CAN TELEVISION NEWS BE SAVED?
J-295a
Winter, 2009
MWF
F Hour/1:25 p.m.-2:20 p.m.

Instructor:  Tom Mattesky
matteskyt@wlu.edu     
Reid Hall #120
571-289-1672 (cell)
Office Hours:  Drop in or make an appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The number of Americans watching a network evening newscast has been cut in half over the past quarter century.  Fewer viewers are tuning into local newscasts, and cable news channels no longer enjoy the kind of spike in audience during major breaking news stories that once was commonplace.

It’s a far cry from 1980, the year CNN began broadcasting, when U.S. News and World Report asked, “Is TV News Growing Too Powerful?” 

Today, a better question might be “Can Television News Be Saved?”

This course will explore how television news fell from its once lofty heights, and how the medium is fighting to remain a meaningful player in a universe of expanding choices for news and information.  This course also will examine the journalistic, technological and marketing efforts that broadcasting executives and news producers are employing to stem the erosion of viewers and also attract a younger audience.   

 The success or failure of these efforts could have a profound effect not only on the future of television news, but also on the futures of other media and institutions, and could even impact how our society is informed.

THEMES

 

• News consumption and the generational divide in news preferences
• The impact of ratings, demographics and the bottom line
• Big is dying
• The different visions of network, local and cable news
• Audience -driven content
• Expanding the platform and moving to the Web
• Citizen journalism and unfiltered news

 

  
EXPECTATIONS
Following the news and watching television newscasts or their re-broadcasts online will be important requirements for students enrolled in this course.  Students will be expected to be discriminating news consumers and opinionated news critics.   

Students will be given regular viewing assignments.  If conflicts prevent students from watching those programs live, students will be directed where to find re-broadcasts online or tapes of the original broadcasts.   

Required readings will include portions of The Project for Excellence in Journalism’s The State of the News Media 2008( http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2008/) and The Pew Research Center’s Biennial News Consumption Survey (http://pewresearch.org/pubs/928/key-news-audiences-now-blend-online-and-traditional-sources).
 
No textbooks will have to be purchased for this class, although there will be required reading assignments which will be distributed in class or will be available online.

Some reading and viewing assignments will be determined by developments in the news and thus cannot be included in this syllabus.  As the term progresses, developments in the news also may change the structure of this syllabus and the topics scheduled for discussion.

This class was designed to incorporate the values and competencies advocated by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.  Please read those values and competencies at http://journalism.wlu.edu/about/values.html .

 

GRADING

Final grades will be determined by:
Four Papers                                        80 percent (20 percent each)
Final Exam or Paper                        20 percent

SCHEDULE

WEEK ONE:  THE BIG PICTURE
January 5---Introduction and Overview
Assignments:

•  Keep a log of your news consumption for Tuesday, January 6th.  List the sources accessed, when you accessed them and how long you spent watching or reading those sources.  Keep the log for later reference.
• Read the Pew Report http://pewresearch.org/pubs/928/key-news-audiences-now-blend-online-and-traditional-sources.  Click on “Full Report” and read Section One, “The News and Daily life,” pages 7-12.
• Read Pew Report http://pewresearch.org/pubs/928/key-news-audiences-now-blend-online-and-traditional-sources.  Click on “Full Report” and read Section Six, “A News Audience Segmentation, pages 45-55.

January 7---News Consumption
Assignments:

•  From Nielsen Media Research read “TV Ratings” http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.55dc65b4a7d5adff3f65936147a062a0/?vgnextoid=34953b318b906010VgnVCM100000880a260aRCRD
  

January 9---Ratings, Demographics and the Bottom Line
Assignments:

•  Read “The State of the News Media 2008” Network TV/Audience http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2008/narrative_networktv_audience.php?cat=2&media=6
• Paper #1 (details provided in class)

WEEK TWO:  THE PRODUCT
January 12---Network News
Assignments:

•  Read “The State of the News Media 2008” Cable TV/Audience http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2008/narrative_cabletv_audience.php?cat=2&media=7

January 14—Cable News
Assignments:

•  Read “The State of the News Media 2008” Local TV/Audience http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2008/narrative_localtv_audience.php?cat=1&media=8 (read only until you see the heading “Morning News Ratings.”)
• From “We Interrupt This Newscast” by Tom Rosenstiel and Dante Chinni, read Chapter 8, pages 181-190.  Copies will be distributed in class.

January 16---Local News
Assignments: 

• From Media Life Magazine read “For Nightly News, Big Story’s at Home” by Diego Vasquez http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Television_44/For_nightly_news_big_story_s_at_home.asp
• Watch NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams tonight at 6:30 p.m.   A re-broadcast will be available online beginning at 10 p.m. at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ . Click on “Previously,” then click on “As Broadcast.“  Write down three things you liked and three things you disliked about the broadcast.  Provide details.  Keep a copy for future reference.

