Whose News?

When it comes to the topic of television news I usually choose local news programs on broadcast television. I prefer these over cable news programs, as they report on local happenings as well as bigger issues occurring in the nation. In my opinion, local news appears to truly care about the issues that they are reporting on, while programs such as CNN news come across as only caring about being the first to cover the story, and broadcast it out to as many people as possible. However, when it comes to reading news on the internet I like to visit both local and network stations. For local news I usually prefer reading about the news in my hometown, Milwaukee, and therefore visit the website for TMJ4, which is an affiliate of NBC. I prefer this local site over the other local stations in Milwaukee, as it is the station my family usually has on at home and also, I believe their website is set up in a better manner, and is very easy to navigate around, in comparison to other stations. When I want more information on a larger issue, affecting a different part of the country, I usually turn to CNN as they clearly post links leading to the latest stories, and always have reliable information.

Television news is beneficial as it can cut away from television programs to give breaking news, which other mediums, such as newspapers, aren't able to report the story until the next morning. Television is also constantly on in many American homes, so it is easier for families to receive their news at home, on television, opposed to in the car, where kids may want to listen to music, Ipods, etc. Television news also offers a variety of local and national network news programs to choose from. If you do not like the way in which a certain station is reporting a story, a different station is only a few clicks away. A drawback to television news is that local stations only show news at certain hours of the day, so if you miss any of those news broadcasts, you may have to turn to a different medium, such as the internet, which is always showing the latest news stories, weather, sports scores, etc.

I do not necessarily believe that any one network does a better job than the others. I think that everyone has their own preference about which station they think does a better job, and has a station that they choose to watch daily, but in my opinion, all four do a fine job. Even though I prefer to watch a local network, affiliated with NBC, it is because I am accustomed to the anchors and setup of the newscast. But from a news standpoint, as long as all networks are providing the latest news in an unbiased fashion, it is hard for me to say that one does a better job over another.

Overall, as I stated previously, I choose to watch local networks over national networks. The setup of a local station's newscast are easier to follow, as many national networks have banners flashing at the bottom of the screen, and are cutting back and forth between multiple stories at the same time. If I do want to read about national issues I usually use a national network's website, as you can choose the stories you want to read, when you want to read them. In my opinion i believe it is better if a local station is affiliated with a national network, as the news seems to be more reliable. The local station I watch in Milwaukee is affiliated with NBC. I think that the affiliation with NBC itself is not important, since I find any of the other national networks( FOX, ABC,CBS)to be just as reliable. The only important factor is that the station is indeed affiliated with a national network. If it wasn't I do not think that I would trust the news being reported as much as I would from a different local station who did have an affiliation. Since national networks have many reporters, constantly researching stories, it is easier to trust a local station who is directly receiving this information than a local station with no affiliation.