"A democracy needs reporters," it was explained. The first American newspaper was published in 1690. Television news began as a public service. John S. Knight had said, "Find the news – and print it." That way, democracy would be the better for it. Network newscasts began in 1948. By 1963, television news became increasingly important. By 1968, "TV has become the chief instrument of journalism" in the United States. About two-thirds of Americans reportedly relied totally on television news to learn about events of the world.
Australian first television network started broadcasting in September 1956. By 1984, it was reported, "Television has changed markedly since then...Current affairs has been the great winner, experiencing almost a 7-fold increase." In 1956, the network only broadcast 15 minutes of current affairs of the 21½ hours of airtime on one network. By 1984, nearly 40 hours of airtime were devoted to current affairs on 5 networks. Journalist Mike Willesee made the comment, "More and more, the function of television will be to provide live entertainment. Current affairs is that. People are also more aware...more concerned. They want politicians to be held accountable. When it matters they want to know."
John Chancellor maintained, "News is a chronicle of conflict and change. People need to know about conflict, and most of that is bad. They need to know about change, and some of that is good, but much of it is bad. So the very nature of news is not happy." Jay Ambrose made the observation in 2007, "Our democracy will not disappear if we return to a partisan press, as we seem to be doing, but it will suffer grievously if people feel they have no place to find reliable information."
In 1979 Rupert Murdoch told the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal, "The coverage of news and current affairs by television is becoming an increasingly important part of their operations and it will become more so in the future. Newspapers have great facilities to lend to television stations...In my view, it is in the public interest that newspapers should remain strong, vigorous and healthy. They have entirely different responsibilites from television. They (the newspapers) have the responsibility to provoke public debate and take part in it. These are most important for the maintenance of democracy."
It was pointed out, "The newspaper's primary role is to report and inform day by day and thus to help guide the community to better government, higher standards of living, a greater security of person and property. A newspaper serves as a forum for public debate of issues."
Harry Reasoner observed, "Let's call the 'lowest common denominator' the largest possible audience – that's the name of the mass communications business...For the most important factor at the start of any news program is: How many people are watching when you come on?"
Harry insisted, "I say that TV news has been instinctively objective, simply because as opposed to newspapers it has much greater influence and as opposed to radio much less chance for diversity...I think TV news ought to present a professional reaction to a story, rather than the journalism of involvement or activism on either the left or right…"
By 1999, 'Dateline NBC' could be seen at least 5 times a week and '20/20' at least 4 times. Susan Zirinsky of '48 Hours' believed, "The West Coast sees that the audience loves reality programming. It's a good way for the news division to fill a need. It's the best of both worlds. We love to do it and they like the product...There is nothing that we do that’s compromised and I don’t say that lightly, because it’s something that we talk about all the time...We don't feel the pressures of entertainment to do certain kinds of stories." Phyllis McGrady of ABC (American Broadcasting Company) News added, "For a long time, documentaries weren't keeping up with the pace of what viewers like to see in other mediums." Neal Shapiro of 'Dateline NBC' remarked, "I don't think the product is being diluted so much as the product is offering additional flavors."
"Television is so emotional. It is the only medium that simultaneously can stimulate 2 senses – hearing and sight," it had been said. 'Weekend' was launched late at night in October 1974 as a "once-a-month" Saturday program. By 1978, Reuven Frank enthused, "I have us scheduled through the (winter-spring) cycle. We go through, I believe, the end of June (1978), we're off in July (1978), and then we have some repeats in August (1978) and early September (1978), the same as '60 Minutes.'" He stressed at the time the stories must "be interesting, it's got to satisfy someone's curiosity rather than sense of mission and it's got to be a picture that tells a story."
"TV is motion, and our job is to put the pictures together with the words to make the story," James Bellows voiced. Diane Sawyer confessed, "We miss a story, it's not just a missed story. It's a lost idea for our program, and ideas are the nutrients of our lives. I don't think I've gone home once without telling myself, 'I could have gotten that idea in.'" It was said, "TV is oral, not written." TV news was described as "pre-literate, designed to serve not the written but the spoken word." TV audience was said "need not be literate in the same way that the readers of the print medium must be."
