Reality Meets the Newsroom - Imagine Swimsuit Models in the WSJ Newsroom

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Leave it to Fox TV – the Murdoch owned scandal sheet gone video – to pull journalism down one more notch. East Texas television station KYTX and CBS affiliate is providing the set and crew, it seems, for a “comedy-reality” show called “Anchorwoman.” Swimsuit model Lauren Jones made her first appearance last week after a quick lesson in reading the TelePrompTer. Fox 21 and The G Group is producing the series that will begin airing in August.

follow-up to: CBS Tries to Laugh It Off Using Photoshop Software to Change A Katie Couric Picture, But For A TV Network That Has Worked So Hard to Regain Its Credibility This Is No Laughing Matter - August 31, 2006
When news organizations shoot themselves in the foot they do it with great style. Someone at the CBS photo department thought new anchor Katie Couric looked too fat in the picture chosen to illustrate her for a magazine article CBS prepared so editors decided to slim her down electronically by some 20 pounds (9kg)

Air-heads in the newsroom have been a comedic staple for a generation. Let’s not forget the fun we had watching “WKRP in Cincinnati” or “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Let’s also not forget that reality and comedy weren’t so easily blurred. Journalism has taken a credibility hit in recent years, not that Fox TV would notice.

Ms Jones’ exploits in the newsroom are being preserved, unscripted, by a Fox TV crew of 40. Two members of the KYTV news team have declined to participate.

Harris Interactive has been polling Americans since 1998 on which professions they trust and which they do not. TV newscasters had the trust of 44% of Americans in 2006, statistically tied with athletes. Journalists were rated lower at 39%. Pollsters were rated even lower.

A Mori poll commissioned by the Royal College of Physicians in 2006 showed journalists holding the trust of 19% in the UK, statistically tied with politicians. TV news readers were trusted by 66%, above police but below scientists.

The Léger poll of professions trusted by Canadians, 2007 edition released May 15th, showed journalists trusted by 48%, down from 54% in 2002, slightly below insurance brokers and slightly above real estate brokers.

The Edelman Trust Barometer of 18 countries, released in January, pointed wickedly at “media in general” more trusted in the developing world (56%) than the developed world (37%): France – 27%, Germany and Sweden - 29%, China – 68%, Brazil - 62%.

“Journalism credibility?” shrugs KYTX owner Phil Hurley in comments to The Hollywood Reporter. “I think that's somewhat amusing when all I see today on the cable news is Paris Hilton, nonstop. This is a TV show. It's going to be a comedy. They just chose to shoot it at our station.”

A CBS spokeswoman “respectfully declined” comment to ftm.

University of Texas School of Journalism Associate Professor and Associate Dean George Sylvie did not.

“TV news experiments all the time with preposterous, by journalism standards, things. It's where reporters often make themselves the story, visually at least, by trying to be cutesy or bold. We had a local reporter here in Austin allow herself to be tasered during sweeps month, for God's sake. And, let's remember, TV uses non-journalists, they're called athletes, all the time (note Harris poll above) as a means of source access or commentary (even though they often have no training in either journalism or commentary).”

“As a teacher, though, this makes it hard for us to sell TV news credibility to our students and for non-broadcast faculty to respect what our peers in broadcast say they do. Obviously, when the broadcast kids leave J school they are overwhelmed by market pressures more so than those in print. Still, print-lovers won't be able to gloat when Murdoch takes over the Wall Street Journal, will they?” – June 18, 2007

