Looking at WCCO 6:00 News on the Day after the Election
Here's a break down of the Wednesday, November 8, 2006 6:00 news on Channel 4 WCCO TV. I've kept a record of the content & type of each story, and the amount of time allowed for each story.
Introduction and preview of night's stories: Humble Mike Hatch after losing the race for governor of Minnesota; Senator-elect Amy Klobuchar's phone call from a former president; Walz wins congressional seat in the 1st district (32 seconds).
News: A review of the numbers from yesterday's gubernatorial election (32 seconds).
News: Reporter Pat Kessler reviews Gov. Pawlenty's acceptance speech and Mike Hatch's concession speech along with a speech given today by the new democratic leader of the Minnesota House (1:31).
News/Personal interest: Outgoing Speaker of the Minnesota House, Steve Svigum (R), shown choked up when talking about the end of his leadership (36 seconds).
News: Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnston lost yesterday (10 seconds).
News: Rumsfeld resigns as Secretary of Defense. People are angry about how the Iraq war has been handled. Sen. Norm Coleman talks about how the resignation is a good thing. Robert Gates has been nominated for the position (44 seconds).
News/Personal Profile: Amy Klobuchar is Minnesota's senator-elect. She is a "superstar." She promised to visit all Minnesota counties every year in her acceptance speech. Discussion about her daughter Abigail and where the Senator-elect and family will live. Where will Abigail go to school? Klobuchar says that being chosen senator is a "humbling experience." A University of Minnesota Poli-sci professor talks about what it means to have the first woman senator from Minnesota. Footage of Klobuchar greeting well-wishers in downtown Minneapolis. It is noted that Klobuchar's senior prom date called to wish her well as well as President Clinton. A WCCO reporter (?) asks Klobuchar who she will have on her staff (2: 40).
News: Keith Elison won the congressional seat from Minneapolis' 5th district. Footage of Elison thanking supporters. Question of what it means for Elison to be the first Muslim elected to the House (5o seconds).
Weather--it's 70 degrees right now! (40 seconds)
Segue to commercial/preview of upcoming stories:
Gopher basketball
State Epidemiologist Resigning
Walz wins in 1st District (21 seconds)
commercials (2:30)
Ads: Preview of CBS Primetime shows & 10:00 news (20 seconds)
Ads: Because of today's G.W. Bush press conference, "The Bold and the Beautiful" will be shown at 3:07 am tomorrow morning (10 seconds).
News: A "gang member" who killed a young boy as he walked home from a basketball game will get a lesser sentence (31 seconds).
News: Harry Hall, state epidemiologist is resigning to do work in international healthcare (31 seconds).
News/Human Interest: Walz beat 6 term incumbent in the 1st district. He's a social-studies teacher from Mankato West H.S. and a football coach that led his team to 2 state championships. His student helped him get elected--footage of him in a conference room thanking his students for their help (2:00).
Weather: Snow predicted by tomorrow night, 5 day forecast, radar... (3:21).
Segue to commercials/preview:
Vikings
Gopher basketball
"This portion of the broadcast brought to you by Treasure Island Resort and Casino" (30 seconds).
commercials (2:30)
Sports: In basketball, Gophers vs. Winona State--best division 2 team in the nation; two high school students have signed on to play for the Gophers next year (2:00).
Sports: Vikings vs. Green Bay on Sunday (1:15).
Sports: Twins' pitcher Johann Santana gets "Players' Choice" award (20 seconds).
Ad: Preview of stories for 10:00 news (40 seconds).
Weather/final anchor jabbering (45 seconds)
Ad: "This portion of the broadcast brought to you by Partners for Affordable Energy" (10 seconds).
The End.
A Few Comments
Why did WCCO show lame-duck speaker Svigum of the Minnesota House choked-up about not keeping his position? This was not news as much as it was about injecting some emotion into a tv program (this program just happened to be called "the news").
In the story about Donald Rumsfeld's resignation, Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman was given a significant amount of time to explain to us why the resignation is a good thing. In some way, by airing this clip, WCCO tv is supporting Coleman's idea that the resignation is a good thing. We don't know that. Who is the new secretary of defense going to be? What do we know about him? What do people who like him say about him? What do people who don't like him say about him? What does someone who can speak with authority and yet is unbiased say about him? Is there anything wrong with having Rumsfeld resign?
In the story about Klobuchar, it seems to me that too much was made of Klobuchar being a woman and a mother. Discussions were had about where her daughter will go to school, and the fact that she's the first female elected to the Senate from Minnesota. These issues are interesting, but I want to know more about what she plans to do next--this was purely human interest.
Much was made of Elison being the first Muslim elected to congress--pictures were shown of Arab newspapers featuring stories about him today. Again, this is a human interest story and not really news. At the very least, we should hear what his next steps are. Elison, when asked about being a Muslim, redirects the reporter to his focus on serving the interests of his constituents.
Interesting for me to realize how much time is spent delivering the weather--about 5 minutes. Also interesting to note that the news is directly "sponsored" by particular organizations including Treasure Island Casino and "Partners for Affordable Energy" (by the looks of the ad that followed this 'official endorsement' this group is a front for coal-burning power companies...). I wonder how this effects the news that they put out?
