Local News Recruitment Crisis

[sinklair]

The former head of CBS News now works for a think tank at the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, one of the better J-Schools in the country.

Andrew Hayward wrote an article that takes a look at the reasons why local newsrooms are having a hard time filling even basic positions these days.

https://cronkitenewslab.com/management/ ... is-part-1/

I’ll go even farther. Who wants to go into a profession where you are basically attacked day after day being called “fake news”?

Why would you want to go into a profession that is supposed to be about reporting the truth.., only to have to run Boris Epsteyn conservative commentaries in our local newscasts?

Why would you want to work for a company whose bean counters report millions of dollars in profits during quarterly earnings reports only to be told you’re not going to get a pay raise?

This is a self made crisis for the broadcasting industry. And while HR officials from Gray (5’s new owner) and other broadcasting companies had the courage to speak up about the problem, guess who didn’t participate in the discussion? Donald H. Thompson, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at the Sinclair corporate Death Star. For a man who says “people” are at the core of our business and Sinclair is the “employer of choice”, he apparently doesn’t want to defend the market low pay rates his stations pay beginning career and veteran talent.

Something needs to be done to stop this talent drain. Newspapers are already failing. It appears if something isn’t done immediately, TV broadcasters could soon follow, leaving no one covering the important issues facing mid-Michigan and other communities across America.

[sinklair]

The former 25-66 GM/egomaniac had a bonus to increase profit margins. Seems fair for a publicly traded company to incentivize making money, right? However, in Flint, with no ratings and an economically depressed economy, the way he increases profit margins was to lay off staff and keep pay low, hiring inexperienced and inexpensive newsroom staff members. He essentially accelerated the demise of the 25-66 newsroom in the name of increasing his profit margin bonus, killing the very department that the station relies on to increase ratings and revenue. And how does Sinclair respond? Promoting his incompetence to its Seattle station.

From what we can see, the new handpicked Sinclair GM is running the exact same playbook… with no plan to invest in our success. The ASSistant GM/Promotions Director, the Director of Declining Sales, the HR Director/Grilled Cheese Party Planner and the In Over Her Head News Director all are falling in line… like lemmings ready to jump off the cliff to the station’s demise.

[sinklair]

FTV Live today asks the question if TV news will be extinct in 3-5 years?

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2021/ ... al-tv-news

I’d suggest we are already there.

Name the truly last great story you’ve seen on a local news station. Yes, we cover breaking news, severe weather, mayoral/Governor news conferences, house fires and car crashes… but rarely these days do you find a story at 25-66, 5 or 12 that truly breaks new information.

The article also references news directors and GMs who say newer journalists are more interested in being social media influencers than journalists. Have they seen the main anchors at 25-66 or 5?

Dishes with Dave Bondy
Free socks from David Custer

Maybe it’s smart that they expand their social media profiles into Facebook, YouTube channel, newsletters and the such. If the top “journalists” in our stations are hedging their bets on the industry’s future, that’s another canary in the coal mine (old timey reference) that this industry is screwed.

[Realist]

Unfortunately the way your station is run I wouldn’t doubt it. The way your managers bounce poor Stephanie around from evenings to mornings at times, make Bondy work weekends because your morning anchor is on maternity leave and abuse your weather staff, I question why anyone stays

[MasterB]

I don't believe local news will be dead in 3 to 5 years it will stay for many more decades to come.

[DAC]

I don't believe local news will be dead in 3 to 5 years it will stay for many more decades to come.

I think that it's already got one foot in the grave, just like most customer service type entities. Eventually, there will only be self-checkout lanes at the supermarket. We'll have to go to the post office to receive our own mail. And, we'll be responsible for finding our own news, not having it spoon-fed to us by local television stations. Everything that costs companies (or in the case of Mail, the government) extra money will disappear. It's been slowly starting for years now, and it's going to continue.

Just curious, MasterB, why do you think it's going to last for decades? I am okay being proven wrong on this. But, just using the Saginaw market as an example, if the cost cutting continues and quality decreases as much in the next 20 years as it has in the previous 20, who will watch? The boomers will be gone, and I don't see Gen X or the following generations having the same news habits as the boomers.

[MasterB]

I don't believe local news will be dead in 3 to 5 years it will stay for many more decades to come.

I think that it's already got one foot in the grave, just like most customer service type entities. Eventually, there will only be self-checkout lanes at the supermarket. We'll have to go to the post office to receive our own mail. And, we'll be responsible for finding our own news, not having it spoon-fed to us by local television stations. Everything that costs companies (or in the case of Mail, the government) extra money will disappear. It's been slowly starting for years now, and it's going to continue.

Just curious, MasterB, why do you think it's going to last for decades? I am okay being proven wrong on this. But, just using the Saginaw market as an example, if the cost cutting continues and quality decreases as much in the next 20 years as it has in the previous 20, who will watch? The boomers will be gone, and I don't see Gen X or the following generations having the same news habits as the boomers.

Maybe in the small markets, the local news will maybe hubbed someplace else I know that it has already happened in some smaller markets kinda surprised in Toledo that Sinclair hubs it in South Bend for news as I think of Toledo as a midsize market, that all the stations should have news which I know Sinclair station is a dog and in last place. Since local news has been on since TV started in the late 40's early 50's that is why I don't see local news isn't leaving anytime soon just my opinion. And I could be wrong on it as well.

[sinklair]

Here’s the follow up on solutions facing a lack of new blood deciding to go into broadcast journalism:

https://cronkitenewslab.com/management/ ... is-part-2/

It’ll be interesting to see if the heads of broadcasting companies take heed. I actually think there is a disincentive for publicly traded companies to make the changes needed for long-term growth. Companies like Sinclair won’t dramatically raise pay or change culture in an immediate way to recruit and retain talent. We are literally driving out good journalists out of this business…

[sinklair]

It has gotten so bad that our In Over Her Head News Director is begging Journalism School professors at Central Michigan, Michigan State and others for candidates for on-air positions. It’s clear she doesn’t give a crap about the quality of our newscasts and only wants to continue to drive it down with low wage talent.

Here’s a new thought for management… how about actually paying us a decent wage and you’ll stop losing people in front and behind the camera??? There used to be a time when you’d have to gain experience in smaller markets before news directors would even talk with you. Now it seems at 25-66, as long as you have a pulse, are willing to sell your soul, and are willing to be paid less than McDonald’s… here’s your on-air reporting job!!!