BEHIND THE B-ROLL ONLINE

FRESNO, Calif. (BTBR) – Contrary to what some people would have you believe, there is a huge difference between network news pundits and your average local news station reporter or anchor.

It’s easy and common for pundits like Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson, Bill Maher and others to masquerade as journalists.

But there are unfortunately real consequences to George Murdoch dressing up as a news personality behind a desk.

The consequences not only affect how local news is perceived but also to what degree local audiences trust news outlets.

Who could blame audiences for being confused?

The suits, desks, and sets on news networks look similar enough to those on local news stations.

In fact, an increasing number of audiences are so untrusting of the newsroom look they’re willing to listen to the average streamer spouting off nonsense with enough confidence.

To be fair to streamers, I have personally seen some incredible reporting done online and some well-researched stories that have truly inspired me.

Still, it’s a fact that in today’s day and age the average local news team has more competition than ever when it comes to audience’s attention and trust.

While I won’t make any sort of claim as to why audiences seem to trust pundits and influencers just as much as their local media outlets, I will propose a theory.

It’s more than just the look of it all.

While earning my Associates in Communications from Fresno City College I took a communications class with an emphasis on persuasion.

It was my first semester and in hindsight this was the first class that would spark my interest in talking to people to serve a higher purpose.

In the class, I remember the professor asking what we as students felt was the most effective way to persuade someone.

I’ll spare you all of the wrong answers we gave and tell you in no uncertain terms that word of mouth is the strongest form of persuasive communication.

It’s plain to see.

From marketing brands changing their commercials to mirror everyday content, or even going as far as to pay influencers to say nice things about their product or service.

You and I are more inclined to believe someone we know, and we think we know pundits, streamers and influencers.

Though there is no telling who they truly are behind closed doors, pundits, streamers, and influencers let their audiences know their biases.

I don’t have to tell you how John Oliver leans politically, same thing with Ben Shapiro, same thing with Taylor Swift.

But local news journalists are explicitly told never to show their biases, and it makes sense.

I can’t be expected to report on a right leaning politician if I’m a left leaning person can I?

I can actually. I’ve done so many times.

Biases can get in the way of a lot.

It’s still important to make sure one’s bias is not getting in the way of the integrity of a story.

But I’d argue that being transparent with our audiences and showing them our biases outright can serve to make audiences trust us more.

I’d also argue that interviewing people from all walks of life can help breakdown biases for journalists and audiences alike.

I don’t think that means disclosing who I voted for or how I feel about a given issue. I do believe it means being upfront about how I feel about a given story.

If I interview a close friend about the death of her son, which I have had to do, then I want audiences to understand that I’m fully invested in giving her family closure and support.

Of course, having a bias is very different than letting that bias take over.

We are still journalists and have a responsibility to our audience, regardless of their bias.

I wouldn’t post my friend’s story over and over and over again even after it stopped being relevant, and I don’t think she’d want me to.

But maybe part of that responsibility is just being more transparent so people can navigate our stories better.

If audiences know my friend’s story means a lot to me, they may connect to it more.

They may not since I’m often looked at as the “good news guy,” and my friend’s story is undoubtedly bad news and not necessarily “on brand.”

After all, we’re more than bylines, we’re people and media consumers too.

While big news networks benefit from dividing audiences into categories like right and left, I think local news doesn’t have to be that way.

I want to believe life doesn’t have to be that way.

We live in tumultuous times and the United States seems more divided than ever to a lot of people.

Maybe journalists and people with biases, doing their jobs without attacking one another is part of what we need to shift our culture.

If neighbors can trust their local journalists to overcome their biases and connect as members of the same community, maybe we can spark a cultural shift.

It starts with transparency but ends with trust.