Local News Stories Research Articles

VNRs: Is the News Audience Deceived?

Every day, television news operations have available dozens of video news releases (VNRs), public relations handout videos designed to mimic news formats. Electronic tracking indicates some of these VNRs are used. Critics typically assail VNRs on ethical grounds, that VNRs deceive audience members into thinking they are watching news gathered by reporters, rather than a promotional pitch. Using a snowball technique, the researchers presented survey respondents with authentic-looking local television news stories; 157 respondents evaluated three stories (out of nine). Some stories used station-generated footage, some network, and some VNRs. Respondents were asked their best estimation of the source. The data indicated a real likelihood VNR deception is occurring. Two of the three VNRs deceived at least half the respondents. Respondents were incorrect an average of 46% of the time when attempting to identifying VNRs, compared to 29% incorrectly identifying network video and 20% incorrectly identifying locally shot video.

Does Local Television News Coverage Cultivate Fatalistic Beliefs about Cancer Prevention?

A substantial proportion of American adults hold fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention despite evidence that a large proportion of cancer deaths are preventable. Several scholars suggest that news media coverage is one source of these beliefs, but scant evidence has been brought to bear on this assertion. We report findings from two studies that assess the plausibility of the claim that local television (TV) news cultivates fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention. Study 1 features a content analysis of an October 2002 national sample of local TV and newspaper coverage about cancer (n=122 television stations; n=60 newspapers). Study 2 describes an analysis of the 2005 Annenberg National Health Communication Survey (ANHCS, n=1,783 respondents). Study 1 indicates that local TV news stories were more likely than newspaper stories to mention cancer causes and scientific research and less likely to provide follow-up information. Study 2 reveals that local TV news viewing was positively associated with fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention. Overall, findings are consistent with the claim that local TV news coverage may promote fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention. We conclude with a discussion of study implications for cultivation theory and the knowledge gap hypothesis and suggest foci for future research.

Preserving digital local news

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore issues and approaches for collection and management of born digital local news. Much local news – important documentation of local history – is being lost. The fact that a lot of news media is now available digitally presents new opportunities but also new challenges for such preservation.Design/methodology/approachSeveral specific bottle‐necks for implementing this project are examined. For instance, the size of the problem is estimated by approximating how much local news is generated in one US state. Then the difficulties in capture, storage requirements, selection, access, and sustainability are considered, focusing on difficulties in selection. Finally, a number of business models for handling these challenges are explored.FindingsCurrently, there is no large‐scale effort under way to preserve local television and newspaper news stories, and as a result this part of history is being lost. Many practical difficulties to a comprehensive system have been found but there would be value even in a system which was not the ideal. Newspaper web sites and streaming radio stations should be downloaded. The possibility of capturing video from cable distribution points could be explored.Originality/valueWhile none of the business models offers an ideal solution for the preservation of local news, especially not for multimedia sources, it is believed that some of them provide partial answers which should be tried.

The Local News Story: Is Quality a Choice?

The conventional wisdom about local TV news is that quality journalism does not sell and that only by focusing on crime, disasters, and other “soft news” can newscasts get good ratings. Political scientists have decried the poor quality of TV news as a betrayal of the press's mandate to inform citizens of the important policy issues of the day so that they can hold government officials accountable. This study tests the proposition that audiences prefer low effort, tabloid journalism by looking at external measures of commercial success—the Nielsen ratings data. Utilizing data from a 5‐year study matching the content quality of 33,911 local news stories from 154 TV stations in 50 TV markets nationwide to corresponding ratings success, we show that solid reporting and a focus on significant issues actually produce better ratings than slapdash or superficial tabloid journalism. Additionally, we find that strategy-oriented coverage of political campaigns that focuses on the horserace does not build an audience. These surprising results have practical implications for democratic practice and local TV news production.

