Iowa Anchor: Cable News is Ruining Journalism
/
An Iowa Anchor says that cable news people are giving Journalism a bad name.
KWWL Anchor Amanda Goodman wrote a blog post and says that she is just plain tired of being lumped in with those in cable news.
She writes: Much of cable news and sensationalizing media outlets are ruining journalism. There I said it. I may lose my journalism sisterhood card but somebody needs to speak up. Because frankly, I’m tired of being lumped in with journalists who refuse to report just the facts…refuse to stay in the middle of the road.
In my opinion, Walter Cronkite was no doubt one of the greatest journalists. A man of the highest journalistic integrity. A man of his word. There’s a reason he was referred to as “Uncle Walter.” We trusted him. We knew he would give us the truth…the facts. He did not sit behind the anchor desk and give us his opinions. It wasn’t about him…it was about what was happening in the world…it was about what we needed to know. I have a deep, sinking feeling that “Uncle Walter” is watching all over us and is disgusted.
Something happened between then and now. It seems once 24-hour news channels came along, it was all about news anchors offering their opinions…their thoughts. My question is: who cares? When did our opinions matter?
During an election year, social media just makes everything worse. That’s where opinions are reported as facts and the drama spreads like wildfire. People then post memes and treat them as facts…the truth.
This is why I love local news. This is why I have never had any desire to go BIG into the network or cable news world.
In local news, we go into communities and dig into problems until we can help find a solution. Local news journalists aim to hold the powerful accountable. Our viewers have questions or concerns…we set out every day to find the answers. We’re at town halls…city council meetings…rallies and vigils. We’re covering our local farmers…teachers and community leaders. Our stories affect our neighbors…fellow church goers and friends.
Despite what some naysayers may think, it’s not about opinions with local news journalists. There may be something we report that someone may not like…but that’s our job…to report the facts on-air…and only the facts.
Opinions are for blogs. Not for on-air.
It’s our job to present the facts from the middle of the road.
Let people draw their own conclusions…make up their own minds.
We have to disagree with what Goodman wrote saying that cable news is ruining Journalism. Cable news is not ruining Journalism, they already ruined it.
Just saying....
