For the sake of full disclosure, I was completely sold by this hook and took the quiz making sure my roommates were nearby to marvel at my superior news knowledge. It was only after I received my satisfactory nine out of ten that I took a step back to think about the implications of a respected news agency creating a game out of the news they thoughtfully and carefully reported all week long. What does this mean for news values that seem to be changing by the moment and the news agencies that must constantly try to cater to societies ever-changing wants and needs? I believe that people will not only always want news, but will always need news. The thing that will change is how people will want to consume this news. CNN's news quiz is just one example of news agencies trying to figure out what their audience wants and what will make people read their news. This quiz tactic CNN is employing admittedly worked wonders on me, but should news agencies resort to game show trivia-esque tactics in order to get readers to stay on their page for more than the customary 60 second scan? What would the "ink-stained wretches" of yesteryear have to say about such a soft approach to such important subjects as a plane crash on the Hudson River? Where the old proximity, emotional bond and local lens used to suffice, readers are now asking for news that surprises them, makes them think, makes them smarter and gives them something to talk about. The audience is changing, and so as any business major would say the obvious next step is for the product to change with them. And here we insert the ever present battle of is the press a business or should it function on a higher level than the bottom line? In this day and age, morality and ethical behavior come at a much higher cost than it did ten or even five years ago. Newspapers are doing anything and everything they can to stay afloat. Isn't a paper with bells and whistles attached in an attempt to gain readers better than no paper at all?
I looked at a few other respected newspapers' websites to see if this news quiz was a spreading fad or if CNN had pioneered something the others had yet to pick up on. I looked at MSNBC.com, USAToday.com. RedandBlack.com, and NYT.com and could only find this. A quiz from 2002 and a sad comparison to CNN's quiz. Perhaps the others will catch on in time, or perhaps they have decided that news should not be a game of trivia.
Laurie,
ReplyDeleteThere's a better version of the New York Times news quiz here. It's pretty good evidence that the "ink-stained wretches" of the nation's newspaper of record are in accord with CNN on this matter.
The issue you raise in this post is covered by one of the "Elements of Journalism," a point I went over very briefly at the end of Thursday's lecture: Journalism must strive to make important news interesting and relevant.
Your concern seems to be that creating a quiz from the week's news trivializes the news or detracts from its significance -- that, perhaps, it's a form of pandering. That's a valid concern and reflects an admirable sense of seriousness about keeping people informed.
I would argue that the more serious we are about keeping people informed, the harder we have to work to make sure as many people as possible are engaged with, and interested in, the important news of the day.
News has no value if people aren't paying attention. It might be true that taking creative steps to engage people who wouldn't be interested in traditional presentations of the news might ultimately be good for business, but consider the far worse approach that many news organizations are taking: abandoning serious news to focus on frivolous stories that marketers believe are more likely to attract an audience.
Given the choice between not reporting serious news because not enough people are interested in it, or working hard to get people interested in the serious news that we report, I'd argue strongly for the latter. That's where news quizzes come in.
Perry
Hell yes, Laurie! Great find. Couldn't agree with you more.
ReplyDeleteLaurie,
ReplyDeleteIf I came across that news quiz I would immediately take it. I think it's interesting that CNN used the quiz to find out the public's news habits and tendencies.
How we receive news and our access to it has changed so much. For example, we can receive news on our cell phones instead of picking up a newspaper. It comes in so many different forms now and as future journalists we have to adapt.
Even though we adapt and become versatile, the news must remain informative, relevant and serve the needs of the people.