Numbers in the News: a mathematics audit of a daily newspaper

While numeracy is considered an essential skill in modern journalism, there has been little systematic investigation of the extent to which journalists rely on mathematics to report the news or of the kinds of mathematical errors that appear in newspaper stories. To establish baseline information about journalistic use and misuse of numbers, approximately 2000 local news stories were examined in a two-part mathematics audit of a daily metropolitan newspaper. A one-month content review found that nearly half of local news stories involved mathematical calculation. Stories using math tended to get front-page or front-section display. A three-month accuracy audit found mathematical errors to be fairly prevalent--a new type of numerical error was identified about every other day. Most errors were self-evident and involved elementary mathematics. Unquestioning use of figures, resulting in news stories with dubious and unsupported claims, also was documented. Eleven categories of numerical error were identified. Results suggest that journalists fail to apply the attention and skepticism to numbers that they routinely apply to other aspects of their work. Strategies are proposed for journalism practitioners and educators seeking to improve numeracy in the newsroom.

Getting it Right? Not in 59 Percent of Stories

News sources report more than half the local news stories in The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. included errors. Inaccuracies involved context and perspective, such has hype, misrepresentations and essential information left out.

Viewer Sensitivity to Ethical Issues in TV Coverage of the Clinton-Flowers Scandal

One hundred eleven Chicago adults viewed an actual local television news story concerning Gennifer Flowers's allegations of an extramarital affair with then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton and responded to a structured interview that was transcribed and analyzed with a modified form of cognitive mapping. Viewers were mostly adept at noting relevant story characteristics but less able to discuss operative ethical issues in story reporting. Viewers were least skilled at identifying the consequences of or the stakeholders affected by the story's treatment. The study continues development of a measure of ethical sensitivity by considering not only the content of interviewees' evaluative statements but also the timing of concept mention. These measures are used in considering viewers' levels of ethical sensitivity.

Identifying patterns of ethical sensitivity in TV news viewers: An assessment of some critical viewing skills

This study applies a multidimensional assessment of ethical sensitivity to 104 viewers descriptions and evaluations of a local TV news story about a hit‐and‐run accident. Ethical sensitivity is measured along four dimensions or abilities: ability to notice relevant story characteristics, ethical issues, consequences, and stakeholders. Cluster analysis reveals eight distinct clusters or patterns of ethical sensitivity abilities, which we label broadly aware, outcome oriented, consequence oriented, stakeholder oriented, issue oriented, fact oriented, outcome oriented, and broadly unaware.

Local Television News Coverage of President Clinton's Introduction of the Health Security Act

To investigate how local television news reported on health system reform during the week President Clinton presented his health system reform bill. Retrospective content analysis of the 1342-page Health Security Act of 1993, the printed text of President Clinton's speech before Congress on September 22, 1993, and a sample of local television news stories on health system reform broadcast during the week of September 19 through 25, 1993. The state of California. During the week, 316 television news stories on health system reform were aired during the 166 local news broadcasts sampled. Health system reform was the second most frequently reported topic, second to stories on violent crime. News stories on health system reform averaged 1 minute 38 seconds in length, compared with 57 seconds for violent crime. Fifty-seven percent of the local news stories focused on interest group politics. Compared with the content of the Health Security Act, local news broadcasts devoted a significantly greater portion of their stories to financing, eligibility, and preventive services. Local news stories gave significantly less attention to cost-saving mechanisms, long-term care benefits, and changes in Medicare and Medicaid, and less than 2% of stories mentioned quality assurance mechanisms, malpractice reform, or new public health initiatives. Of the 316 televised news stories, 53 reported on the president's speech, covering many of the same topics emphasized in the speech (financing, organization and administration, and eligibility) and de-emphasizing many of the same topics (Medicare and Medicaid, quality assurance, and malpractice reform). Two percent of the president's speech covered partisan politics; 45% of the local news stories on the speech featured challenges from partisan politicians. Although health system reform was the focus of a large number of local television news stories during the week, in-depth explanation was scarce. In general, the news stories provided superficial coverage framed largely in terms of the risks and costs of reform to specific stakeholders.