 

WEEK THREE:  THE BIG THREE
January 19---NBC News
Assignments:

•  Watch the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric tonight at 6:30 p.m.  A re-broadcast will be available online after 10 p.m. at http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/eveningnews/main3420.shtml?tag=frame;header.  Under “Video” click on “Evening News Online.”  Write down three things you liked and three things you disliked about the broadcast.  Keep a copy for future reference.

January 21---CBS News
Assignments:

•  Watch tonight’s ABC’s World News Tonight with Charles Gibson at 6:30 p.m. or its webcast at http://abcnews.go.com/WN/.  Write down three things you liked and three things you disliked about the broadcast.  Provide details.  Keep a copy for future reference.

January 23---ABC News
Assignments:

• From the Associated Press, read “With Economy, No Campaign, TV News Challenged” by David Bauder http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTG18G7PJK9Q6dGevmC5yJo9cLRgD95PP7600

• Watch tonight’s Anderson Cooper 360 (10-11 p.m. on CNN) or its podcast available online at http://search.cnn.com/search?type=video&sortBy=date&intl=false&query=anderson+cooper&x=10&y=13

 

WEEK FOUR:  CABLE’S BIG THREE
January 26—CNN
Assignments:

•  Watch tonight’s Countdown with Keith Olberman (8-9 p.m. on MSNBC) or the “5-4-3-2-1” feature for today on the web at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/. 
• From American Journalism Review, read “Is Keith Olbermann the Future of Journalism?” by Rachel Smolkin http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=4268.

January 28—MSNBC
Assignments: 

•  Watch tonight’s O’Reilly Factor (8-9 p.m. on Fox News Channel) or view the “Talking Points,” “Politics” and “Pinheads and Patriots” segments  for (1/28) online at http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/
• From The New York Times, read “Fox News Primes Itself For A Switch” by Brian Stelter http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/business/media/19fox.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

 

January 30---Fox News Channel
Assignments:

• Read “The State of the News Media 2008” Network TV/Content (pages 1-5.  Stop when you see the heading “Differences among Nightly Newscasts by Topic”). http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2008/narrative_networktv_contentanalysis.php?cat=1&media=6

 

WEEK FIVE: AUDIENCE AND CONTENT
February 2­---What Gets on the News
Assignments:

• Paper #2 (details provided in class)

 

February 4---Bring Me Your Young
Assignments:

• From  Broadcasting and Cable Magazine read “Analysis:  Lack of Foreign Resources Plagues U.S. Mumbai Coverage” by Marisa Guthrie http://www.broadcastingcable.com/CA6619222.html
•  From the Washington Post read “WUSA Moves to One-Person News Crews” by Paul Farhi http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/11/AR2008121103976.html?referrer=emailarticle
• From the Associated Press read “Tough Economic News is good for Evening Newscasts” by David Bauder.  Copies will be distributed in class.

 
February 6 ---Doing More with Less
Assignments: 

•  Watch NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams tonight at 6:30 p.m.   A re-broadcast will be available online beginning at 10 p.m. at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ . Click on “Previously,” then click on “As Broadcast.”

               
WEEK SIX:  STRATEGIES AT WORK
February 9---NBC News
Assignments:

• Watch the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric tonight at 6:30 p.m.  A re-broadcast will be available online after 10 p.m. at http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/eveningnews/main3420.shtml?tag=frame;header.  Under “Video” click on “Evening News Online.”

February 11---CBS News
Assignments:

•  Watch tonight’s ABC’s World News Tonight with Charles Gibson at 6:30 p.m. or its webcast at http://abcnews.go.com/WN/.

February 13---ABC News
Assignments:

• Read Chapter 6 from “Reality Show:  Inside the Last Great Television News War” by Howard Kurtz.  Copies will be distributed in class.

 

WEEK SEVEN:  WASHINGTON HOLIDAY BREAK (NO CLASSES)

 

WEEK EIGHT:  WARNING SHOTS
February 23---Bob Schieffer Is Guest Instructor (CLASS MEETS IN STACKHOUSE)
Assignments:

• From the Los Angeles Times read “Despite Heated Presidential Campaign, Number of People Watching Network Evening Newscasts Shrinks” by Matea Gold http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-evening20-2008nov20,0,5787966.story
• From Advertising Age read “One-Way Media Lost the Election as Cable, Interactive Dominated” by Michael Learmonth.  Copies will be distributed or will be available on reserve.

