Blog
04.01
Do Americans Tune Out of Trouble?
On TVNewser, there was a revealing article that shows CNN has dropped out of the top 10 cable network rankings for the week of March 21-27. Completely.
While MSNBC and FOX News are having political mudslinging fights, CNN is trying to be responsible showing stories in Japan and Libya. Now, they're paying for it in terms of viewers who would rather see what the President is doing about gas prices... or better yet, watching to vote for the next American Idol or best celebrity dancer.
Are we that shallow, or is there another premise? I think the latter.
In the world of public relations, professionals find a trend and discover how to position their clients for insight and a neutral perspective in that trend. Everyone has a story to tell, and if the media is telling that story, your client may be considered.
What if your client has something that could help the hurting in Japan, or serve our soldiers in Libya, Afghanistan or Iraq?
In PR, that's called a human-interest angle. After the devastation has been covered, the media begin considering recovery. Better yet, who is helping and how.
Speaking selfishly, we have great clients that provide that human-interest angle in terms of healthcare, technology, financial, real estate, missions and even in the culinary world.
I know all PR and marketing agencies can say that, but if individuals and companies like these get more attention, perhaps America will take more interest in the world around them, rather than escaping to (sur)reality TV.
There's bad news all around us. Wars. Crimes. Car crashes are evergreen news stories. Perhaps this nation is starting to tire of the misery and demanding some light to shed on the topics at-hand.
I hope so, because we have a tunnel full to share.
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