News Munchies
Local TV Stations Getting That Not-So-Clean Feeling
Originally Posted
Updated
The Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) shares the dirt in a recent study of local television stations in 14 cities. More than half the news directors surveyed said advertisers repeatedly try to tell them what to air and not to air; the problem is growing. The pressure to do puff pieces is constant, and the dirt doesn't stop there. Consultants hired to improve local ratings often strong-arm journalists into covering stories that will maximize ad revenues.
It'd be a fine business if it weren't for the people who pay the bills.