By John McGory
If it bleeds, it leads. This mantra of local television news organizations comes from market research that suggests stories of crime and violence increase newscasts’ ratings. This finding drives news directors to deliver more crime-related stories to their audiences.
How do these news stories impact your community or neighborhood? Are potential homebuyers and investors scared away by the nightly news? It’s likely.
Here are two studies that illustrate problems facing local communities:
A Baltimore study suggested that local television crime coverage is related to a heightened fear of the central city and that this fear translates to reduced travel there.
A study in New Orleans showed that reports of homicides made up 0.4 percent of all crimes but represented 50 percent of all reported crime stories.
How can communities fight back? By sidestepping traditional media to seize the opportunity to tell their own stories through the use of both social media and old school tactics such as word of mouth and newsletters.
No one is going to invest in a community that is feared. If all people know about your neighborhood is what they see on the six o’clock news, then many of the wonderful stories will never be told. Telling others what your community is about, the citizens who make it special and your neighborhood’s potential, are the ingredients for success.
There is hope for the future. Social media is providing communities with the opportunity to change the way we view ourselves. A Pew Research Center for Excellence in Journalism reported in September that the younger generations are turning away from television when getting their local community news.
The report also showed that people use three to six different sources for local community news. Television is viewed for breaking news, traffic and weather. Newspapers are read for news about local government, housing and taxes. The Internet is for restaurants and local businesses. Old school forms such as word of mouth and printed newsletters still have a place in getting the word out about events.
The report shows that communities need to be strategic in communicating with the public. Using a variety of sources can increase the chances that good stories will be a part of the discussion.
Crime scenes, grim-faced detectives and yellow tape will not disappear from the evening news’ leads. Communities can help balance the public perception of urban neighborhoods by being proactive and telling the good stories that take place much more frequently than violent crime.
The evening news is a business built on creating emotion, much of it fear. Don’t let that business define your community. Tell your story by getting strategic and using the tools of today.
