In The Elements of Journalism it reads, "The future is uncertain, and it is unclear how long you can stay in business unless you generate audience fast,"(214). Being in the Broadcast Journalism world I can see how that statement is completely accurate. Many news organizations are faced with the pressure of competition to try and make the news fit to the public and draw in viewers. Instead of being about news, the newscasts are turned into a battle of the weird, showcasing anything unique that will draw in viewers to the show.
To make yourself stand out as a journalist, it's important to look for originality in newsworthy events. By doing this, you create a good name for yourself and can easily obtain jobs over people who create "fluff" to fill in a newscast for time and to grab eyes.
It's uncommon in most news today to see varieties of stories. Most are copies from other sources, but that's because its important enough that people want to hear about it. In all cases, originality will not be a necessity. These must-hear stories need to stay true to the 'newsworthy' guidelines. Truth must still be there as well as timeliness.
Another point brought out in the book was using emotional phrases to attract viewers. This is a good tactic that I have seen work, but it must be used carefully so viewers don't feel lied to or lead on. Bias must also be avoided and it should be clear what is happening in the story to the viewers. ITs important to realize too, like the book said, that when you mess with viewers emotions, you have crossed a line and lost your audience.
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