I had the opportunity to speak recently with two longtime network news executives and, boy, what a bummer. If there was any doubt about what is in store for mainstream TV news outlets, it was erased by these two gentlemen.
Both said unequivocally that there is no future for network news as we know it today. Zip. The medium still can't figure out how to compete with the big bad Internet, viewership continues to decline, and advertisers are antsy.
Granted, just two opinions here, but I can't say I'm too surprised or too shocked. Both also talked about the distaste they have for the direction the networks are heading in regarding story selection and news judgment.
An NBC producer lamented the two years of his life spent covering the Scott Peterson trial, for instance.
When I worked for The Indianapolis Star, a newsroom ritual was to have each TV set tuned to the big three during their nightly newscasts. It helped editors get a sense of what was being played big and what was generating interest.
Today, I can't tell you the last time I watched Katie, Brian, or Charlie. It's just not a part of my normal routine anymore, and I have so many other choices to get the news.