Recently in Write On Citizen Journalists Help Tell The Virginia Tech Story ...how important civilian journalists have become to the telling of breaking news on television. The Sun Gets Its Exclusive Interview With The Sole British Female Sailor Released By Iran... “I want people to know what I’ve gone through”. Couldn’t she have done that at the news conference? ...Rugby’s Attempts To Restrict Internet News Pictures Circulation For The World Cup Is A Commercial Issue... The International Rugby Board is attempting to restrict the world’s media on how many pictures can be shown on the Internet... Send ftm Your News!! news@followthemedia.com
	Reality Meets the Newsroom - Imagine Swimsuit Models in the WSJ Newsroom Leave it to Fox TV – the Murdoch owned scandal sheet gone video – to pull journalism down one more notch. East Texas television station KYTX and CBS affiliate is providing the set and crew, it seems, for a “comedy-reality” show called “Anchorwoman.” Swimsuit model Lauren Jones made her first appearance last week after a quick lesson in reading the TelePrompTer. Fox 21 and The G Group is producing the series that will begin airing in August. follow-up to: CBS Tries to Laugh It Off Using Photoshop Software to Change A Katie Couric Picture, But For A TV Network That Has Worked So Hard to Regain Its Credibility This Is No Laughing Matter - August 31, 2006 When news organizations shoot themselves in the foot they do it with great style. Someone at the CBS photo department thought new anchor Katie Couric looked too fat in the picture chosen to illustrate her for a magazine article CBS prepared so editors decided to slim her down electronically by some 20 pounds (9kg) Air-heads in the newsroom have been a comedic staple for a generation. Let’s not forget the fun we had watching “WKRP in Cincinnati” or “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Let’s also not forget that reality and comedy weren’t so easily blurred. Journalism has taken a credibility hit in recent years, not that Fox TV would notice. Ms Jones’ exploits in the newsroom are being preserved, unscripted, by a Fox TV crew of 40. Two members of the KYTV news team have declined to participate. Harris Interactive has been polling Americans since 1998 on which professions they trust and which they do not. TV newscasters had the trust of 44% of Americans in 2006, statistically tied with athletes. Journalists were rated lower at 39%. Pollsters were rated even lower. A Mori poll commissioned by the Royal College of Physicians in 2006 showed journalists holding the trust of 19% in the UK, statistically tied with politicians. TV news readers were trusted by 66%, above police but below scientists. The Léger poll of professions trusted by Canadians, 2007 edition released May 15th, showed journalists trusted by 48%, down from 54% in 2002, slightly below insurance brokers and slightly above real estate brokers. The Edelman Trust Barometer of 18 countries, released in January, pointed wickedly at “media in general” more trusted in the developing world (56%) than the developed world (37%): France – 27%, Germany and Sweden - 29%, China – 68%, Brazil - 62%. “Journalism credibility?” shrugs KYTX owner Phil Hurley in comments to The Hollywood Reporter. “I think that's somewhat amusing when all I see today on the cable news is Paris Hilton, nonstop. This is a TV show. It's going to be a comedy. They just chose to shoot it at our station.” A CBS spokeswoman “respectfully declined” comment to ftm. University of Texas School of Journalism Associate Professor and Associate Dean George Sylvie did not. “TV news experiments all the time with preposterous, by journalism standards, things. It's where reporters often make themselves the story, visually at least, by trying to be cutesy or bold. We had a local reporter here in Austin allow herself to be tasered during sweeps month, for God's sake. And, let's remember, TV uses non-journalists, they're called athletes, all the time (note Harris poll above) as a means of source access or commentary (even though they often have no training in either journalism or commentary).” “As a teacher, though, this makes it hard for us to sell TV news credibility to our students and for non-broadcast faculty to respect what our peers in broadcast say they do. Obviously, when the broadcast kids leave J school they are overwhelmed by market pressures more so than those in print. Still, print-lovers won't be able to gloat when Murdoch takes over the Wall Street Journal, will they?” – June 18, 2007 Keywords:television journalism,Fox TV
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	Further Complicated: Advertising, Children and Television Advertising and television face more complaints, criticism and new rules. ftm reports on the debate in Europe and North America 43 pages PDF file (March 2007) Free to ftm members and others from €39 See what's inside Order The State of the Print Media in the World ftm reports from the World Association of Newspapers Congresses. Includes WAN readership studies, Russian media and Russian politics, press freedom and the state of journalism. 62 pages. PDF file (October 2006) Free to ftm members and others from €39 Order Measuring Audiences includes electronic measurement systems and device descriptions, RAJAR (UK) debate, with comments. 45 pages PDF (updated September 2006) Free to ftm members, others from €39 Order French National Newspapers publishers, designs, editors all change, with comments. 40 pages PDF (updated July 2006) Free to ftm members, others from €39 Executive Summary Order

Reality Meets the Newsroom - Imagine Swimsuit Models in the WSJ Newsroom

Further Complicated: Advertising, Children and Television

The State of the Print Media in the World

Measuring Audiences

French National Newspapers publishers, designs, editors all change, with comments. 40 pages PDF (updated July 2006)

French National Newspapers
publishers, designs, editors all change, with comments. 40 pages PDF (updated July 2006)