WLOS: The producers – a debate

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Seems this is a really hot topic, so I’ll just let y’all have at it:

Former producer
-Nice rant (responding to a previous post), but the point is simple. Exposure to other news work enviroments is important.
For example, a person who becomes city manager in a medium size city may be more effective after working in a small town. No one can deny depth, exposure, understanding an audience, and a little worldiness can go a long way. Also, sorry, but no matter how many different shows you may have produced it still means you’re still there in the same place. All the shows have looked the same for years. Just different faces. I now work as a producer in a larger market, I fell on my face when I got here. I had no idea how other newsrooms were run. Guess what, I learned from the people around me, and became a far better producer. Our shows are exciting and energetic and our product is solid. News-13’s is not. Period. You guys have a formula that just doesn’t stand the test of time. Be willing to change.

Mr. FUschia
-Now don’t get me wrong, I agree with much of what everyone is saying. There are plenty of advantages of working in a variety of very different markets. Trust me, I know. But Asheville is a special place. Its a place that focuses on the community, that focuses on the people here in the mountains, that tries to outreach their arms to everyone. And while WLOS does indeed often fall short of matching that same standard, they are trying. Former Producer, you say, “You guys have a formula that just doesn’t stand the test of time. Be willing to change.” I’ve lived here for several years now, and in that time, I have seen a huge change in not only the quality of coverage, but in what is being covered. Thats why WLOS is #2 in the market, yes, #2. And actually not far from knocking off all holy amazing WYFF othff their top spot. Yes, we say they dropped the ball with the FEMA story, becuase we, being educated persons, care about what happens in our government, and the rest of the country. But remember, 99% of this market is made up of mountain people who are more worried about making ends meet than about that giant fiery car crash in California. When they get home from the few factory jobs left in WNC, and turn on the 6:00 newscast, they care about the festival going on near their town, or the fact some little no name company is laying off workers, or how their donations to the red cross when they have nothing else is getting put to good use. Covering those stories is what I feel WLOS is trying their best to do. If you want FEMA, by all means, go to Channel 7 or Channel 4 and get your FEMA stories mixed in with other national crap you can just as easily read on a credible news website. And watch their little coverage of SC news.

Sorry, when I go on a rant, things might not make sense. I am willing to discuss this further.

newsace back with this:
-My last (I promise) on this topic (or at least this thread, since I doubt this topic will go away):

Note that I didn’t say the experience in other markets would not lead one to create a better product at News 13 — only that that outside experience does not NECESSARILY, AND OF ITSELF lead to such a result, and that I hadn’t seen much evidence of it happening here. And I don’t think it’s necessary to work in numerous markets to be good at producing. I think there’s a lot to be said for putting down roots and being part of the community, rather than blowing into town for the two years you need on your resume to get to the next rung on the ladder, and not having a vested interest in the long term impact of your work.

Good for you, Former producer, if you’ve moved on and done well. My objection was not with your individual case, but rather with the generalization that News 13 would be better just by hiring producers from other markets. Sure, that might help. But it might also just bring in a new crop of 25 year olds with no knowledge of the market, wondering why a photographer can’t just “swing by” Lake Lure on the way back from Fontana Lake to pick up that extra VO, and trying to create some whiz-bang graphics to put on the “escape tape” at the expense of actually reporting the news.

Finally, waz says:
-Misson Accomplished Vegas…You have managed to ruffle some feathers. Good work.

Maybe we should listen to Former Producer and get a more Fox-like newscast going. Get a fancy ass star trek set, and dress the news crew like they just got off the plane from Miami. That way our news casts can be completly unlocal/unreal and just like the big markets.

Put the vegas in the ville…