| As pressure mounts on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ease restrictions on how many local TV stations a single company can own, broadcasters are making a familiar promise: allow us to grow, and we’ll reinvest in local journalism. It’s an appealing argument in theory, especially at a time when many communities are struggling to maintain robust local news coverage. But recent developments suggest this narrative deserves closer scrutiny — because what some broadcasters are increasingly investing in isn’t local content, but centralized, top-down messaging disguised as it. Two Obvious Examples Take Nexstar, the largest owner of local TV stations in the U.S. As The Desk reported over the last two weeks, Nexstar has implemented a new slate of “must-run” content directives across its vast station portfolio. These segments are not optional — they are required to air on all Nexstar-owned stations, regardless of local newsroom interest or relevance. The focus: direct viewers to visit a Nexstar-owned website to send pre-written social media posts directed at the FCC encouraging the elimination of broadcast station ownership rules. (Nexstar station GMs were also ordered to do similarly). This follows in the footsteps of Sinclair Broadcast Group, which made headlines in 2018 for mandating that its anchors across the country read from the same script warning viewers about supposed "fake news" and media bias. A viral supercut of these promos, compiled by Deadspin, made plain the eerie uniformity of these so-called local broadcasts. Viewers from Seattle to Savannah were watching anchors repeat the exact same words in the same somber tones — obliterating the very notion of “independent” local journalism. When station group owners force must-run segments onto local newscasts, they dilute the time and resources available for actual local reporting. More importantly, they compromise the editorial independence of local journalists, whose understanding of their communities is being overridden by corporate mandates. This kind of content centralization may be efficient, but it’s the antithesis of what local journalism is supposed to be. … Continue reading Tim Hanlon’s full column here. |
