From the Daily Caller:

The following was written by a well-known news anchor from a top-10, big city station:
For the last 30 years, I’ve devoted the better part of my life to frightening you, trying my best to make you believe that you are weak, vulnerable, dependent and at risk. I know what’s good for you. You don’t. I’ve tried hard for three decades to defy the laws of nature and return you to infancy, cradled in your mommy’s arm, suckling at her breast, all warm and cozy, not a care in the world. I am the tip of the spear of the liberal nanny state. I am ANCHORMAN!
Actually, I’m mostly serious. For the better part of my adult life, I’ve worked as an anchor and reporter at CBS, NBC and ABC affiliated newsrooms across the country — often complaining about the nanny-state liberalism that infects so much of news coverage. Arguably, local news is a more insidious and destructive force than the widely accepted liberal bias of networks and other national components of mainstream media. After all, study after study has demonstrated that local news is more widely watched — and, more importantly, more trusted than other forms of mainstream media. There is a case to be made that the steady drumbeat of hyped-up threats — SUV’s that roll over, kitchen-counter bacteria, road rage, swine flu, amber alerts and the stations’ willingness to enlist governments and institutions to solve those “perceived” problems, actually drives a lot of bad and unnecessary public policy.
But it’s a formula that has worked as a cash cow for your local TV station. It is no accident that most local TV stations market themselves with nanny-state slogans: “Channel 2: Working for you!” or “ABC 6: On your side!” You might say those slogans are a subtler version of, “NBC 5: Making your boo-boos all better!”
Read the full article here.






Subscribe via RSS
Got a Tip?
40 Comments
I hate our local news stations…
Yes. If I want to find out about who got robbed, stabbed, shot, or murdered within a 25-mile radius of my home, I've only to wait for the 10 PM programming on my local CBS, ABC, NBC, or FOX affiliate.
The opinion of self pity, that the public has formed about itself, via news contortion, is very real. News media reports on what opinions it wants the public to form. & there is little recourse for us. Other than to ask ourselves, are we really predominantly weak? Do we really prefer welfare to jobs?
Interesting article.
It piqued my interest. I knew there was a reason I did not watch the local News. Perhaps the fact it is written on a fifth grade level was the reason; but it has been so long, that I forget the true reason.
I haven't watched local news in 30 years. It was discusting then and has only gotten more purile.
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by CO2HOG: via @BigJournalism Secrets of TV News: Confessions of an Anchorman http://bit.ly/5BT4JL...
My favorite is when local news uses allegations from some plaintiff attorney's complaint (again, allegations, not facts) and launches some fear inciting story about how some chemical/product/"fill in the blank" will most certainly kill or mame you and/or your children. I've defended some of the cases I've seen on the news, and the news never reports when the case is dismissed for failure to state a cause of action, or because the plaintiff's medical expert is deemed unqualified because he is spouting out bad science. But in Los Angeles, the station with the "hottest" female anchors have them standing, so you can hear the news and see those nice legs, etc.–so at least we got that (lol).
If you watch the local news, you will think the gangs or various assorted criminals in your city are just waiting outside your front door to carjack you, kidnap your kids, rape and pillage the neighborhood, and kill you dog. But in reality, if the basic safeguards and cautionary measures are taken in our daily lives, 99% of us will go thru life untouched by most crime.If you are interested in local crime activity, most local fish- wraps have the stats from local law.. Neighbors watching out for each other is the real solution
"If it bleeds it leads".
Our local news consists of mobile home fires, packs of stray dogs, and grafitti reports.
It unwatchable, so I don't.
I will watch about 8-10 hours of TV this week, about 5-6 next week and 3-4 2 weeks after that. After the NFL playoffs and Superbowl are over I will watch about 2-1/2 a week as I get one Chicago Blackhawks game broadcast on Sundays. Television is virtually worthless as a source for news and, in my opinion, pretty scant on intelligent entertainment. Books, radio and sites like this provide more information than any one person could ever hope to consume.
That's really true.
I live a few miles from Mexico (literally) and the city of Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico had 2601 murders in 2009.
