Since I hardly ever watch anything on television, much less the news, I decided to begin this process by taping a broadcast of the national and local news. I have prioritized my life to exclude watching the news, partly because of time constraints, and too often I find that the content of the news is depressing. I will occasionally listen to news broadcasts on the car radio, and sometimes I read the Sunday copy of the Chicago Tribune, since it offers a wide variety of news events. The broadcast that I chose to report on was Eyewitness News at 6:00 a.m. from WLS (Channel 7) on Friday, September 13.

The program opened with a collage of many different scenes and activities taking place around the Chicago area, giving the viewer the impression that Chicago is a great place to live. The announcer even stated that this was the Chicago area's #one news program. The news anchors for this broadcast were a black male that I believe is in his late 20's or early 30's, and a white female of approximately the same age. They alternated reporting news events throughout the broadcast. I have taken into account all of these factors, because I believe the station uses them to draw upon the largest audience possible by creating a common bond with the viewer (whether it is by race, age, or a good feeling about the city you're a part of). Three stories were given as the headlines for the day and a brief synopsis of each of those stories was reported along with video clips. These three items were not all reported at the beginning, but were interspersed throughout the broadcast. My impression of this was that it was a tactic of the station to keep the viewer tuned in throughout the broadcast.

As the most important news of this broadcast, the headline stories were given more reporting time. The opening story was of a series of gang shootings in a Gary, Indiana housing project. Dick Johnson reported that Gary has been labeled the murder capital of the nation, and is

currently under a state of emergency. The Mayor was considering bringing 50 state troopers to Gary for assistance, as had been done last fall for a similar incident. The police force has been increased by 25 officers, and the city's curfew was changed to earlier hours. One young police officer gave an emotional description of the shooting, and the Chief of Police spoke about the safety of their children. Another headline story was reported by Jose Sanders of a fire destroying a black Baptist Church in the south suburbs. Arson is being blamed for the fire, although authorities are treating this like an isolated incident. The Pastor of the church, a black man, was interviewed, and a young black boy excitedly gave his description of the fire. The last headline story was that of a group of Stealth bombers headed for a base in Kuwait by orders of President Clinton. The story was titled "Showdown with Saddam," and was accompanied by graphics and video clips of the flying fighter jets. Scenes of President Clinton were shown also, as he campaigned in California, reportedly stating that the United States will not stand by and allow Iraq to threaten its neighbors. The Pentagon has also pledged to stand by its Arab partners, and a second United States aircraft carrier was being moved to the Gulf. According to the reporter, it appeared that the United States and Iraq were closer to a showdown after two weeks of conflict on each side.

There were only two other local news stories reported. The Cook County Sheriff's Department has purchased a high-tech robot to be used by its bomb squad, to fight off terrorism by detecting explosives. A video clip was shown of the $85,000 hazardous duty robot that weighs 350 pounds, has three cameras, a speaker, can go up and down stairs, and can look in windows. The other story was just a reminder that the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashana (New Year), was beginning at sundown and ending on Sunday, September 15.

On the state level, a video was shown of the Dupage County States Attorney who was stepping down and returning to private practice effective October 1. Also, a short video clip was given of Illinois Attorney General, Jim Ryan, who was beginning a pilot training program of emergency room personnel, to recognize, screen, and treat victims of domestic violence.

On the national level, a video was shown of Chicago's Joseph Cardinal Bernadine as he joined dozens of other Catholic Church leaders on the steps of the Capital in Washington, D.C. They are urging lawmakers to act to limit partial birth abortions. Jose Sanders gave a report on the cleanup efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Hortense hit. Scenes of destruction were shown, and there were widespread power and water outages. The hurricanes' 140 m.p.h. winds could effect the east coast. Political pressures forced the Indianapolis Police Chief to step down from his position, after 16 of his officers were implicated in a drunken brawl on a downtown street last month. The Mayor reluctantly accepted his resignation, and the officers that were implicated have been assigned desk jobs. A video clip of students from a Lorain, Ohio, Middle School was shown where 120 students complained of sore throats, burning eyes, shortness of breath, and nausea from pepper gas in the school. A student is suspect in this case.

This particular broadcast happened to offer more news on the national level than local, and I was surprised by the briefness of some of the articles. I soon realized that the more noteworthy stories were given more time, and the reporters gave sufficient detail on the shorter stories. It seemed to confirm my feelings that so often the news is full of crime or people fighting crime. I do believe that this broadcast covered some of the most important news of the day, as in the pending confrontation in Iraq, and the shootings in Gary. I also believe that it needs to focus on more positive issues. I would like to see more about what's good in the world and the people that are working toward that end. I think that viewing a story can be worthwhile, but at times the news media tends to overuse this by showing scenes and people that play on the viewers' emotions. For example, the young police officer giving his emotional account, and the young boy excitedly giving his description of the fire. This does not necessarily make the story more newsworthy. There are times that television can bring us the latest news with live coverage (i.e. Desert Storm), when words cannot describe the scenes before your eyes. There are also the international stories that allow us to see the lives of other people on the other side of the world. In cases like this, television is a valuable source for learning.

And here is David's paper

The headline story of this broadcast was a health issue. A three year old boy, in LaRabida Children's Hospital, was in his bed when his stepfather found a syringe stuck in the mattress. Apparently the nurse had used the syringe to administer an IV antibiotic to the boy earlier in the day. She stuck the needle in the mattress and meant to go back for it, but forgot. A standard disposal container should have been used, but proper procedures were not followed. The mother and stepfather of the boy were interviewed and both felt the nurse involved was not professional.

