In my own way, I just wanted to share with whomever might surf by my website a few of the things I had learned about the news media after working in it for 15 years and, perhaps, challenge other anchors and reporters to think about the severe limits placed on our profession by powerful corporations. I opened the essay by recalling that early in my news career I readily accepted the popular media self-image for the simple fact that I never really thought about it very deeply. On my way up the ladder, however, I gradually began to see that the image didn t jive with reality. Of course not, but, as I came to realize after finally looking critically at my own profession, it is the way news outlets driven by the quest for mega-profits behave. Quite simply, it's the mad rush for money that drives the news business .
TV stations make money by selling audiences to advertisers, which are, of course, other businesses.
Additionally, TV advertisers aren t really interested in the whole audience. They want to reach the most privileged audience thus, all programs, especially the news, are aimed at specific target audiences prized by rich advertisers. What s good for big business is good for everyone. So you see, I was trying to focus on the big picture and connect it to the small picture. In no uncertain terms, it said that I cannot make any statements or remarks about the station or its sponsors that tend to discredit or reflect unfavorably on them.