TWENTY SIX HUNDRED MURDERS – the most dangerous city in the world.
El Paso, Texas (a city of about 600,000 or so people) had 13 murders.
And most of us ARE" smarter than a 5th grader"….Except for PTecknology….he in 5th grade….for the 4th time…
Everything is possible through sound bytes, if fools are listening, it is a well practiced art!!!!! Clean up America, awaken the fools to the scam!!
When you're down to zero hrs, you'll be free….We turned it off last Jan and don't miss a thing…Anything simi-worthwhile is on youtube….Save your money…You want to watch a game? Go to a sports bar with a friend, have lunch and a few beers….You're better off and free…John Gault shunned TV….
Could there be a conservative in YOUR newsroom? We'll tell you…
…at eleven.
Local TV news is nothing but glue holding parades of furniture store and car dealer commercials together. We all know this to be true. We also know that what they shovel at you is rarely 'news.' How many times have you heard these things uttered by an anchor or a reporter: "Officials aren't commenting;" "No word yet on a cause;" "So-and-so couldn't be reached for comment;" "The investigation continues;" "We'll bring you details as we get them; and my favorite…"Log onto our web site for more on this breaking story." Of course, there never is 'more.' Usually it's 'less.' The goal, rather transparent, is to drive traffic to their woefully impotent web sites. Again, everyone knows this to be true.
Got a kick out of this highly accurate description of our pitiful local news… thanks!
Great story. I hope that there will be more Journalist/Editor/Newsreporter X articles. Very kewl.
I was having dinner with a lawyer in the early 90's who told me about the horrors that his breast implant clients were suffering through. I told him that I didn't believe in any of it at all. Dinner was short.
Read Michael Crichton's "A State of Fear" for a fairly good portrayal of the evil nexus among broadcasting and other news outlets, politics, and science with scientists angling for grants. His appendix to the book alone is worth separate publishing. The "science" in the book is, naturally, "climate change." I loved Crichton's portrayal and eventual plight of the numb nuts, puffed up actor who was a "spokesman" for the cause.
I NEVER 'watch' the local news anymore…more b/s than news…however, I do get on their web site and read the news (if that's what you want to call the two or three sentences they put up), it's the BEST way to let them know how unimportant and uninformed they are…as long as I can comment after the 'story' I will give it a shot…but, it is mostly b/s, and I didn't realize how much until I tried to find the news at a local level on the computer…believe me most of the comments people leave are not flattering to the news station at all!!!
Chris
Too true.
I don't even call it news anymore.
And why the hell doesn't anyone come up with a flush handle on TV's? Some kind of mechanism that has a default channel that might be worth watching, like ESPN? That way, when crap news or crap shows come on, you just "flush" it over to something you want to watch…
Maybe they could make a graphic for the channel change that resembles a swirlie being sent on its way….
BTW, I'd pay a whole $50 extra for a TV with a flush handle…or a flush button on the remote, for my lazy moments…
Quit watching the local news decades ago. Gave up on the "big 3" about the same time. Been happier ever since.
Wife and I both laugh at the promos run for the 10:00 local news: School bus crash in Cleveland, Ohio! The Arizona connection at 10!
I live in Phoenix area. My in-laws in Dallas. When we would go to Dallas they would be watching the local news. I noticed that the format, presentation and the news were nearly the same as in Phoenix. Read somewhere that behind your local news are major consulting firms that "can" the productions for them.
"Journalism" is for the most part inept, lazy and canned.
I'm a big fan of local news, only if it's done by the boys in South Park
http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/811/
We have another Bill Oreilly or Bernard Greenberg here. Bravo. The worse of all is the sports media, which has no accountability for providing commentary(you Bob Costas or the Uberdork). I guess Breitbart,Drudge and talk radio is starting to take some effect. All those best-sellers have names like Levin,Malkin,Beck etc cant be a coincidence. This guy now gets it. Come on in, unlike the pukey left, we welcome our friends.
