Analysis of News Television

Television news is probably the most widely available news source there is; since anyone who can acquire a television and the antennas can receive it for free. However, there is also more behind these broadcasts than any other medium because it is inherently more intense than anything anyone can read. This is why the specifics of each news broadcast are so important. The way that the local and national news stories are presented, which news stories are selected, and the timing of the broadcast, all reflect one of the most critical decisions of the entire program; which audience they wish to draw. "Local news programs...reach millions of viewers nationwide, many of whom use television as their main source of news and trust it more than their local newspapers" (101) This is an excerpt from the book "Making Local News" by Phyllis Kaniss, which discloses many unknown facts while analyzing the business toward their future. It can be extremely helpful on this subject. I selected two different news programs to analyze; NBC channel 30 CT News at 6pm on Monday 11/12/07 and CBS channel 3 CT News at 6pm on Monday 11/12/07.

One of the largest and most critical decisions facing television news is content; how many local stories to share, opposed to national stories. This greatly depends on the time that the broadcast airs in relation to the featured nationally broadcasted newscast. Kaniss speaks on how timing can draw a particular audience; "In general, local news broadcasts at noon and between five and a half past six attract an older audience with a larger number of females than does the late news. In addition, late night news attracts more of a professional audience who arrive home too late to watch earlier television news shows" (103). This in turn directly relates to the program's desired audience and eventually their ratings. What I found was that at the time block of 6pm to 6:30pm, a minimum amount of national stories are required. This was because of the fact that the nationally broadcasted news was directly following these programs at 6:30pm. This national broadcast obviously covers all national news of the day, while if these local programs did not cover local news stories, they would not appear until the later local program at 11pm. For the NBC program, the only display of national news was the presentation of the stock market numbers right after the fifteen minute mark. There is also mention of seemingly national sports news involving baseball transactions near the conclusion. For the CBS program, the only appearance of national news is the same sports news; they did not even cover the stock market numbers. This information relates to their desired audience because it depends on what news this audience wants to see in this particular half-hour. They want to see local and not national stories because they will obviously receive the latter from the following national broadcast. This will of course affect the ratings of the program because they will be providing exactly what the viewer wants.

The way that these local news stories are presented is another major issue. This depends almost entirely on how the stories are perceived by the audience because it relates to how they feel about the program's coverage of their area. Both programs present their news in a similar fashion to convey to their audiences their extensive coverage of the state of Connecticut. This is accomplished by having reporters sent out to the several major stories of the day to collect footage and interviews. This projects the all-encompassing coverage to their audiences because the stories are then presented with the headline that they have reports on location in Hartford, New Haven, etc. For example, the NBC program's first and featured story is about a recount for the East Haven Mayoral election. They have footage from a reporter who was sent to East Haven of interviews with the "experts", such as each respective candidate as well as the Connecticut Secretary of State. The CBS program includes the same exact featured story first in the broadcast with their reporter having almost identical interviews with the candidates and Secretary of State. A couple minutes later in both broadcasts there was a story about an apartment fire in Norwich. Both programs contributed with reporters in this town presenting footage of the burning building along with interviews with some of the residents and various firefighters who had fought the blaze. Kaniss speaks on the use of sound bites; "...in the local television news, critics have argued that 'visual hype' calls rather than follows the tune. Instead of simply helping convey the news, the need for good video and 'sound bites', as interview comments are called, often determines what events will become stories and dictates the order of stories, the length of time devoted to particular stories, and the angle or method of presentation of the story" (107).

In my opinion, the preceding information is evidence why it is so important for the audience how the news is presented and who presents it. This is significant because both of these broadcasts are so structurally and informatively similar, that who presents the news is one of the only factors where a difference can be found. Kaniss speaks on the importance of news anchors; "Television viewers are often said to choose one local news broadcast over another not because of the content of the news but rather because of the personalities of the anchors and on-air reporters. In an early analysis of the importance of the anchor's personality, Horton and Wohl claimed that viewers enter into a 'para-social relationship' with television personalities, regarding them as they would friends" (104). What story is selected and the structure by which they are presented are not the only similarities; the exact timing in the half-hour broadcast that each story begins is also strikingly identical. Generally, the stories before the ten minute mark are shorter and span coverage of the state, after the ten minute mark are one or two longer human interest stories with more involved interviews. The fifteen minute mark brings the weather report, and the twenty minute mark brings sports. This regimented setup also creates a typical way of doing things for the audience, so that they can get into a schedule of what items usually appear at what specific intervals.

The results that came from this study were not the results I expected because I did not plan for the broadcasts to be so similar. However, this does create a connection for the two broadcasts in that they both aim for the same result. The way that the local and national news stories are presented, which news stories are selected, and the timing of the broadcast, all reflect one of the most critical decisions of the entire program; which audience they wish to draw.

Works Cited

Kaniss, Phyllis. Making Local News. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991.

"NBC 30 CT News at 6". NBC 30 CT News. NBC. WVIT. 11/12/07

"CBS Eyewitness News at 6". CBS Eyewitness News. CBS. WFSB. 11/12/07