Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Can a Journalist Also Do Promotion?

A news anchor in Ohio posted a series of videos about what happens during commercial breaks in newscasts.

They are meant to be amusing, I believe, and at times they are.

Should a journalist be creating humorous videos about the news team? Is this good promotion for the station or is it stepping over the line from journalist to entertainer?

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

In reality, Journalists are entertainers. They report to their audience with news that they want to hear and the audience wants to be entertained. Not all, but a good amount of people like to see people on the TV be just like them. It's comforting to see so-called "celebrities" be like normal everyday people. Yes, in return these videos might lessen the seriousness of the station but if they portray these videos in a tasteful manner, it could up the ratings due to comedy.

Taylor C

Jade London-Johnson said...

I like the idea of journalists being entertainers. As an aspiring journalist, I want the articles I write to be entertaining, which means I can have moments of humor. When people think about journalists, sometimes they pin journalists to be boring and dry. I think this video shows that journalist can be just as fun as everybody else. Journalist promoting their station is a brilliant idea in my eyes. Once I become a journalist I know that I would try to promote and entertain as I do my job.

Geo said...

I don't want to see people like me on TV! I want to see super smart people who are really attractive, who tell me stuff I would have never thought of!

But that's just me.

- George
(the teacher who kind of cringed numerous times while watching this video)

Mike Griffith said...

It's funny at points, but it definitely takes away from the credibility of the news team. I think I dislike it more due to the low-budget style aesthetic than the actual premise...The Daily Show does stuff like this all the time (and I love it), but that's their schtick and they're on Comedy Central.

Anonymous said...

I feel as though the journalists here are almost promoting themselves, and not their broadcast. Most people tune into those types of broadcasts to receive (what they think) is important information.
If these journalists wanted to promote their show, they could have done it in a better way. It is one thing to add humor into the right segments, and show that they can also be "real" people, however, I feel that this video took it a little overboard!

Breanna Keohane

Ja'Bryia Morrow said...

I guess in a way journalist have to be both professional and entertainers. In order to hold a diverse audience you have to appeal to all ranges of people, not just professionals but also the immature young adults and teenagers who occasionally tune in. You give the facts and all the important information but the funny videos help to keep a different demographic entertained and tuning in as well. There is a line although as to how funny or ridiculous you can be before people stop taking you seriously all together.

EJ said...

Journalists are supposed to be intelligent providers of information. They have a very serious responsibility to distribute information and, for better or for worse, help their viewership form opinions on important things going on in society.

It's because of those beliefs that I don't think this promotion was a good idea. I know that they're people, but they're paid to be mature, distributors of information. They obviously are welcome to whatever antics they would like off the screen, but to broadcast yourself as funny in a serious position is a little ill-advised.

Anonymous said...

I think that these promotion videos are good every once in a while, to keep creative juices flowing; but as a professional, these newscasters need to show that their minds are in the newsroom, and in reality, on a day to day basis, are actually having the occasional small talk during a break, but are reading notes for the next story. Otherwise people lose the meaning of what it is to be a professional- to be disciplined enough not to need food and trivial needs until later, to do the job they need to do when they need to do it, no distractions.
-Nick Matousch

Chris Nabal said...

I would say they are being entertainers in those videos, not journalists. But that's okay. Some shows blur the line between news reporting and satire in concept, like The Daily Show.

It came off like a sketch comedy routine to me, so I don't see any harm to the reputation of the station. People have fun at their jobs from time to time. At least they have a good sense of humor.

David Kroll said...

Personally, I didn't find the video too amusing. Addressing the question at hand, I do feel the journalists crossed the line. While yes, everyone jokes around (and I'm sure that includes off air) but I feel like videos like that portray the news station in a bad light. I mean c'mon, you could clearly see the station name as they ran out of the building for Wendys. I believe this stepped over the line into entertainment, not journalism.

Danika Palmeri said...

Personally, I was unimpressed by this video. If they were going for funny, I didn't laugh. If they were poking fun at themselves in an attempt to make themselves seem more relatable to their audience, I think they instead may have made some people take them less seriously. But hey, if they set out to make people see them in a different light, then I guess they accomplished their goal. I think that most people look up to reporters and journalists who look presentable and are serious and knowledgeable. People who are in the public spotlight and whose job it is to deliver important information to the public should look the part, and this video made these reporters goofy and flippant. Hope that didn't come off as too critical. :)

Danika Palmeri

Danika Palmeri said...

