Blurring the money lines...

[jbcameraguy]

So I need some feedback or support on this so I know I'm not completely crazy.
We just had a major advertiser (car dealership) merge with another major advertiser, and my station sent me over to the dealership to get an interview with the owner about why he's merging the dealerships.
Does this seem newsworthy to you, or does this sound like a blatant free advertisement?

I gave them the tape and told them if they wanted it, they could cut it themselves. Was I in the wrong for doing this?

BTW they lead with this as their top story.

 

[Tom Servo]

Welcome to for-profit news. Whether you were in the wrong or not depends on what angle you want to be judged from. Was it morally/ethically wrong? Hell no (although, you shot it, so you're already involved. If you have an objection to it, why did you agree to shoot it?).

And that brings us around to career-wise. Refusing to do your job, even on ethical grounds, can get you fired. Especially these days when stations are getting used to goobers straight out of college working for top-20 markets for sub-Walmart wages. Now, I'm not saying you should protect your career by being unethical, but if you're going to uphold an ethical standard, be aware that your job could end suddenly any day now (because tomorrow they might tell you to do something that you flat out refuse to do on ethical grounds), so have a backup plan in mind as far as what you will do when the income from the station dries up.

 

[satop]

I think I need some more information before I can decide on this. How big of a car dealer?

how many people will loose/gain employment?

Will this merger help consumers(lower prices, better service)?

Was this story directed by your sales dept?

Just because they are an advertiser, doesn't necessarily mean something unethical is happening. Car dealers are TV's biggest advertiser (most years), should we never do stories with them?

As for leading with it, what size market is this? Was there other news that should have gone first?

 

[jeremycohn]

Brian makes a bunch of good points.

Are you supposed to cut your own material or do you usually hand tapes off to editors?

I don't want to come off as harsh but it doesn't really make a difference whether you think it's a story or not. There are other people in the newsroom to decide that kind of thing. I know we all question the newsworthiness of some stories -- but we shoot them anyway. Refusing to shoot/edit the piece, just because you don't think it should be lead, is a great way to get into trouble with management. Bosses like the "yes" cameramen -- there are certain issues worth arguing over and others to just let go of.

A merger like this could potentially be a huge impact on the community. Again, we need more info (market size, etc).

 

[jbcameraguy]

(although, you shot it, so you're already involved. If you have an objection to it, why did you agree to shoot it

It was very all last minute and I really didn't even have time to think about it until I was driving back to the station, and then I started wondering how this is actually a story. I guess the only reason it didn't hit me right away is because the guy I interviewed is a staple to the community and he's also a Senator so that was probably one of the reasons he was selling the place, although he denied that. So I think I may have made a mistake, and it probably is more newsworthy that I first thought.

There has been one other instance that I did refuse to shoot here. A movie theater that is a sponsor was going away from film and installing digital projectors, which in that case the producer agreed with me and didn't mention it on-air.

 

[jbcameraguy]

As an afterthought I definately realized I made a mistake. The person that sent me on this was the web manager and things she usually sends me to usually end up being a big ad ploy, so I guess I just assumed that the news department wasn't really into this story as before.

how many people will loose/gain employment?

No loss or gain in employment as far as we know, just a change in hands.

Will this merger help consumers(lower prices, better service)?

Will supposedly lower prices, but these are the two biggest dealerships in the area

Was this story directed by your sales dept?

The web manager

As for leading with it, what size market is this? Was there other news that should have gone first?

This was probably the biggest story of the day in our 130's market size.

 

[The Thing on The Sticks]

It was very all last minute and I really didn't even have time to think about it until I was driving back to the station, and then I started wondering how this is actually a story. I guess the only reason it didn't hit me right away is because the guy I interviewed is a staple to the community and he's also a Senator so that was probably one of the reasons he was selling the place, although he denied that. So I think I may have made a mistake, and it probably is more newsworthy that I first thought.

