This year we seem to be closer to identifying a handful of key elements that help make quality sell. Keep in mind, content is not the only factor that might shape ratings. Anchors, set, lighting, lead-in, viewer history, all play a role.
Master stations show more enterprise.
This not only reinforces last year's findings, it also reinforces our focus groups, where citizens repeatedly complained about unnamed sources. Viewers still apparently like seeing everyday citizens in the news. Yet there are signs this year that viewers turn off if they perceive tragedy being exploited. Perhaps the most tantalizing new finding is that master stations are more likely to cover the core institutions and concerns that hold a community together. They also do more stories about substantive trends.