It is no longer CBS, NBC and ABC in competition. Viewers can see the news on CNN twenty-four hours a day. Some stations solely report the news and nothing else. Competition is and has been on the rise over the past couple of years. The reason why violence is so sensationalized points to the ratings each station receives in return.
Sweeps are a race for ratings that occurs annually four times a year and last a month.
During this time, almost anything is done in order to get an interesting story on the air first. All the news staff is under tremendous pressure to grasp and keep the audience's attention. We're going to get clobbered,' he said. He was worried about his 5 P.M. newscast. Since capturing the audience's immediate attention is so crucial during sweeps, violence and misfortune often lead the news shows.