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April 12, 2007
Shrill Tone Is Out of Hand
I was in Atlanta yesterday at a breakfast event at Emory University. I ran into Chris Cramer, who has recently stepped down as managing editor of CNN International. His first comment to me was, “The shrill tone on cable TV news is out of control. The disgusting Don Imus comment about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team is just the extreme edge of this.”
He went on to tell me that the dilemma for media companies is that “this stuff drives up ratings.” He used Lou Dobbs, the CNN nightly news anchor as an example of “reinvention of the news as opinion and commentary.” He asked me rhetorically, “Should Dobbs be a broadcaster interviewing experts or an expert himself on issues such as immigration?”
Cramer’s view is that working in the media “is an honor. We impart information to viewers based on a certain moral compass, with editorial integrity. It may be old fashioned but this is the basis of building a sustainable long term media business.” He told me that he doubts the viability of a business model in which a network simply reaffirms what you, the viewer, believe as the basis of a trusting relationship. He concluded by saying that a course correction is near at hand; the era of “noise over context has run its course.”
I then chatted with Mike McCarthy, Cramer’s successor at CNN-International. Mike believes that viewer interaction is the key to building trust, whether offering the chance for viewers to see anchors passionately involved on site (Anderson Cooper in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina) to allow customization of the web site (which news you want first) to offering a place for consumer generated content such as photos from the World Cup in 2006 under the “Fan Zone.” He believes in offering accountability for how “we develop news programming.”
McCarthy acknowledged the pressure to “make the product relevant to the audience,” but said that “CNN-I has put its stake in the ground. Our defining values are journalistic credibility and cutting through the hyperbole. We are the impartial news service, which differentiates us from the avalanche of news sources.”
I asked McCarthy about the proper role of a PR firm. He said, “ A PR firm is a vital part of the newsgathering process. You provide background information and make connections to the company. Our job is to scrutinize and interpret the facts provided by a PR person.” We agreed that PR people have a higher obligation than in previous times because material posted directly to a company web site is assumed to be factual and based on research.
I will paraphrase a quote from Alex Jones, dean of the Shorenstein Center at Harvard, who said that PR should be about credible advocacy, while journalism continues to be an independent voice offering accountability reporting of important events. We should emphasize the distinction, not attempt to blur the lines, between our professions, because it is only with a vital and active media sector that PR can thrive in the future.
Posted by Edelman at April 12, 2007 11:28 AM |
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Comments
I noticed with interest your description of Cris Cramer's comments relating to Don Imus. In Germany, on confronted with a Don Imus of a different caliber. You may find the following of interest:
http://weblog.buzzcentric.com/
Regards,
Severin L. Wilson
Posted by: Severin Wilson at April 14, 2007 10:36 PM
SW thanks for this. It seems that this politician is attempting to curry favor with the extreme right wing voters by making this statement on the judge’s death. This is a disgrace, as you properly point out. America has reached the edge of its tolerance for this type of demagogue. I am proud that Imus has been dismissed by CBS. All the best
Posted by: Richard Edelman at April 16, 2007 12:02 PM
As long as ratings are tied to advertisers are tied to the bottom line, cable news will always reach for the most sensationalized, quick-buzz coverage they can find. I'm often amazed at the scandals they aren't reporting until the blogs do the legwork. The economics of newscasting today means everybody is too busy (or too lazy) to do the homework. The press release is the easy reach for those addicted to access.
Posted by: Andy Wibbels at April 16, 2007 12:11 PM
AW look at the success of the Economist Magazine, now at 1.1 million in circulation, 700,000 in the USA alone. It is the opposite of trend toward “newstainment.” Thanks for reading my blog
Posted by: Richard Edelman at April 18, 2007 5:41 PM
Richard,
FYI, I have posted on my own site re this blog, which I found thoughtful and provocative.
http://www.trustedadvisor.com/blog/137/
I would welcome your comments.
Charles H. Green
Posted by: Charles H. Green at April 18, 2007 8:51 PM
Richard, thanks for dropping by my blog to comment, I appreciate it.
I replied as follows:
Thanks Richard for the comments. I agree that transparency plays a huge role in developing trust. It reveals motives, enhances credibilty, and initiates the emotional risk-sharing that's required of each party in a trust relationship.
Not that many CEOs write their own blogs; Richard is one--read him at http://www.edelman.com/speak_up/blog/
Posted by: Charles H. Green at April 19, 2007 11:24 AM