Investigative TV Journalism Dead? Photog Weighs In

From the NEWSBREAKERS Mailbag:

I used to work as a photographer for one of the local TV stations in Rochester. You guys are amazingly funny. Please understand one thing though. Most "news gatherers" in the field, feel that news has become a parody of what it once was. Sure they will tell you that they are just providing what the public wants to see, but you know, I know, and they know, that's bull shit. In reality, their hands are being tied from the top down. Once upper management decided to move (local) news from the realm of public service to all for profit, the public lost any semblance of un-biased perspective. Mgm't will no longer fund any REAL investigative journalism, because it is expensive. Reporters have to turn a story everyday, which leaves little time to "dig for answers". Much of what you see in the news is straight regurgitation of press releases, or re-written comments from those officials we all keep hearing about ("Officials say...blah, blah,blah") So I gues what I am trying to say is this. Keep up the great work, and have fun, but alway try to remain respectful of the crew in the field.
They are earning about the same as a first year teacher, doing what amounts to be a fairly challenging job.

-Rochester Photog


Thanks for the e-mail. Something we recently discovered: If you happen to be that guy on top, your authority is enough to get the newsroom to report on anything you want them to without raising a single question.