The Ten O'clock News: Reported by Carol Marin
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Chicago Experiment – Journalist Attitudes and The Ten O’Clock News: Reported by Carol Marin Peter A. Casella A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Chapel Hill 2008 Approved by: C.A. Tuggle, PhD, Chair David Cupp Richard Landesberg, PhD Patricia Parker, PhD ©2008 Peter A. Casella ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT PETER A. CASELLA: The Chicago Experiment – Journalist Attitudes and The Ten O’Clock News: Reported by Carol Marin (Under the direction of C.A. Tuggle, PhD) WBBM-TV, the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, embarked on what was called a “noble experiment” in television journalism in February 2000. The Ten O’Clock News: Reported by Carol Marin was a return to traditional, normative television journalism. The program, with respected journalist Carol Marin as the only anchor, was an attempt by station management to revive the moribund ratings of the late news broadcast with traditional hard news. Station management promised to stick with the new format for at least one year. Nine month later, amid even lower ratings, a new management team cancelled the experiment. This is the first academic investigation of that initiative. This qualitative study utilized data generated from long interviews with five principals of the news program. The findings provided great insight into the philosophies and attitudes that shaped the broadcast, and revealed some of the things that caused the program’s demise. They also revealed a clear and definite attitude of antagonism that varied according to job responsibilities and position in the editorial hierarchy. These negative attitudes are reflections of the dialectic between the trusteeship model and the market-driven model of broadcasting. This study is a grounded theory investigation from which emerged the Mutual Support-Audience Reward model of electronic journalism. The model illustrates how overt awareness by journalists of a iii media company’s legitimate pursuit of profits could enhance the editorial quality and audience appeal of its news product. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Academe was never a goal for a third career. There comes a time, however, when the most logical course is to simply concede that God is smarter and stronger. Thankfully, He blessed this four-year journey with many wonderful people who got me over and through the many peaks and valleys – some expected, many definitely not – that marked this dynamic and eventful experience. The Carolina experience is wonderfully unique for several reasons. There is the Carolina community – accomplished faculty, dedicated staff, and the exceptionally qualified and highly motivated students. My fellow graduate students and all the students of Carolina Week and Carolina Connection made my time at UNC something I will always treasure. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication stands alone among its peers by virtue of its atmosphere of collegiality. Fred Thomsen, who solved my many tech “emergencies,” epitomizes that attitude. Cindy Anderson never met a challenge she could not overcome or a student problem she could not solve. As manager of the graduate program, her ability to walk on water without getting her ankles wet has made her indispensable. Dylan Field was always there to solve every newsroom and equipment problem. I am indebted to the members of my committee – Prof. David Cupp, Dr. Frank Fee, Dr. Richard Landesberg, Dr. Patricia Parker, and committee chair Dr. C.A. Tuggle – for transforming an old news guy into someone who can hopefully help mentor a future v journalist or two. Thank you for your insight, experience, expertise, guidance, and academic rigor. I am especially grateful to Rich and Charlie – former journalists who provided examples for me to follow, and friends who helped me through difficult times. I have been blessed with two “homes” during these past four years – Chapel Hill and Jacksonville. My Jacksonville “family,” the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church music ministry, always reminded me I could go home again. I am grateful to Frank and Nicole DeProspo, Bob and Louise Alvey, Burt Davison, Bob and Sarah Dodier, John Thomas, Ed and Noelle Thomson, Russ and Carron Tooke, and everyone who supported me with kind words and prayers. Bob Russell is much more than a golf buddy and fellow Jaguars tailgater. He provided a solid foundation when I most needed it. (No, you do not have to call me “doctor.”) Debbie Hutchinson is mi “right tab” expert. She also made sure I did not starve during the last several weeks of this marathon. But she is so much more. Debbie gave me hope for a very bright future. She is my heart’s home. The pursuit of a graduate degree is, inescapably, a selfish endeavor. I have been blessed with a wonderful, understanding, and very patient family. I am looking forward to reintroducing myself to them all – Mom, Kris, Matt and the boys. Finally, I am indebted to the wonderful professionals who participated in this project. If I had a boss such as Hank Price, I might never have left the news business. Carol Marin, John Callaway, Mike Flannery, Danice Kern and Mike Parker have dedicated their careers to “shining a light” on society. I am grateful for your time and trust. You epitomize the best qualities of responsible journalism. I hope this investigation will extend the important contribution you made to the electronic news industry. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION EXAMINING TELEVISION JOURNALISM .............................. 1 Normative Journalism ................................................................... 2 A Unique Opportunity..................................................................... 5 2. LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORY THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL DEFINITIONS OF NEWS....................................................................................... 7 A New Reality Reflected............................................................... 11 Audience Consideration................................................................. 16 News Defined by Practice............................................................. 18 Market Driven Journalism............................................................ 20 Sensemaking and Grounded Theory............................................. 25 Research Questions....................................................................... 28 3. HISTORY DEMOCRATIC THEORY, ECONOMICS AND TECHNOLOGY.................................................................. 31 The Public Interest, Convenience and Necessity.......................... 34 The Point of No Return – 60 Minutes........................................... 36 News Competition......................................................................... 39 The Eyewitness News Revolution................................................. 41 vii Demographics – Programming for Some..................................... 44 We’ll Always Have Paris... and Anna.......................................... 46 Economics..................................................................................... 47 Mandating Responsibility............................................................. 48 The Search for Truth..................................................................... 49 The Philosophy Shifts................................................................... 51 The Effects of Deregulation.......................................................... 52 A New Corporate Reality.............................................................. 54 The U.S. Ratifies the Market-Driven Model................................ 57 A Dichotomy of Purpose.............................................................. 58 A New Frontier............................................................................. 60 Economic Reality.......................................................................... 63 Commercial Pressure.................................................................... 65 Discontent in the Newsroom........................................................ 67 Technology................................................................................... 70 Redefinition by Cable................................................................... 73 4. METHODOLOGY UNDERSTANDING JOURNALISTS......................................... 78 The Qualitative Process................................................................ 85 The Long Interview...................................................................... 87 The Participants............................................................................ 90 The Questioning............................................................................ 95 Reflexivity and Reactivity............................................................ 96 An Expanded Focus...................................................................... 97 viii 5. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS THE NOBLE EXPERIMENT...................................................... 99 Carol as Leader .......................................................................... 104 Mission to Normative Standards ............................................... 109 Group Exclusivity........................................................................ 114 Newsroom Culture of Despair..................................................... 120 Perception of Management Support...........................................