Monday, May 1, 2023

Local Newscasts vs Cheez Whiz


Today's point to ponder: What do local TV newscasts and Cheez Whiz have in common?
Well, let's start with Cheez Whiz

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a label on Cheez Whiz that says "processed cheese food". The label is required because Cheez Whiz does contain SOME cheese, it's also packed with other ingredients or FILLERS

Local TV newscasts are often referred to as "shows" by anchors and reporters for the same reason. While local newscasts do contain SOME news, they are also packed with FILLERS. "Lifestyle", "trending", and other "feature" material, in addition to weather and sports recaps, comprise each "show".

This also begs the question: If the word "show" is how local TV news describes their product, does that also mean that those individuals who write and report the information consider themselves "performers" as opposed to "journalists"?