Challenging news norms

I’m not one who challenges authority often, but in the newsroom I'm a different creature.

I’m always thinking, questioning and wondering “why?”

The phrase “that’s the way we’ve always done it” gets under my skin and brings out my inner news beast.

I loved working for TCU 360 in college because we started from the ground up. We questioned traditional news standards and tried to make every “rule” fluid and purposeful.

At TCU 360, we posted a mug shot on the front page of our website and students cried out that we were insensitive. Instead of ignoring the comments, like some steady news orgs may, we asked ourselves why. We decided that mug shots and criminal records are public information, the news we were reporting is important to our audience and we also set standards to make sure everyone we reported was given equal treatment.  We kept coming back to this standard and questioned every report after that.

I don’t think conversations like these are happening as often in local and national news organizations. It’s easy to get into a rut or routine when you’ve been in the industry for so long. If you’re not in tune to concerns or questions, you may tend to see things a little too methodically.

For example, fires. Some television stations will head over to a brush or house fire without any second guess. Why are smaller fires worth reporting? Because they’re visual? Because that’s what we do? I know huge fires and specifically where the fires are may affect more people which would add more newsworthiness. Are small, bright flames worth 20 seconds in a newscast? I think talking to the people affected by the blaze could be a great alternative.

Print folks usually leave me hanging when we get some reporters’ paper thin philosophies. I can see the black ink pumping through their veins when the word “smartphone” is uttered. “Try live blogging!” “I don’t trust devices that may fail on me. I’ll stick with my trusty pen and notepad.” Going out on a limb to use social media will only make a print reporter more adaptable, but there will be some who will never change. A big h/t and applause to the reporters out there who are fearlessly diving into social media and the web.

Ruts are easy, comfortable and not unusual in a newsroom.

I believe asking (not thinking) “what makes something newsworthy” every day will put the gears in motion to create better stories and let more time and space for more news become available.

And maybe my two examples are wrong to you. Maybe you have the perfect answer for the things I question. If so, I’ve done my job. I just want to get the gears rolling because there has to be something that someone questions in every news org that is worth a second look.  

I don’t think our current audience deserves journalists who are stuck in old ways. Please stand with me and challenge the news norm.