Introduction and preview of night's stories: Humble Mike Hatch after losing the race for governor of Minnesota; Senator-elect Amy Klobuchar's phone call from a former president; Walz wins congressional seat in the 1st district (32 seconds).
News: A review of the numbers from yesterday's gubernatorial election (32 seconds).
News: Reporter Pat Kessler reviews Gov. Pawlenty's acceptance speech and Mike Hatch's concession speech along with a speech given today by the new democratic leader of the Minnesota House (1:31).
News/Personal interest: Outgoing Speaker of the Minnesota House, Steve Svigum (R), shown choked up when talking about the end of his leadership (36 seconds).
News: Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnston lost yesterday (10 seconds).
News: Rumsfeld resigns as Secretary of Defense. People are angry about how the Iraq war has been handled. Sen. Norm Coleman talks about how the resignation is a good thing. Robert Gates has been nominated for the position (44 seconds).
News/Personal Profile: Amy Klobuchar is Minnesota's senator-elect. She is a "superstar." She promised to visit all Minnesota counties every year in her acceptance speech. Discussion about her daughter Abigail and where the Senator-elect and family will live. Where will Abigail go to school? Klobuchar says that being chosen senator is a "humbling experience." A University of Minnesota Poli-sci professor talks about what it means to have the first woman senator from Minnesota. Footage of Klobuchar greeting well-wishers in downtown Minneapolis. It is noted that Klobuchar's senior prom date called to wish her well as well as President Clinton. A WCCO reporter (?) asks Klobuchar who she will have on her staff (2: 40).
News: Keith Elison won the congressional seat from Minneapolis' 5th district. Footage of Elison thanking supporters. Question of what it means for Elison to be the first Muslim elected to the House (5o seconds).
Weather--it's 70 degrees right now! (40 seconds)
Segue to commercial/preview of upcoming stories:
Gopher basketball
State Epidemiologist Resigning
Walz wins in 1st District (21 seconds)
commercials (2:30)
Ads: Preview of CBS Primetime shows & 10:00 news (20 seconds)
Ads: Because of today's G.W. Bush press conference, "The Bold and the Beautiful" will be shown at 3:07 am tomorrow morning (10 seconds).
News: A "gang member" who killed a young boy as he walked home from a basketball game will get a lesser sentence (31 seconds).
News: Harry Hall, state epidemiologist is resigning to do work in international healthcare (31 seconds).
News/Human Interest: Walz beat 6 term incumbent in the 1st district. He's a social-studies teacher from Mankato West H.S. and a football coach that led his team to 2 state championships. His student helped him get elected--footage of him in a conference room thanking his students for their help (2:00).
Weather: Snow predicted by tomorrow night, 5 day forecast, radar... (3:21).
Segue to commercials/preview:
Vikings
Gopher basketball
"This portion of the broadcast brought to you by Treasure Island Resort and Casino" (30 seconds).
commercials (2:30)
Sports: In basketball, Gophers vs. Winona State--best division 2 team in the nation; two high school students have signed on to play for the Gophers next year (2:00).
Sports: Vikings vs. Green Bay on Sunday (1:15).
Sports: Twins' pitcher Johann Santana gets "Players' Choice" award (20 seconds).
Ad: Preview of stories for 10:00 news (40 seconds).
Weather/final anchor jabbering (45 seconds)
Ad: "This portion of the broadcast brought to you by Partners for Affordable Energy" (10 seconds).
The End.
A Few Comments
Why did WCCO show lame-duck speaker Svigum of the Minnesota House choked-up about not keeping his position? This was not news as much as it was about injecting some emotion into a tv program (this program just happened to be called "the news").
In the story about Donald Rumsfeld's resignation, Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman was given a significant amount of time to explain to us why the resignation is a good thing. In some way, by airing this clip, WCCO tv is supporting Coleman's idea that the resignation is a good thing. We don't know that. Who is the new secretary of defense going to be? What do we know about him? What do people who like him say about him? What do people who don't like him say about him? What does someone who can speak with authority and yet is unbiased say about him? Is there anything wrong with having Rumsfeld resign?
In the story about Klobuchar, it seems to me that too much was made of Klobuchar being a woman and a mother. Discussions were had about where her daughter will go to school, and the fact that she's the first female elected to the Senate from Minnesota. These issues are interesting, but I want to know more about what she plans to do next--this was purely human interest.
Much was made of Elison being the first Muslim elected to congress--pictures were shown of Arab newspapers featuring stories about him today. Again, this is a human interest story and not really news. At the very least, we should hear what his next steps are. Elison, when asked about being a Muslim, redirects the reporter to his focus on serving the interests of his constituents.
Interesting for me to realize how much time is spent delivering the weather--about 5 minutes. Also interesting to note that the news is directly "sponsored" by particular organizations including Treasure Island Casino and "Partners for Affordable Energy" (by the looks of the ad that followed this 'official endorsement' this group is a front for coal-burning power companies...). I wonder how this effects the news that they put out?
posted by Nate | 4:52 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Nate,
I watched a different channel's news on the same day as you. I came to pretty much the same conclusions. The "news" is dominated by human interest stories (including sports and weather). In a way these stories are actually an escape from the real news: the real political issues, the complexities of the economy and difficult social issues.
And, I think your count came out the same as well, that in a newscast, the majority of a viewer's time is spent watching advertisements.
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