Friday, April 29, 2005
What Should CBS Do?
Hugh Hewitt is asking that quesiton and seeking ideas. My answer is several fold.
First, given what I am going to propose below, the anchor, provided simple competence, is unimportant. They should be clearly identified as a "news reader and moderator" -- not anchor, reporter, or any other such. They will need a strong enough personality, without being shrill, to focus the audience. Maybe Joe Scarborough?
Secondly, the news show should be coupled with a web site that aggregates blogs belonging to the reporters and their producers. The object of the blogs would be to make the preparation of each story that appears on the telecast completely transparent. Probably they would be group blogs with contributions not only by the reporter, but the producers, camera and sound people, and any research assistants. Where did each piece of information in the report come from? Why did you interview this person, not that person? Why did you select the that particular turn of phrase. It's possible on some stories that take longer to develop commenters might help shape the story. The blog would reproduce all press releasee, reports and source material used in the preparation of the story, either within or by link.
Thirdly, jettison the lifestyle garbage that seems to be crowding network news lately. If network nightly news needs "feature" material, hang it up. The focus should be national and international events and politics -- leave everything else to the morning shows.
Fourth, I am all for Hugh's closing panel idea
That's all I have off the top of my head. I come up with more, I'll let you know...
First, given what I am going to propose below, the anchor, provided simple competence, is unimportant. They should be clearly identified as a "news reader and moderator" -- not anchor, reporter, or any other such. They will need a strong enough personality, without being shrill, to focus the audience. Maybe Joe Scarborough?
Secondly, the news show should be coupled with a web site that aggregates blogs belonging to the reporters and their producers. The object of the blogs would be to make the preparation of each story that appears on the telecast completely transparent. Probably they would be group blogs with contributions not only by the reporter, but the producers, camera and sound people, and any research assistants. Where did each piece of information in the report come from? Why did you interview this person, not that person? Why did you select the that particular turn of phrase. It's possible on some stories that take longer to develop commenters might help shape the story. The blog would reproduce all press releasee, reports and source material used in the preparation of the story, either within or by link.
Thirdly, jettison the lifestyle garbage that seems to be crowding network news lately. If network nightly news needs "feature" material, hang it up. The focus should be national and international events and politics -- leave everything else to the morning shows.
Fourth, I am all for Hugh's closing panel idea
...but the very best thing CBS could do to buttress that choice would be to close every broadcast with a panel like SpecialReport's that featured Mark Steyn, Michael Barone, and a very competent lefty. Steyn is the best non-Fox-affiliated center-right commentator in America and Barone's simply the smartest, fairest analyst working (though I think under contract with Fox, though he's not on nearly enough.) Because the trust-deficit is deepest with the center-right, you might have to overbalance the panel to the right for a few years.Fifth, I think the "What's up in the blogs" segment on "Connected Coast-to-Coast" works if it was a little better researched and less rushed in it's presentation. I mean they had me on once so how well researched can it be? Anyway, it's a great idea but needs to be reworked.
That's all I have off the top of my head. I come up with more, I'll let you know...
