Disconnected: The Relationship between News Editors and the Audience

Abstract

Do television news programs meet viewer expectations and needs? Research into this issue found the answer to be negative. There is a breakdown between the editors of current a airs programs and the viewers. One of the reasons for this is the two groups' different systems of values. All the news editors on Israeli television were given a closed questionnaire based on "uses and gratification." They marked the degree of journalistic importance of each parameter and the extent to which these parameters are treated within their programs. Simultaneously, the questionnaire was presented to a representative sample of viewers, who were asked about the importance of the parameters for them and the extent to which these parameters are found in television current a airs programs. This study finds a huge gap between the viewers and the editors in both the public and commercial channels. The research findings support researchers that criticize the "usage and gratification" approach as explaining media consumption.