CNN, FOX, MSNBC; Why The 24 Hour News Networks Are So Repetitive: Ratings!

Posted on April 19, 2007
Filed Under Journalism |

A student of mine at the USC journalism school the other day wanted to know why the cable news channels kept running the same cell phone video of the Virginia Tech shootings over and over and over again. She thought it in bad taste and, to be frank, boring.

Here’s why, though.

If there is one thing CNN proved in over a quarter of a century now of 24/7 coverage is, there really is no mass market for round the clock television news. Ratings over all have not improved all that much in over 25 years years for CNN..and market leader Fox has pretty much leveled off as well.

But, history has shown that during times of a crisis or a major breaking news story, viewers do tune to the cable news nets simply because the product is available, even if the quality of the over the air network newscasts is not.

These ratings spikes drive advertising dollars to the cable news nets but usually only for the short run. That is why the cable news nets milk just about everything as much as possible. The feeling is that the audience is always changing throughout the day, so there is a need to keep repeating things for newcomers. That, at least, is the lofty excuse usually given. The truth of the matter is, certain stories . . . especially ones with interesting or unusual pictures and/or sound, suck viewers in. And, once they got you into the tent, they will do everything possible to keep you there…even if that means showing you the same thing over and over again.

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