KRON makes the Chron

[Stoney]

I know this story has ben visited before... yet another interesting story from the San Francisco Bay Area. Things are just hitting the skids there...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/05/DDGBNI2OF41.DTL&hw=kron&sn=001&sc=1000

(EDIT)
I don't mean to imply that the SF market has hit the skids... just KRON, really. Although not always awesome, there is good work done out of The Bay Area.

[Brock Samson]

Holy crap.

[Baltimore Shooter]

I'm sure the "Messiah" (Rosenblum) couldn't be reached for comment, he sure turned that station around. :rolleyes:

Next thing you know, the KKK will pay for a week long story about how they're just "misunderstood".

Warren

[pre-set]

That's right, Warren!


"Not white SUPREMACISTS - but white SEPRATISTS"!!!!!

"It's the NEW Klan - today at 5"!!!!!

[shootercub]

Our station does stuff like that a lot on it's early show. "Save my bathroom!" is a great example of how these companies will pay the newsroom money in return for a regular, week long segment on the news. It's supposed to be a contest, but really it's a ruse to confuse viewers about what is news, what is a contest, and what is a commercial.

I just wonder how long it will be until viewers start seeing anchors sip on cans of Coke on the set, or reporters breaking out a Kenneth Cole umbrella during a live shot.

[NYC Street]

Sometimes I think the bosses should be taken out and shot. Then I read stuff like this, and think that shooting them is way too nice. Something much more prolonged and painful seems more appropriate.

[Just Wondering]

I don't wanna rain on anybody's parade but....... Our industry has been doing this for years. I call it "Commercials Disquised As News".

Why do we have ribbon cuttings or groung breakings ? Yes...I know there are some eceptions, but as a rule, it is because some developer or PR firm had a good pitch to the desk and TA DAAAAA we're covering it.

I hate doing them. Who benifits from our coverage of them. Does Joe Bag Of Donuts care if there is a new housing project where the homes start at $700,000 ? I don't think so.

I don't have an ansewer for the question, I only have a question for the question...... WHY do we do commercials disquised as news?

[eb]

But isn't the NFL a business too? ;)

[Stoney]

VNR's have been around for a while, they are nothing new. Newsrooms have been letting the conflict of interests get through for a while. NPR just did a report this morning about how VNR's have been used extensively on newscasts.... without significant editing. That contradicts a lot of what the PR firms say, and newsrooms who use them. However, a study found otherwise... they are used often and unedited.

[eb]

Many TV news stations have no problem covering "stories" that "promote" things that benefit themselves.

The NFL is a current topic. We do "stories" promoting the NFL team that we have a signed contract with. That is a business! Just like any other business. We do "stories" promoting our network TV shows (Idol, CSI, Survivor) This is serving our own self interests. Sure, if it is the biggest watched program in the country...it sometimes qualifies as "entertainment news" 60 Minutes - the leading "news" magazine often does "stories" about the latest "book author" who is selling a book. What is exchanged? "Promotional considerations?" Both parties are using both parties to make more money.

Often, the "interest" in the "story" is to get higher ratings, and make more money. We often favor charities which our anchors are speaking at. Why? Sure it's a great cause..but the station gets "promoted" too. Do we promote charity events that our "talent" is not involved with? Of course we do sometimes, but we definately do...when our talent is involved.

Selling advertising space...in news stories is flat wrong. I hate to get too "professional" here - but the fact is some TV newsroom managers...have simply given up following ethical codes. The motive is often money.

So the crux of this problem... is ethics. Ethics Codes are not laws, so they are not followed, nor enforced often.

Perhaps there should be some sort of law, that requires "journalism" to be labled as such and "promotion" or "advertising" to be labled as such. That way, the public would know, and the public's interests could always be measured in a "news" cast. It is a wide known fact that TV news networks and programs now often combine "facts" and "opinions." Maybe laws are needed. Because Ethics Codes are not followed. There is no enforcement, the public may not distinguish, and then society suffers. Journalism ethics are serious...unless they are not taken seriously by journalists.

There are a number of solid Codes Post them in your newsroom. Use them when you need to if you see a violation. Because the organization that wrote the code might back you up if a problem arises.

http://www.spj.org/ethics_code.asp

This is just a section of the SPJ Code that applies to advertising:

------------------
"Act Independently

Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.

Journalists should:

Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news."

[Wideangle]

They should be required to super it as an "Infomercial" at the very least to avoid any conflict of interest. And we wonder why people
no longer trust the news media...

[Chicago Dog]

It's a "sign of the times?" Uh, to save money, most places just start laying off employees.

Oh, wait.