Does your job make the world a worse place?

[Dave Harman]

A survey by PayScale.com says that according to the employees who do the job, TV Newscast Directors rank fourth in feeling that their jobs make the world a worse place.
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/22 ... d%3D223859

[Hoss]

Interesting that they would identify

highlighting the bad things in the world because that's what gets the best ratings --

as the main reason for making the world a worse place. Providing information makes the world a better place but the quest for ratings and the sensitization of events to get better ratings is where broadcast news has strayed. Sure there are many good solid journalists and news operations but who hasn't seen the wonder person that storms in makes an impressive resume' and moves on to a bigger better paying job. Let's not forget those that get in a stable market, like this area, and settles for being the big fish in the small pond. It seems we ignore those sensational gaffs and do not demand accountability. Like Tim Irr pronouncing the second trooper had died, when he had not, and then never correcting the mistake on the air. A web posting isn't a broadcast correction. Sure mistakes happen but it was purposeful, the first with the most, but then the rush for ratings made accuracy inconvenient. Small example and not insidious but these small things are where we lost our way, by not saying something about accountability and accuracy. So long as I'm calling names let's be clear that in my opinion if you're over 50 and a career broadcaster myself included, you have helped shape and mold this business. And this means all those in the station not just news. I personally think about what I've done and of course we all have positive things we can point to as good contributions but I submit it's those things we do because the main goal has become ratings, promotions and salability that have eroded the standards and thus our contributions to a business that we love. Since the early eightys I have not attended a managers meeting where service to the community or that pesky notion of being a guardian of the airwaves has come up. Maybe retirement will ease my conscience.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Interesting that they would identify

highlighting the bad things in the world because that's what gets the best ratings --

as the main reason for making the world a worse place. Providing information makes the world a better place but the quest for ratings and the sensitization of events to get better ratings is where broadcast news has strayed. Sure there are many good solid journalists and news operations but who hasn't seen the wonder person that storms in makes an impressive resume' and moves on to a bigger better paying job. Let's not forget those that get in a stable market, like this area, and settles for being the big fish in the small pond. It seems we ignore those sensational gaffs and do not demand accountability. Like Tim Irr pronouncing the second trooper had died, when he had not, and then never correcting the mistake on the air. A web posting isn't a broadcast correction. Sure mistakes happen but it was purposeful, the first with the most, but then the rush for ratings made accuracy inconvenient. Small example and not insidious but these small things are where we lost our way, by not saying something about accountability and accuracy. So long as I'm calling names let's be clear that in my opinion if you're over 50 and a career broadcaster myself included, you have helped shape and mold this business. And this means all those in the station not just news. I personally think about what I've done and of course we all have positive things we can point to as good contributions but I submit it's those things we do because the main goal has become ratings, promotions and salability that have eroded the standards and thus our contributions to a business that we love. Since the early eightys I have not attended a managers meeting where service to the community or that pesky notion of being a guardian of the airwaves has come up. Maybe retirement will ease my conscience.

This was a really good post. Thank you.
I miss this kind of discussion and commentary here.

[cgarison]

Producing news about natural disasters, mass murders and economic meltdowns can take a toll on some TV newscast directors, who often work in control rooms and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Right now is a perfect example of this in the news. The "Frankenstorm" is just another big rain storm that is going to hit the mid-Atlantic, yet this thing has been in the news now for 1 week. Five years ago, this stuff was barely news in the media and storms like this were only covered just a couple of days before landfall. Remember "The Perfect Storm" in 1991 and that the coverage on a national level was about the aftermath and not about the storm hitting the east coast. Tropical storms have battered this part of the east coast for the last 8 years that I have been in Philly and coverage of this storm (like that of Irene and the Halloween Blizzard) just simply blows my mind. A very large rain making tropical storm hit Philly over labor day 2006 and I simply parked my car on high ground, walked back to my house and then waited for the storm. There was none of this hype then.

Maybe it is the "Twitter Effect" on news. Who knows.

[EZ103.3FM]

Producing news about natural disasters, mass murders and economic meltdowns can take a toll on some TV newscast directors, who often work in control rooms and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Right now is a perfect example of this in the news. The "Frankenstorm" is just another big rain storm that is going to hit the mid-Atlantic, yet this thing has been in the news now for 1 week. Five years ago, this stuff was barely news in the media and storms like this were only covered just a couple of days before landfall. Remember "The Perfect Storm" in 1991 and that the coverage on a national level was about the aftermath and not about the storm hitting the east coast. Tropical storms have battered this part of the east coast for the last 8 years that I have been in Philly and coverage of this storm (like that of Irene and the Halloween Blizzard) just simply blows my mind. A very large rain making tropical storm hit Philly over labor day 2006 and I simply parked my car on high ground, walked back to my house and then waited for the storm. There was none of this hype then.

Maybe it is the "Twitter Effect" on news. Who knows.

I'm not right on the east coast, but I disagree....

It apparently will:
shut down New York City - subways, NYSE, tunnels, airports with storm surge flooding up to 11 ft. above normal tides in some areas & winds up to 70 mph. The suburban area around NYC will be impacted also.
shut down DC - Metro, Fed Govt
shut down entire state of NJ - all schools, colleges, Newark airport, commuters to NYC
cause widespread power outages for days in upper 20's to lower 40's temps
cause considerable property and beach damage from SC up to MA
knock out power in some major metro areas for up to a week or more with 8 days to go before a very close election
cause multiple feet of snow in the mountains of VA & WV, plus ccontributing to snow fall from MI (UP) down to NC.
disrupt air travel over the northeast and mid-Atlantic for 2-4 days

We've got a wind advisory in Huntington for wind gusts up to 50 mph beginning at Noon Monday. As of 8 AM EDT, the center of the storm is almost 300 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras NC. Wind gusts of up to 40 mph will be felt as far inland as WI. Waves up to 21' will be caused on the Great Lakes. This is not just another storm - it's huge.

You sound like someone I know in New Orleans. The day before Hurricane Isaac hit she told me 'Oh this is just a (category) 1. It's not a big deal. You don't leave for 1's.' She was the only one in her office that had significant roof damage.....

I know some storms have been way over-hyped, but this one isn't IMO.

[Dave Loudin]

I absolutely agree. Although we still have it, we're looking at losing power for days. Millions will be in the same boat.