The amount of trust people have in newspapers and television news has hit an all time low. According to the latest Gallup Poll people have as much confidence in the news as they do in banks and HMO's. It seems in the world of social networking, more and more people are tuning the news out. It's no wonder why with people like Nancy Grace and Rush Limbaugh yelling at their viewers and listeners.
See we live in a time where people care more about having their news NOW than having their news RIGHT. In the rush to get the story out via the web or on air, news organizations seem to be missing key points more and more. And with a 24 hour news cycle it's more about infotainment than it is about news.
But the traditional model of news is failing. People want to be entertained when they get their information, especially in the desired 18-35 marketing demographic. That's why more and more people turn to John Stewart and Stephen Colbert to get their news than Brian Williams and Diane Sawyer. The problem is, as Stewart has acknowledged on several occasions, those are not journalists. They do a great job of poking fun at news and pointing out the flaws, but they are not problem solvers.
The bottom line is people need information, but they have to trust the source of that information. They need people to ask tough questions, but a lot of journalists are afraid to do that. They are worried they will hurt their relationship with a source, or come across as a bad guy. There are ways to ask tough questions without being a jerk and viewers and readers need to see that.
While the audience for network news, local news, and newspaper audiences are shrinking, online and cable news continue to grow. That's because those are the outlets for infotainment. Online personality comes out. People are allowed to editorialize a lot more because they can shield themselves through their computers. People like that, but how can that be trusted? What the news industry needs is an organization that can have fun and share information. Hopefully, it can start right here.
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