 

February 25---Lessons From the 2008 Election
Assignments:

• Read the Introduction and Chapters 1 & 5 from “Reality Show:  Inside the Last Great Television News War” by Howard Kurtz.  Copies will be distributed or will be available on reserve.  Details in class.
• Watch NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams tonight at 6:30 p.m.   A re-broadcast will be available online beginning at 10 p.m. at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ . Click on “Previously,” then click on “As Broadcast.”

 

February 27---NO CLASS (SCIENCE, SOCIETY AND THE ARTS CONFERENCE)

 

WEEK NINE:  ANCHORING THE FLAGSHIPS IN A STORM
March 2--- Brian
Assignments:

•  Read Chapters 15 & 16 from “Reality Show:  Inside the Last Great Television News War” by Howard Kurtz.  Copies will be distributed or will be available on reserve.  Details in class.
• Watch the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric tonight at 6:30 p.m.  A re-broadcast will be available online after 10 p.m. at http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/eveningnews/main3420.shtml?tag=frame;header.  Under “Video” click on “Evening News Online.”

March 4---Katie
Assignments:

• Read Chapters 19 & 20 from “Reality Show:  Inside the Last Great Television News War” by Howard Kurtz.  Copies will be distributed or will be available on reserve. Details in class.
• Watch tonight’s ABC’s World News Tonight with Charles Gibson at 6:30 p.m.   If you can’t watch the broadcast live, a tape will be available for viewing in Reid Hall #307.

March 6---Charlie
Assignments:

•  From the Pew Research Center read “Internet Overtakes Newspapers as News Source” http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1066/internet-overtakes-newspapers-as-news-source
• From  The Miami Herald read “TV News Struggles for Relevancy” by Glenn Garvin http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/923732.html
• Paper #3 (details provided in class)

 

WEEK TEN:  ENLARGING THE PLATFORM
March 9--- The Web
Assignments:

• From American Journalism Review read “Networking News” by Arielle Emmett http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4646

March 11--- I Twitter, YouTube, We’re All on Facebook
Assignments:

• From the New York Times read “A Matrix of News Winners Buoys NBC” by Bill Carter http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/business/media/09nbc.html?_r=1&ref=media
• From the New York Times read “CNBC Thrives as Hosts Deliver News with Attitude by Brian Seltzer and Tim Arango http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/business/media/09cnbc.html?_r=1&hp

               
March 13--- Looking to Cable and the Web
Assignments:

• From PBS.org/Mediashift read “Your Guide to Citizen Journalism” by Mark Glaser http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/09/your-guide-to-citizen-journalism270.html

 

WEEK ELEVEN:  INVOLVING THE AUDIENCE
March 16---Citizen Journalism
Assignments: 

•  From American Journalism Review read “Mining the Web” by Barb Palser http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=4413
• Read Chapter 11 of “The Elements of Journalism:  What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect” by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel.  Copies will be distributed in class.

March 18—iReport, You Decide, We All Cover the World
Assignments:

• From American Journalism Review read “What the Mainstream Media Can Learn From Jon Stewart “ by Rachel Smolkin http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=4329
• Paper #4 (details provided in class)

March 20--- The Daily Show—Laughter and Information
Assignments:

• From The Washington Post read “60 Minutes:  No Stopping the Clock” by Marc D. Allan http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/24/AR2008122401432.html
• From Newsweek read “TV’s Hottest Show Is…60 Minutes” by Matthew  Phillips http://www.newsweek.com/id/189288/output/print

WEEK TWELVE:  POLITICS AND THE ECONOMY
March 23---60 Minutes
Assignments:

• From Reuters read “In Bad Economy, TV News Turns to Average Americans by Alex Dobuzinskis http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE52E0SY20090316
• Watch tonight’s ABC’s World News Tonight with Charles Gibson at 6:30 p.m.   If you can’t watch the broadcast live, a tape will be available for viewing in Reid Hall #307.

March 25---A Last Look at ABC News
Assignments:    

• Watch the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric tonight at 6:30 p.m.  A re-broadcast will be available online after 10 p.m. at http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/eveningnews/main3420.shtml?tag=frame;header.  Under “Video” click on “Evening News Online.”

March 27---A Last Look at CBS News
Assignments:

• Watch NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams tonight at 6:30 p.m.   A re-broadcast will be available online beginning at 10 p.m. at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ . Click on “Previously,” then click on “As Broadcast.

WEEK TWELVE:  THAT’S A WRAP
March 30---A Last Look at NBC News

April 1---Morning News: Today/GMA/The Early Show
Assignments:

•  Final Paper in Lieu of Final Exam (details provided in class)
• From Time Magazine read “The State of the Media:  Not Good” by M.J. Stephay http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1885349,00.html

April 3---State of the News Media/Some Closing Thoughts