Coverage of this story was fairly thorough. The reporter got both parents' view and the response from the hospital. While I do feel this is a very serious story, the report did take on a dramatic presentation. Shown on the screen was a drawing of a syringe with a large needle and the words " Needle Mistake". In today's world of HIV, this grabs anyone's attention and keeps the viewer tuned into the broadcast. It is hard to determine if this is sensationalism or just good journalism. I believe it is a combination of both, and unfortunately this combination seems to determine successful television news. I do feel this was an important story to report, and while it may not indicate a trend, it does impact the community. For example, health care may improve due to stricter enforcement of procedures in order to avoid law suits. The community would benefit from this and therefore its placement in this broadcast was a worthwhile use of time.

The next report, labeled " Book Controversy ", had a heavy social theme. The controversy occurred when local Orland Park parents disagreed with the Highpoint Elementary School curriculum that included the book " I am Regina". The book was to be used in a social studies class, but parents felt a rape scene included in the book was inappropriate for young children. One of the parents was interviewed and felt there were no values their children could extract from reading the book. The American Library Association had a different view and responded that the book could be used as a vehicle to spark a discussion with children. The report then went back to a clip of the parent, who felt that ten years old was not old enough for such discussions.

I would think a social issue such as this would be very difficult for a reporter because people do not want to feel any of their rights infringed upon. The reporter chose to stick to the facts which seemed like a good way to bring both side's issues forward and remain unbiased. However, more time was given to the parents to speak, and one was filmed inside her home which gave the viewer a strong feeling of family values. Also, the report went to a clip outside the school which showed children playing. This places the idea of young innocent children in the mind of the viewer, and perhaps imbalances the fairness of the report. While on the surface it may seem that both sides are presented equally, the reality seemed to be within the subliminal message of the pictures. The term " a picture is worth a thousand words" comes to mind because the context of the visuals seem to indicate that the children should not read the book. This story does seem important for the local community to know because this may affect many people personally, and may even set a trend within our schools.

Many of the remaining stories were related to incidents of crime. In one story a local man was the victim of a hit and run, while in another, a robber who had evaded the police for some time in Phoenix, AZ, was finally caught on tape by a convenience store hidden camera. There was also a follow up to a previous crime story indicating the police now believe the same man is responsible for two separate home break-ins that occurred within one hour of each other in Schaumburg. The music rap artist Tupac had been shot and was reported dead. This death was analyzed as life imitating art due to the fact the artist had just made a video depicting his death.

These crime stories were all quickly mentioned with mostly facts listed. I do feel the visuals and interviews were all sympathetic to the victims, except Tupac Shakur. For example, friends of the victim of the hit and run were all stating what a great guy he was and the whole community enjoyed knowing him. The reporter was shown walking the neighborhood where he used to walk, connecting the viewer to the victim. These visuals played on my emotions and gained my sympathy. I don't really feel these stories were important, and overall I think crime stories are depressing. I'm not really sure what value they contain for the viewer.

The remaining stories all seem to fall under the category of national events. The four young women attending the Citadel military school are reported as all doing well. One woman was interviewed and admitted it is difficult to attend the historically all male academy. Another report indicated that many residents of Phoenix, AZ were upset over the first woman chain gang that included fifteen women schakled at the ankle. These women had volunteered for the work of cleaning the roadside and were happy to be outside. There were heavy rains in Waco, TX causing some flooding in which one young boy had almost drown. Rescue workers pulled the boy from the water just in time to save his life, he was then rushed to a hospital and was reported as doing well. Lastly, a brief update on the O.J. Simpson civil law suit indicated juror selection was in progress.

National event stories seem to be presented with very quick summaries and only occasional visuals support the story. The visuals are usually one quick shot of the scene and no interviews accompany these shots. These reports are factual updates from stories around the country, but are still thought provoking. For example, the Citadel women had me thinking about other ground breaking events and possible trends for women in historically all male academies. These short reports contain enough information on these topics and satisfy my curiosity, yet still have time to influence the viewer.

Overall, I feel the local news is a valuable source for keeping up with my community. It does have the limitation of a thirty minute broadcast, so not all stories can be reported. As I stated in the beginning of this paper, for me to determine if the chosen reported stories were the most important is difficult as this broadcast is my source of daily information. Writing this paper has raised the question in my mind if I am in fact in touch enough with both the community and the country. One thing I have learned is that the local news does not have the time to cover in any depth important national events. In this particular broadcast, the upcoming Presidential election was not even mentioned. Maybe I've already heard enough about this, but I feel I missed hearing a critical update. The bottom line for me will remain a time issue and therefore I will have to trust the judgment of the broadcast to bring me news that is both valuable and reliable. What perhaps surprised me the most in doing this paper was the realization of just how much influence the broadcast exerts over the viewer. One example of this was my opinion that the " I am Regina" book should not be allowed in the classroom. After I thought about this, I realized this opinion came directly from the visuals contained in the report. Now that I am aware of this, I will make a concerted effort to recognize this when it is happening and sift through to only the pertinent information. For me, the pertinent information remains with the facts only. While facts can be disputable, this leaves me in the position of analyzing the news without having influence exerted over my opinions.