Future of News

Lenslinger

Lenslinger

Well-known member
Shrinking audiences... Plummeting ratings... Station groups perched to gobble each other up...

The future of local television news is scary AF.

What will our industry look like in ten years?

Will local newscasts, let alone photogs, be a thing of the past?

I sure as hell hope not.

What does the b-roll.net nation think?

Anybody?
 
I don't wanna be debby downer - but I'm not optimistic about the future of local news coverage. There is very little separating a local TV reporter/photographer from an "influencer" with a cell phone. And the viewer at home doesn't differentiate between the two.

On the other hand, my former colleague, Terry Moran, just started a substack channel (https://substack.com/@terrymoran) and put together an amazing story about the haitian population in Springfield, OH.

There is going to be a lot of independent journalists out there - for better or worse.
 
Gotta agree. The future of local TV News looks pretty grim indeed. My station, along with many others, is getting into the streaming game. Will streaming news content save local TV stations? Stay tuned...
 
I left news a long time ago, and I can't even watch our local news anymore. All MMJ's, and what I've seen, I just can't watch. There are maybe 2 photogs left in our market. One is an old timer who trained me in 2001, the other works for another station and I used to see him in the field all the time. Both are nearing retirement, and once they do I don't think there will be any more photogs here again. I don't have much hope for local journalism.

I shared elsewhere that I work in commercial production now. Something else I'll add... Since I've left news I've found personal fulfillment producing independent stories about issues that matter to me. In 2011 I produced a short film about my experience living with the rare metabolic disorder called Phenylketonuria, or PKU. That's led to a decade plus rare disease advocacy "career". Most of the projects I've produced have been independent and pro-bono. Many for the non-profit called National PKU Alliance, or NPKUA.

A couple of years ago at work we produced this fundraising film for NPKUA, and Scott Pelley provided the voiceover for us (he is friends with a family in our PKU community).


My point is... Even if you don't work in news anymore, and are completely out of the business...

There's a world of stories out there waiting to be told. I found mine. And am thankful that my news career, while not a long-term career for me, became the foundation of everything I've done since.
 
I worry most about small markets. Consolidation, people being their own assignment editor, photographer, show producer and anchor!
 
b-roll said:
I don't wanna be debby downer - but I'm not optimistic about the future of local news coverage. There is very little separating a local TV reporter/photographer from an "influencer" with a cell phone. And the viewer at home doesn't differentiate between the two.

On the other hand, my former colleague, Terry Moran, just started a substack channel (https://substack.com/@terrymoran) and put together an amazing story about the haitian population in Springfield, OH.

There is going to be a lot of independent journalists out there - for better or worse.
Click to expand...
So wild about Terry Moran! Very much in awe.
 
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