Erosion of Television Coverage of City Hall? Perceptions of TV Reporters on the Beat

In a mail survey of 283 television journalists (67 percent completion) who cover city government in the 214 U.S. television markets, respondents were asked about station commitment to local government news in terms of prominence, airtime, and perceived newsroom importance. Small-market stations were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journalism & mass communication quarterly 2001-04, Vol.78 (1), p.81-92
Main Authors: Coulson, David C., Riffe, Daniel, Lacy, Stephen, St. Cyr, Charles R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Broadcast Industry
City Government
Content analysis
Coverage
Journalism
Journalists
Local Government
Media coverage
News
News Coverage
News Media
News Reporting
Perceptions
Polls & surveys
Public policy
Reporters
Surveys
Television
Television news
Television stations
Viewpoint on
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Summary:In a mail survey of 283 television journalists (67 percent completion) who cover city government in the 214 U.S. television markets, respondents were asked about station commitment to local government news in terms of prominence, airtime, and perceived newsroom importance. Small-market stations were seen as more committed to covering city hall, a finding consistent with content analysis data about local news coverage. More veteran reporters perceived diminishing commitment and quality during the last five years, with fewer stories and less airtime.
ISSN:1077-6990
2161-430X
DOI:10.1177/107769900107800106