Television news isn’t serving you: It’s selling you

I left my TV news job in October to find a better way to share stories that matter. No BS. It’s been almost four months. Here are 5 things I’ve learned so far about the business model and why I’m building an ad-free solution.

1. In the television news business, viewers are the products being sold to advertisers. The news you’re seeing is skewed based on what research shows will hold your attention. Fear is a key motivator to keep watching. Humans are programmed to pay attention to things that may harm us. It’s difficult to look away from red flashing lights on the television in the corner of the room, especially when the language used includes words like, “terrifying attack,” and “horrific events.”
2. All viewers are not equal products. Certain kinds of viewers are more valuable to attract and hold. Local television news companies cater to the demographics most likely to spend money. This means news managers will go to great lengths to send news crews to the suburbs within their “designated market area” (DMA) and will neglect comparable events happening in poor neighborhoods. Unless there’s violence. Violence anywhere is a story everywhere because it serves the first purpose: stoking fear and keeping people watching.
3. Lopsided coverage designed to maximize ad revenue distorts viewers’ perception of crime and community safety. Americans tend to believe crime is up, even though data from the FBI & Bureau of Justice Statistics show crime levels have decreased overall since the early ’90s. And when news crews only travel to the inner cities when crimes are committed, it creates the perception that the inner cities — and the people who live there — are inherently dangerous. Crime should be documented for public benefit, not sensationalized for profit.
4. The drive to specialize (for ad purposes) creates information echo chambers. Anyone with a basic understanding of marketing knows that it’s easier to sell things to people who are alike. Cable news networks have specialized. 93% of Fox News viewers identify as Republican while 95% of MSNBC viewers identify as Democrat according to the Pew Research Center. Give viewers more of what they want to hear about a particular political candidate and they’ll keep watching. If you provide a more accurate representation of the facts, you’ll lose the product (viewers) you’re trying to sell.
5. Viewers must become the customers, not the products. If you’re tired of having your emotions manipulated, your understanding of the world warped, and — frankly — your time wasted as you’re being bought and sold to advertisers, you must demand better. I have great respect for journalists working for traditional TV news companies who are doing important work, but the business model does not support this work in aggregate. I believe the solution lies in a one-sided marketplace free of advertisers. I’m building one. Follow along here: outlet-media.com and here: @outletmediapodcast Have ideas? I’d love to hear them. Shoot me an email: kmcculley@outlet-media.com

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