Personally, I was unimpressed by this video. If they were going for funny, I didn't laugh. If they were poking fun at themselves in an attempt to make themselves seem more relatable to their audience, I think they instead may have made some people take them less seriously. But hey, if they set out to make people see them in a different light, then I guess they accomplished their goal. I think that most people look up to reporters and journalists who look presentable and are serious and knowledgeable. People who are in the public spotlight and whose job it is to deliver important information to the public should look the part, and this video made these reporters goofy and flippant. Hope that didn't come off as too critical. :)

Danika Palmeri

Woo Jeong Kim said...

Why not? Journalists should not be restricted from doing certain things. Why cannot they create humorous videos? I think it is very entertaining. It also serves as a good promotion for the station. Journalists' jobs should not be to just report news. While they are performing their tasks, they can have fun too. I do not think that journalism and journalists should be all about being serious.
Journalists can be entertainers too. They entertain the readers depending on the materials that they report.

Michele Gaston - Temple J111-01 said...

The video was kind of entertaining, but certainly not well made. I think it was trying to portray that although journalists are tasked with bringing the public credible, accurate and thought provoking information, there is a human side to them as well. To me, the video brings and actual human side to the journalist instead of the people we see on our televisions or computers just reading the news to us. Don't get me wrong, I certainly want to see serious, intelligent, thoughtful journalist presenting information to me. It's just refreshing to see that they can poke fun at themselves once in a while.

Jon B. said...

I believe in today's ever evolving world certain changes need to be made to peak the interest of the people. Although I believe you could just as easily make 30 second commercials, for example "This is SportCenter" commercials, as a means to peak interests. The almost 3 minute long Youtube video is a little over the top in my opinion. However it is always nice to see that at the end of the day these glorified anchors are just regular people too.

Kaitlyn Mashack said...

I didn't like this video. I thought it was a bad move on the anchors parts. While I do find it nice when a reporter or journalist is relatable, I think that this is crossing the line. I do not mind if they were promoting their own self, but what I don't like is that it reflects very poorly on the news station that they represent. It now makes all journalists/reporters at this particular news station look discredited.

kevindiem said...

I was surprised that so many people judged the anchors in class today. I feel as though often times we forget that while the anchors are professionals they are people too.

Believe it or not, it was probably a nice change of pace for them to make an entertaining video and have a chance to show their personalities. We don't fault normal people for making videos just like this as a hobby and putting them on youtube, and what the anchors did seems to be no different. This was not aired on the 6 o'clock news, it was posted to youtube.

Definitely not cringe worthy, just people who we are used to viewing as professionals acting like people. I'm certain this type of thing will definitely become more common as the internet continues to grow.

Meredith Hebert said...

The number one rule in Journalism is the duty to tell the truth. This video is clearly staged/fake, which dilutes the credibility associated with the newscasters and the station. If they actually taped/showed what really goes on behind the scenes (perhaps them walking from the set to a table filled with catered Wendy's food) then this type of promotion could be really effective for both the newscasters, station, and network. However by doing it this way, they are just making themselves look like incredible assholes.

Shealyn Kilroy said...

I wasn't the biggest fan of this video. Watching this video, while it didn't make me upset or think dramatically less of these journalists or the station, it did make me shake my head in shame. While it's completely understandable that these anchors are trying to portray the "Journalists are real people too!!" image, I think there is a line that should be drawn with the profession and the more relaxed, humourous part of a journalist's life, especially because they have a heavy load of truth and seriousness that they have to express with their stories.

Taylor Smethers said...

I understand that media is a business and creatively gaining an audience is important, especially with society today. However there should be a difference between the mannerisms of sharing the news and entertaining America. I do not think a journalist should be creating humorous videos about the news team. The news is already a joke to me now when stories about Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus are covered. Creating videos like this really furthers my distrust in the seriousness of what will be reported to me. News should be informational and serious.

Anonymous said...

I think that in today's world, you've got to do whatever it takes to make a name for yourself. In developing your brand, you also have to develop yourself to meet certain standards set by today's norms. This may require looking a certain way, speaking a certain way and even promoting yourself in a certain way. I think that nothing is wrong with putting on some make up and getting your hair cut in a trendy way. Nothing is wrong with learning how to speak in Standard American English in order to have the public understand you easily. And like these examples, I don't think anything is wrong with using certain promotion tactics to gain more viewers. It's a dog eat dog world out there, and you've got to do whatever it takes!


- Elizabeth Vo

Alexandra Friedman said...

Journalists are becoming more and more like entertainers and are furthering there selves from their main focus of informing the public of important information.