A Cross-Cultural Experiment on How Well Audiences Remember News Stories from Newspaper, Computer, Television, and Radio Sources

This paper reports on the methods, findings, and implications of a large-scale cross-cultural experiment on audience recall of brief news stories. Subjects from Spain and from the United States were exposed, one-at-a-time and under highly controlled conditions, to one of three local spot news stories presented via either newspaper, computer screen, television, or radio. Each of the 720 subjects was a student in a beginning course in media studies, in either a Spanish or an American university. The stories were the same for each group, with each carefully prepared in the two languages so as to be “matched.” Careful attention was given to making the stories as close as possible in length, topic, organization, and coverage of specific details so as to permit direct comparisons between similar subjects in the two cultural settings. Distinct patterns of results with statistically significant differences between the two cultural groups were found.

The Poster Session by Undergraduate Research Methods Students

In the early 1980s I had my first experience presenting a poster session at a professional meeting (the ASA is calling this a scholar-toscholar presentation in 1991). I came away from that exchange with a vision of its utility for teaching research methods. For several years now, my research methods students have prepared and hung poster presentations of their research projects the week prior to the final written project report. This activity was designed to enhance their skill in communicating the results of their term research project in a brief and visual way. The timing is such that feedback from classmates can inform a clearer final report. Over the years these poster presentations have evolved far beyond the oral presentation with supporting illustrations. The assignment instructions were originally drawn from the directions supplied to presenters by the Gerontological Society of America. These directions set the expectations for a large readable title, typed abstract, clear models or hypotheses, appropriate results summarized in tables, graphs, or pictures, and a conclusion. While students need to purchase poster board (one to two sheets) and a marker, students have little outside expense, but the labor has often pulled in their roommates and friends as the deadline looms. The students' supporters get exposed to the other projects as they come to hear the oral presentation for the one on which they worked. Aclass period is set aside and open to the public when students are available to discuss their research and answer questions. I send a flyer to all social science colleagues urging them to announce this period in their classes. The event becomes a reception that campus publicity people find interesting for local news stories. Encouraging introductory students to come by during this time (usually extended into the lunch hour to avoid schedule conflicts) piques their curiosity and sets up the research methods students as researchers and peer models. Many recent students have this memory of viewing a poster session earlier in their studies as they prepare their projects for presentation now. They draw on this background to prepare clear displays now that they are on the other side. This activity does not require additional materials beyond standard office supplies. Scheduling the space and arranging to hang the posters is all that's needed. (I usually request a ladder from housekeeping to help adjust track lighting as well as hang posters, but have sufficed with standing on a chair to reach the hooks.) Since a campus renovation made the old library into the social science center with offices and classrooms, we have been able to use the main lobby on the first floor. Displacing the usual art collection of pen and ink drawings that hangs there with the labors of student researchers each fall adds a sense of legitimacy to the use of the space for social science. Track lighting and picture hanging moldings are available with extra flat hooks added and a reusable set of strings cut in appropriate lengths. These strings have pre-tied loops for the hook ends and a loose end to tie through holes punched in the posters' corners (allow adjustment where reachable for easy balance). Everything can be hung in under one hour. To control air current movement of posters we have anchored lower corners with reusable plastic putty. (Warning: some textured wall coverings do not allow complete removal. ) I have used mobile bulletin boards with push pins in previous years. (The art department seldom uses these in the fall.) While the usual poster session at a professional meeting runs two hours, our exhibition lasts a week or more though students are only available to discuss their research at the special class period at the beginning of the week. The browsing between classes in our area lets the research have wider circulation. Those on campus who may have been subjects in some pro* The author wishes to thank Brenda D. Phillips for suggesting the value of sharing this idea and for feedback on one she witnessed. I also thank colleague Dan Schores for comments on an earlier draft and reviewers for helpful clarifications.

Television Coverage of State Government

Television Coverage of State Government

A Study of Accuracy in Local News Stories of Three Dailies

A Study of Accuracy in Local News Stories of Three Dailies

Book Review: Gatekeepers of News of Civil Rights and Liberties: A Study of the Fate of Local News Stories, Profile in Black and White, the Integrated Classroom a Survey of Problem and Procedure

Book Review: Gatekeepers of News of Civil Rights and Liberties: A Study of the Fate of Local News Stories, Profile in Black and White, the Integrated Classroom a Survey of Problem and Procedure