There has been one other instance that I did refuse to shoot here. A movie theater that is a sponsor was going away from film and installing digital projectors, which in that case the producer agreed with me and didn't mention it on-air.

Don't know that the fact that they are a sponsor necessarily excludes them from doing something newsworthy. In the case of the car dealership you might be right. But look at your other example the digital projector thing could be newsworthy as a technology story especially as film is going the way of the dodo, and especially if it is a slow day allergy.

Would you refuse to cover a story at a hospital that advertises with your station if they discovered the cure for aids?

I think the other thing here that has not been asked is what market are you in, if it is safe to say. In a small town the doings of a large car dealership have more impact on the community than say NY LA or Dallas where I am. But then again there are many small towns where the news stations go nuts over car accidents as well.

 

[jbcameraguy]

Would you refuse to cover a story at a hospital that advertises with your station if they discovered the cure for aids?

I don't refuse to do stories because of someone being an advertiser, it was just the circumstances surrounding it. I just moved back to a small market after being in pretty large ones and I've just forgotten that in small towns, little things like a car dealer selling out is news, where in the bigger markets I've worked in, we wouldn't even have batted an eye for, and I've only refused to shoot 1 story in my 5 year career in news.

 

[Tom Servo]

For me, I have to *know* that the story is unethical before I refuse to shoot it. The film-to-digital thing wouldn't rise to my threshold, I have to say. That's interesting, and not just to camera nerds like us, and so even though it might be motivated by advertising, it might also not be.

I still suspect that at least some consideration to their position as sponsor was given in assigning the dealership story. Do you cover every dealership that makes routine business decisions, or just Sponsorship Ford?

That said, as you pointed out, what is news in a small town is advertising in a larger town, simply because not much happens in small towns, and so crap about the local dealership putting up a new sign actually makes it on air.

 

[code20photog]

Back in my small market days, we had a list of the advertisers and when there was a positive or negative story concerning something that may be sensitive, we would be directed to avoid or highlight those on the list.

For instance, we did a story on the dangers of trans fats in fast food french fries. Jack in the Box was the marque sponsor of our high school football show. Under no circumstances were we to show any Jack in the Box footage in that story.

All our news vehicles were GMs (Except the Ford Live Vans) and every time we could find an excuse to go do a positive story at the local Chevy dealership, we were there.

The bottom line is, this is a business, and whether we like it or not, the news is simply content to fill the spaces between commercials.

 

[svp]

I'd like to see how the finished story was written and presented. If it was all positive without any sound or point of view from someone who thinks the merger is a bad idea, then I think its pretty unethical. There's always SOMEBODY out there opposed to ANYTHING that happens. When the two biggest dealerships merge, that means less competition which usually equates to higher prices since there's nobody else forcing them to keep their prices low. I'm sure some consumer advocate in your market has to be opposed to this.

 

[adam]

This is a strong argument for making sure you are a presence in editorial meetings when possible.

Also, at the end of the day, local news programing on commercial stations is designed to bring viewers to the advertiser. News stations "sell" people to advertising businesses. If you can accept that and live with it knowing that the good stories are mini-coups then it is easier to accept the thinly veiled advertisements that run sometimes as "news" content.

Bottom line - It's your job, work hard to gain respect and affect change. That should in no way be construed as criticism, just a mode of thought that can help photogs get through the landscape with their heads held high.

 

[Land Rover]

How is it news? I just don't see it, end of story.

 

[zac love]

How is it news? I just don't see it, end of story.

A Culvers keeps expanding south into Illinois & one just opened up a half mile from my house. This was BIG news for some of my friends who always get Culvers when they're in Wisconsin. They weren't sure if it was good news or bad news now that there is one so close, but no matter what this was news.

No matter what, the ads pay for the newsroom & often the things that are advertised are newsworthy at some point in time. If an advertiser gets a free ad in the newscast on something that is news worthy, ethics still exist. But there are hundreds of examples of where ethical journalism takes a back seat to profits. It is a very hard line to draw.