Local TV News and the New Media Landscape

The future of local television as a vital source of news and information likely depends on the medium’s ability to transcend media fragmentation. This four-part Knight Foundation report looks at the state of the industry, how newsrooms are innovating, and what the future may hold for both TV local news and streamed video. Among the authors’ recommendations:

• Diversify programming (no one is betting on the 6 p.m. news being around forever) and focus on digital delivery of content, even though the return on investment isn’t always there – yet.
• Innovate, not just on the digital side but with the on-air programming as well. Every TV newscast looks like all the other TV newscasts, but executives seem reluctant to try something new. That needs to change.
• Drop the obsession with crime, carnage and mayhem. And focus on ways to connect with local communities through a focus on issues such as education, the economy and transportation. 
• Those efforts alone won’t be enough, and news leaders acknowledge the need for increased enterprise and investigative reporting. That requires hiring more experienced journalists and/or providing more newsroom training.