Copyright 2005 Ben S. Pollock
Friday, April 1, 2005. The paradox of broadcast journalism. It’s known for immediacy and visuals, especially compared to print. CNN and similar channels have brought 24/7 continuousness to the medium as well. This emphasizes its demand for the NOW, as opposed to print’s process: Gather a lot then push it out in cycles of once or twice a day at the most.
The paradox, that now has existed for 15 years though perhaps not identified as such, is that broadcast journalism now favors long, slowly if not incrementally developing news.
Thirteen days for Schiavo to die. A month of declining papal health. The Scott Peterson hearings and trials. Michael Jackson’s. Princess Diana’s crash and funeral. All started by O.J. as well as the first Gulf War. (Sure there were other ratings winners, but these are the biggies.)
What will take fire is unpredictable. All-news TV tried and failed with Robert Blake. There are other examples, the young woman and the congressman hit for only a few weeks. Producers must lust after predictability. Hah hah.
Why? Folks like serials: soap operas even. On the other side, it gives all the various aspects of the 24-hour news cycle factories something to do: news and commentary, often features. The newscasts provide updates. The in-depth reports give a version of explanatory journalism. Larry King and the talk shows invite either participants or experts to chat (doesn’t often matter which). And the Sabbath gasbags can pontificate and point. Moneymoneymoney. -30-