I cant imagine Kieth Uberdork,Rachel the Madcow or Ed “sgt” Schultz(the John Banner character on “hogans heroes” was actually far more intelligent than the MSNBC version)healing my “boo-boos. I certainly know Robin Roberts, Charles Gibson , or Dianne Sawyer could care less about being “on my side”. I have a slogan for NBC and there cable affiliates-General Electric owned media outlets-A lifetime of being unplugged, zapped or plainly stuck on stupid.
Ocassionally local news can be effective and show some teeth…..exposure of the corrupt Detroit mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick and the doofusses on Detroit's City Council (Monica Conyers, Martha Reeves, and others) for examp[le. That said, there are a lot of stories that need further investigation and exposure that have links to the Obama Administration and the UAW that I know 'the locals' won't touch….so that's why I rarely watch 'The Nanny News at Eleven' !
The 'Ed' Show, more like the 'Mr Ed Show''. The talking horse. A horse is a horse of course of course…. The JackASS Show.. Hee Haw..
Swine Flu, Avian Flu, Ford Exploders, global warming, climate change, global cooling, save the polar bears……..The sky is falling. I cancelled my cable 3 mos. ago. I now read, listen to music and rent an occasional movie. Life goes on and this big blue orb we're on keeps spinning. TV is a sewer and I don't miss it at all.
I hear you Consrvativ_KDH ( see below )I put mine on the station that just shows the local radar sweep no sound or anything.
On another note… on polls like I seen one on here as an ad. It ask who cause the whatever and have pictures of Bush, Obama and Clinton.
I would love to see one where they also include, all the above and none of the above. Otherwise these polls are BS hoping for clicks.
============================
Consrvativ_KDH – January 16th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
I don’t even call it news anymore.
And why the hell doesn’t anyone come up with a flush handle on TV’s? Some kind of mechanism that has a default channel that might be worth watching, like ESPN? That way, when crap news or crap shows come on, you just “flush” it over to something you want to watch…
Maybe they could make a graphic for the channel change that resembles a swirlie being sent on its way….
I have not watched local or any TV news for years now. I go to the airport and through no fault of my own I have to hear the CNN crap from over there on the other side of the "seating arrangement" and I have to move to a location where its not a factor.
Unfortunately despite the crap they call news there are obviouly enough people still watching it so it has not gone away. I wonder it that will happen in my lifetime. I don't watch any news on TV but I feel that I am much better informed on just about any subject than most people I come across. Go figure.
We should lobby to kill the free TV and world would be a better place.
I read this while ago and it sounded very good: if we got rid of Associated Press, Rupert Murdoch's crime syndicate, and New York Times we could have world peace.
My local news is okay (I suppose) when they're reporting on local events. But when they give their "Around the World in 60 seconds" run-down of the national and world news, my eyes haze over and I zone out because they just repeat the headlines of the stories without giving any substance. "Democrats are in negotiations, working out a compromise on the Health Bill". They fail to mention the democrats are negotiating amongst themselves, in the dark, without input from 40% of congress or the American people. But why do we need pesky details…
That is an awesome idea, but it will need to be an aftermarket device to be sure.
Excellent article. It's amazing to me how little commentary from the inside of a news organization makes it out to the audience. It's almost like it's verboten for the royalty to talk to the peasants or for journalists to admit their humanity, or for even basic honesty to rule the day. To all those who gave up watching the news, I'm right there with you. Not being saturated with b.s. does a lot for your happiness!
I can't stand to watch any of the local news channels in my city, and the paper is not much better.
Could FOX step up with fair and balanced local news?
I remember exactly why I quit watching local news. I was tired of being lied to. I loved Ron Burgandy: Anchorman! Funny as hell and spot on to boot.
I assumed it absolutely was visiting be some boring old post, however it very compensated for my time. I will post a link to the present page on my blog. I am certain my visitors can realize that very useful.
Your blog has been recommended to us as a interviewee's favorite blog!
We would like to do an interview with you about your blog for Blog Interviewer. We'd like to give you the opportunity to give us some insight on the "person behind the blog."
It would just take a few minutes of your time. The interview form can be submitted online here Submit your interview.
Best regards,
Mike Thomas
I enjoy visiting daily to see your musings. I have your page bookmarked on my daily read list!
You must be logged in to post a comment.