Local stations include pockets of people still trying hard to deliver an intellectual look at issues that matter most.
On a regular basis, my friend and TV reporter Steve Krafft could make the morning news meeting laugh. When producers finished reading off the dreadful events from overnight that we might deem newsworthy, someone would ask for more story ideas. Almost with giddiness and a sarcastic smile, I anticipated a pause and then the moment Steve began his first few words.
Local news often skews toward crime and weather stories. Most managers won’t acknowledge this, but it is what it is. This is the chief complaint from viewers who abandoned local news years ago. But Steve never abandoned his passion for trying to inject the 5pm newscast with a jolt of politics. At that conference table in the morning news meeting, he might as well have been an ambassador for CSPAN or The New York Times.
So when Steve’s morning monologues began, the snickering often followed. I don’t think co-workers were laughing at him. They were laughing at the conventional wisdom that some of the world’s most important and intellectual issues often fall on deaf ears in our local newsrooms. Someone once told Steve one of his ideas was good but better suited for A20 of The New York Times.
Despite the obstacles, Steve always keeps plugging away at politics. This week, his persistence paid off by securing nearly a 10-minute, one-on-one interview with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney. If you’re addicted to cable news, you may hear the press secretary on a regular basis and wonder why this type of interview impresses me. Well, this just in: A press secretary for the President of The United States just doesn’t give a local TV reporter 10 minutes of time, especially not one-on-one. This was not one of those stories a reporter turned in two hours without many phone calls and good ‘ole fashion, behind-the-scenes hard work.
Also, give credit where credit is due. The same managers we might wish to heckle for making the local news mundane often encourage reporters like Steve to think big. Someone behind-the-scenes sweats hard to ensure an interview between a Phoenix TV station and the White House press secretary airs smoothly both logistically and technically. And a series of show producers ultimately ensure the story airs.
I, as well as anyone, understand how the local news evokes its share of stereotypes that can make it resemble a Saturday Night Live skit. And sometimes the local news reminds me of a stubborn old man in how it insists on sticking with certain formats and coverage. And TV reporters such as Steve don’t always succeed. The day after he interviews a presidential press secretary, you might see him in front of a house fire in a neighborhood you couldn’t find on a map. But his passion and persistence have won him top-notch interviews and trips to cover presidential debates and campaigns. The New York Times once even quoted him. His efforts might also win him a few laughs, but he’s OK with that. As he would say, you’ve got to fight the fight. And when he wins, viewers win.
You can see Steve’s interview with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney here.
What are your thoughts about today’s local news? Please share them with me and leave a comment.