Looking at the News

KSTP 5 Eyewitness News at 4:30PM

0:10 Introduction

• Credits

0:36 Local Headlines

• Pedestrian killed on Grand Avenue
• Deadly shooting in St. Paul alley

0:25 Weather Check

5:20 Local Stories

• Republican legislature and gambling
• Decision to keep North High School open
• Man cited for drunk driving
• Improvements to Target Field slated

0:18 Coming Up Next

3:45 Commercials

3:54 National News

• Wall Street closing bell update
• FCC cell phone bill changes
• Cruise ship stranded
• Cheating students in Florida college

0:50 Local Interest Stories

• 400 year-old map visits U of M campus
• 35^th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking

2:46 Weather

2:53 Health Story

• Effects of new cigarette labels

3:36 Commercials

0:57 Wrap Up

• Coming up on 5 Eyewitness News at 5:00PM
• Weather Recap

I’m a fairly avid watcher of the nightly news. It’s one of the only television programs I regularly watch. One of the interesting aspects of news, in my opinion, is the way most viewers are conditioned to watch specific stations from an early age and tend to not question their viewing habits as they get older. For instance, in my childhood home, we watched ABC for all of our news. My parents trusted Peter Jennings’ style during the national news, and our local affiliate, WISN Channel 12 News, is consistently ranked as one of the best ABC affiliates in the nation. So, when I came to the Twin Cities, I continued to watch ABC for my news, even though KSTP is not one of the better news teams in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Plus, they are known for their donations to conservative organizations. I’d bet that most people are the same way with their viewing habits. Whether ABC, NBC, or CBS, I think that we tend to view whatever news station we remember growing up.

Even though I usually watch the 4:30PM broadcast of 5 Eyewitness News, looking at the newscast more closely shed light on the fact that the entire 4:30 show is a preview of the 5:00PM broadcast – basically begging viewers to keep tuning in. With the exception of the weather and their health story on cigarette advertisements changing, all of the news stories were brief headlines for what was coming up at 5:00. Most of the stories ended with a call to watch the coming broadcast for more, in-depth information.

It is no secret that Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation, who owns KSTP, is a conservative, right-wing company. Still, in my opinion, most news organizations, whether transparently conservative or liberal, report news in a conservative manner. For instance, when a crime is committed, more often than not, the story is reported from the authorities’ point of view. Despite minor political hiccups and missteps, government and the law is usually seen as a good thing. In terms of race, crimes involving minorities, and those in urban settings more specifically, are overrepresented. Minorities are seen as either delinquents or charity cases. Finally, when a story involves some sort of ethical decision, traditional and conformist beliefs are usually depicted as the “right thing.” Fitting in with the status quo is shown as a desirable thing.

Teaching Activity

Bring the class to a computer lab or have a set of laptops available for use in the classroom. Break the class into groups according to the number of local news stations in your area and assign each group to one of those stations. Typically, this will mean a total of three groups for affiliates of national stations – one for ABC, NBC, and CBS. Then have each group research the ownership of their station or affiliate and the implications of that ownership on how the station broadcasts. Have them look at story choices, slants in coverage, commercial choices, etc. Next, have each group create a mind map, using MindMeister, that illustrates the chain of ownership for their assigned station or affiliate and the implications of that ownership. Finally, have each group present their findings to the class.