Complaints Get Me Down...
I suppose you're expected to have a thick skin in the job of newsman. The truth is I'm about as thinned skinned as they come, largely because I'm much harder on myself than any critic potentially could be, so hearing complaints is an added helping of stress to the blistering self admonishment I've already given myself.
Take for instance, the email we recieved here at the station, essentially castigating our News department (that would be me, at least, when I get a chance to wear that hat anymore. Half of me anyway.) The person who wrote in basically says all we do is report meetings, and says he/she gets more information out of their scanner and gossip than they do from the station. As it happens, I have a scanner, and it keeps me up all night with its incessant squawking. You know how much scanner traffic turns into a legitimate news story?
Now remember its our policy that we only do police news for adults who face actual charges from felonies.
try .0000000001 percent.
If you want to read the names of all your neighbors that have been cited for jaywalking, you can do that on Thursday Morning.
As for the meetings, yes, we do a lot of meeting news. Unfortunately that's the only time I get unrestricted access to the movers and shakers, doing something like approximately speaking their minds. I consider the reporting I do there important.
I don't want to be an E! reporter, feeding people's morbid curiousity. Now if its an accident that results in someones serious injury or death, yes its news, and should be reported. But the fender bender outside Wal-mart is not news.
I know that news is a mixture between what people need to hear, and what people want to hear. I guess I should try to include more of what they want to hear.
Take for instance, the email we recieved here at the station, essentially castigating our News department (that would be me, at least, when I get a chance to wear that hat anymore. Half of me anyway.) The person who wrote in basically says all we do is report meetings, and says he/she gets more information out of their scanner and gossip than they do from the station. As it happens, I have a scanner, and it keeps me up all night with its incessant squawking. You know how much scanner traffic turns into a legitimate news story?
Now remember its our policy that we only do police news for adults who face actual charges from felonies.
try .0000000001 percent.
If you want to read the names of all your neighbors that have been cited for jaywalking, you can do that on Thursday Morning.
As for the meetings, yes, we do a lot of meeting news. Unfortunately that's the only time I get unrestricted access to the movers and shakers, doing something like approximately speaking their minds. I consider the reporting I do there important.
I don't want to be an E! reporter, feeding people's morbid curiousity. Now if its an accident that results in someones serious injury or death, yes its news, and should be reported. But the fender bender outside Wal-mart is not news.
I know that news is a mixture between what people need to hear, and what people want to hear. I guess I should try to include more of what they want to hear.
2 Comments:
David...at least we're not to the point of hiring consultants to tell us what should be in the news. Most of the networks have consultants that try and figure out what most people would find interesting and then they look for those type stories.
Truth be told, most of what happenes in small towns is not at all interesting. I think we're lucky to have someone like you who knows how to make the decision making in a small community engaging.
I did news for eight years and I know it isn't easy and it is a thankless job most of the time.
I used to always tell people who complained about the news to apply for the job and if they get hired, they can make the decision of what makes news and what doesn;t make the news.
AJ
Kyle its sad but most people wouldn't know real news if it jumped up and bit them in the butt. Its not your fault if some people are more interested in the kitty fashion show then the fact that Real Esate Developers are squandering their tax dollars. America is a crowd with a large silent majority and they don't speak much because its easier to find fault then to find good in most people's work. In the end the most important critic is yourself and like you said you are a tough one so take her comments with a grain of salt shrug it off and keep doing what you think is right. One person who has nothing better to do then gossip about what Sally Mae is doing to Farmer Cletus is not worth more then a casual review.
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