leap program starts, Low Energy Assistance Program. No sources, no controversy.
Flu shot given at the Denver International Airport. Organizers cited and travelers interviewed. Location: Denver Health Clinic. No controversy.
F ox Alert-Aurora-pedestrian accident a woman and her child were taken to hospital. The woman was also pregnant. No sources, no controversy.

Teacher pay increases in New York City. Teacher in the package is Dylan Prime. Prime and other NYC teachers will receive a $2000 bonus is they improve test scores.The Department of Education is for it however the National Educational is not for . Both presidential candidates are for it. A National story that is very controversial.


NATIONAL:

60 Minutes - CBS - 11/1
Good editing,

650,000 reserves were called to duty since 9/11

USERA Law, states that soldiers that return from duty must get their original jobs back and receive the same pay. Thousands of guards and reserves are penalized and don’t have their jobs when they get back from active duty.
Interviewed 3 army members who lost their jobs, one of whom works at the VA medical center and was denied back pay after being gone 2 yrs (in military 25 years), Pentagon cited, lawsuits cited, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Thomas Hall interviewed. Dave Miller who owns Conway National shipping company first supported this cause but now has problems with giving soldiers back their jobs because they are on there 2nd and 3rd tours. The Sherwood Police Dept and its police chief were quoted, as well as Pentagon policies.
Definitely has an agenda, but allowed for all sides to be represented.

Gerald, MO
A tiny police force and a town with a big drug problem.
Bill Jacob impersonated a federal agent and tries to help the town on Gerald clean up the meth labs drug ring. Gerald has only 1200 residents. In 2 months Jacob helped - arrest 20 people. Jacobs was never a federal agent or a cop. Jacob was bankrupt and unemployed. Jacob made up evidence. He arrested people and never read them their rights, no search warrants were issued, suspects were not allowed to call lawyers. Now none of the evidence found is admissible. A local Gerald reporter with did background check on Jacob and found out the real him. Jacob was arrested by FBI. Jacob has long history of conning people. Police officers and chief were all fired; people arrested now suing the town. Jacob pled guilty, will be sentenced in December to 5-6yrs in prison.
Interviewed Jacob, Ryan McCrary - police chief, Mayor Otis Schulte, reporter Linda Trast, Michael Holland ( A suspect who “confessed” to drug dealing)
Huge controversy - all sides spoken with, except for federal agencies.




CABLE:

Special interest stories
Fox News, The Huckabee Show

Show with Govenor Mike Huckabee
Shows SNL making fun of Presidents and Presidential candidates
Thenoseonyourface.com - Obama carved on Mt Rushmore - team members of Huckabee’s show create a parody

Interviews with Bill Maher & Richard Dreyfuss

No sources because it’s an interview segment - q&a, not evaluating a story or reporting hard news