His talk was part of the Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, and took place in the Hynson Lounge of Hodson Hall. The audience is fragmented now that more options are available than the networks. A point Faw stressed next was that a frenzied competition for money has led to a reluctance to take the high road in news. Media is losing its autonomy and must increasingly play by the corporate rules. Television is their only frame of reference.
Existence is defined by ratings.
Ratings are broken down minute by minute to see what worked in the news cycle. TV news reporters are now picked for beauty, not brains, and the content is getting more frivolous as well, said Faw. I may be an alarmist, but potential is being squandered. One of Faw's main complaints about contemporary network news practices is that anchors and correspondents are tested for appeal by audiences who wear electronic sensors on their hands to test their physiological reactions. According to Faw, the variation in appeal is often a matter of story topic, not anchor.