Is Local TV News Going to One Source Coverage?

And the truth was, there was usually more than one side of a story. But at the least, if the assignment editor told us to do a story on a road construction project, we'd try to find someone who was for it and someone who was against it.

But I've noticed something disturbing lately in my hometown TV news--the market leader now often only interviews one person for a story--no more how complicated or controversial it is.

Back in "The Day," the news director would have spiked the story, chewed my butt, then told me to get both sides before it would see the light of videotape.

Have you noticed this in your local news?

Here in South Dakota, KELOLAND-TV is by far the biggest electronic media monster in the state. They have overpowering news ratings, they invest in technology, and they are generally good at what they do-reporting the news, particularly breaking news.

So, I have considerable regard for KELOLAND and many of the people who work there. But, as noted above, I've been noticing a disturbing trend-a number of one source stories. That is, only one person interviewed for a package or a multiple SOT (sound on tape)/VOB (voice over bites) stories.

For example, from tonight's 10 p.m. broadcast, these two major stories only contained one person interviewed on screen:

Snow Melt Filling Missouri River

Harrisburg High School Hopes*

In a word, only getting one source, one side of a story is lazy.

Now, I realize TV stations will sometimes do a series, where they might run one side of story one night and the other side the next. The stories noted above are not those kinds of stories. They are traditional news stories that should be self-contained in their sourcing and breadth of voices. There are often two sides, or, at least, multiple perspectives.

For example, on the Missouri River story, besides interviewing the Army Corps of Engineers dude, others like sportsmen, boaters, an ecologist, or a resort owner should have been interviewed about how they viewed the impact on them and their business or concerns.

I also realize that more and more is being asked of fewer and fewer reporters and photographers at most TV stations as the stations try to cut costs to make their corporations even larger profits.

But when the biggest electronic news organization in the state-the one that everyone else follows-starts to practice lazy, one sided journalism, it does not bode well for the overall presentation of news and information in an unbiased and fair manner. This is not a "liberal" v. "conservative" bias issue, this is a "go out and do the story and the viewers justice" issue.

I expect more from KELOLAND and all other news outlets than just making one phone call and saying you have your lead story in the can unless it is an extraordinary story.

Get both sides or at least someone else to help give depth and perspective to a story. That's not asking much.