do a fantastic job in bringing their viewers the news and weather of the day. But I also realize that it isn't by random chance that the females bringing the news are very attractive and bring a "sexy" quality to their newscasts.
Having worked in the business sector, specifically in the restaurant business I know that very attractive women were sought for certain positions to bring in higher sales and male clientele.
I realize that, as Callahan stated, it is a business, and the bottom line of journalism like most other businesses is to make a profit for the company. But the question then is that to bring high quality journalism to the public also means to have a certain look to have a larger portion of that same community? A look that sells and captures the attention of the viewers in the same way that todays visitor had the attention of many of the Reynolds participants. That is by no means to say there is anything wrong with that. If the visitor happened to be a female then I'm sure that a smaller group of the class would have been completely enthralled and sitting on the edge of their seats.
So then is broadcast journalism changing to meet the demands of a changing society or is it just selling itself out to make a profit in the name of journalism? Is it just an extension in it 's own way for what society deems acceptable and attractive or is it as much to blame for society succumbing to the same standard that is seen in commercials, advertisements and to a point reality television?
Or is it using this type of selling strategy as a means to continue to survive in a world that is changing daily?
L. Gabriel Senteno
San Diego High
San Diego, Ca.
Interesting thoughts! I think in a world of broadcast journalism it certainly doesn't hurt if you're an attractive person. But it seems in the case of our speaker it is a great addition to his reporting skills that he also seems to be "made" for a TV audience. It's no secret we are drawn to what looks good, so when someone comes to a station and is talented in, say, investigative reporting, of course he will also become a TV personality to boost viewers.
ReplyDeleteSharon Northington
McCracken County High School
Paducah, Kentucky
I think Sharon has a point here. Broadcasters should be hired for their skills first - reporting, writing, editing, interviewing, etc. There's little doubt our speaker had that as the first qualification on his resume. And it didn't hurt that he was also attractive. But this is not a new issue. As a sports reporter, this exact issue has been a struggle for years. I'm often questioning why the big-name cable sports companies continue to hire beautiful women who only read from prompters when quality journalists who might not fit the traditional beauty standard are turned away. It's a dangerous thing, but sex sometimes does sell, because what else is better than that?
ReplyDeleteLaura M. Medina
Montini Catholic High School
Lombard, Illinois
I have no doubt that to make it as an on-air broadcaster in a larger media market: looks count. In a relatively small market like Reno, Nevada, you don't have to be extremely attractive. Our prime-time weather people are mostly male, some overweight, and some old. Reno is the 125th largest media market, with a population of 416,000, according to Arbitron. If you want to know how your city ranks, check out the following website: http://www.arbitron.com/home/mm001050.asp
ReplyDeleteJerry L. Miller
Sparks High School
Sparks, Nevada