Media Paradox » State of the News

The Monster That Ate New York

techmanager — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:30:01 +0000

When did the recap from ESPN replace the WABC-TV produced sports segment on Eyewitness News This Morning?

(First they came for the sportscaster, then they came for the weatherman…)

Parkervision Lives at ABC News

techmanager — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:23:35 +0000

It looks like this morning’s America This Morning was the first “broadcast” network news show to be aired using an “automated control room”, in this case a Ross OverDrive system. ~~More details as they become available.~~

UPDATE: World News Tonight officially began using the ACR on Wednesday, July 20th. Former ABC News Senior Broadcast Producer Stu Schwartz said “From my experience, the humans are usually better than the machines…but we’ll see. Too bad technology has trumped the human factor.”

I can’t wait to see what happens 15 years down the road. Will there be anyone left that could direct, switch or mix a major live breaking news special report? Maybe ABC will have to hire Joel Almeida !

Online Blows Past Papers in Ad $$

techmanager — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:42:34 +0000

According to the the eighth annual State of the News Media report, more money was spent on online advertising than on newspaper advertising in 2010. This correlates with the fact [from the same report] that more people (46%) now get their news online at least three times a week, versus newspapers (40 percent) for the first time. “Only local TV news is a more popular platform in America now (50%),” says the Pew Study.

Another key finding in this year’s report was that “nearly half of all Americans (47%) now get some form of local news on a mobile device.”

Japan Quake – NHK World Feed

techmanager — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:51:33 +0000

If you’re a news junkie like me, you’re not watching a US broadcast or cable net, you’re watching the NHK World TV feed; either on the net [in English] or on cable/satellite [in Japanese].

Cablevision Channel 265*
Fios Metro DC Chan 456
Comcast Metro DC Chan 272
Cox Virginia Chan 471
RCN Metro DC Chan 35
Comcast Minneapolis Chan 78

* On Cablevision, there is often English on the SAP (Secondary Audio Program) channel. On your cable remote hit the Settings button, scroll up to “Choose SAP Language” item, use the right selection arrow to change “Japanese” to “Spanish” and hit “SEL”.

UPDATE: The Washington Post comments on NHK’s coverage.

The End of Objectivity ?

techmanager — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:35:45 +0000

In the November 19th issue of Time, James Poniewozik writes that news oganizations should loose their outdated definition of “objectivity” (which is more like neutrality), and hone to a more (excuse the expression) liberal definition of the term, one where journalists are “up-front about their predilections and prejudices.”

Would this work? Just look at Fox News and MSNBC and let me know.

Turnover Storm in TV ? Let’s See.

techmanager — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:41:14 +0000

Jon Picoult, founder of Watermark Consulting, wrote an interesting article in the Jobs section of Sunday’s New York Times. Picoult predicts that there is an impending “storm” of turnover of employees in downsized companies who were left “holding the bag” – shouldering the burden of short-staffing.

Picoult goes on to say: “People are not equipment… Companies that recognize this fact will … become more communicative, more appreciative, more connected and more civil. In a word, they become more human.”

There are many different management philosophies. There is the military model and the “warm and fuzzy” model, for example. I work better, faster, harder under the “warm and fuzzy.” How about you?

Debate: Journalism’s Leaky Condom

techmanager — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:30:13 +0000

Quite a little debate going on between Jeff Jarvis, Marc Reeves and Roy Greenslade on whether there should be a wall between editorial and sales. In college and in the real world where I worked, I had always thought that there should be a wall. Jarvis says that the old model is broken and we need to go back to the older model; like that of a small town newspaper, where the owner both sells the ads and writes the articles.

Click on the three names above. Read their posts and comment on their stands.

Bringing the War Home

techmanager — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:58:46 +0000

Broadcasting & Cable interviewed Richard Engel and Nic Robertson on bringing back the news from a war zone in their 9/20 issue.

Robertson, who joined CNN as an engineer in 1990, has seen the size of portable uplinks go from several hundred pounds down to the size of two briefcases. Engel, whose first overseas assignment was as a print reporter in Cairo in 1996, comments on how the now ubiquitous cell phone has improved access to sources, pictures and even video.

Obits: NBC’s Edwin Newman

techmanager — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:05:18 +0000

Longtime NBC newsman Edwin Newman died on September 13th at the age of 91.

Obit (with video) on MSNBC.com.

New York Times Obit.

(Thanks to LB’s Rambles.)

Can ABC News Be Saved?

techmanager — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 16:52:33 +0000

All week I’ve been watching from the sidelines the fallout from the resignation of ABC News David Westin. I’ll have some choice commentary of my own in a few days as I continue to touch base with my friends who were or still are employed there.

In the meantime, below are some links worth reading (in no particular order):

Here’s How to Save ABC News

Can Anything Save ABC News from Extinction?

‘Extinction?’ Prediction ‘Belongs at the Bottom of the Birdcage’

Shoes to Fill at ABC News

Who Pushed ABC News’ Chief?

ABC News Likely to Keep Approach

Network News Changes: Just a Matter of Time