I've been a news junkie since I was a kid. I was always intrigued by what was happening in the world--not just in my backyard. Old habits die hard. I guess that's why most of my career has focused on news and public affairs. 

My day starts by reading online news, even before I have my first cup of coffee. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times are my 'go-to's,' in addition to other publications. Some people think those papers are biased, but I would argue the reporting is of a superior standard.

Certain sources tend to be more reliable than others. I defer to the AP, BBC, and C-Span. I like C-Span because you watch events live, so there is no mistake in the content. It's aired live.

On my hour walk today, which is a daily habit, too, I tuned into a local network affiliate. It's rare for me to access a local TV news station. It's been a while, and I did not recognize any of the reporters or the weathercaster. The only familiar face was a male news anchor who's worked in the Seattle market forever. The turnover in local stations is constant. Although I prefer to listen to either NPR or read online news, when I occasionally take a peek, I don't know any of the on-air talents anymore. And people I previously watched who I thought were good either move on to another market or are forced out by ageism or low ratings--or perhaps bucking management. If you are unwilling to conform to a particular school of thought, you risk being unceremoniously shown the door.

Putting all of this aside, I turned the station off (I will not mention its name) because the content and presentation bored me. There was a tease about a woman missing at sea, which by most accounts is a dramatic and sad story you might want to hear more about, but the voiceover, in my opinion, was weak. It did not grab my attention enough to stay with the newscast. That's not good news for the station because Arbitron ratings count.

The line between news and entertainment has been blurred for a long time. I knew an excellent network radio reporter, an anchor, who accepted a TV position. Her work was high quality. Yet she got disillusioned in no short time because the emphasis was placed on her appearance more than  journalistic expertise. 

With so many choices and heavy competition, from multiplatform radio to podcasts to multiple online news services, I did not think many people were watching local TV news affiliates. What do the numbers say? They say I'm wrong! The Pew Institute reports that I am in the minority of news viewers. I was surprised to read that most Americans get their news from local TV affiliates, which glean more viewers than network or cable stations. And affiliates generated more revenue in 2020 than in 2019. Who knew?!?