KARE-11
News
10:00 PM
Broadcast
Monday,
November 15, 2004
Viewing Log
|
STORY |
TIME |
|
Top Story: Breaking news on a hit-and-run
accident that killed a 55-year-old |
2 min. |
|
Local News Story: Update on stabbing death of a |
approximately
30 sec. |
|
Local News Story: Suspect arrested in recent bank
robbery. Blurbs on other recent bank
robberies in the Twin Cities area. |
approximately
1 min. |
|
Local News Story: The city of |
approximately
1 min. |
|
Local/National News Story: A solider from |
approximately
3 min. |
|
Top National News Story: NASA Scramjet launch. |
1 min. |
|
National News Story: Condoleeza Rice will replace Colin
Powell as Secretary of State. |
1 min. |
|
National News Story: A man set himself on fire outside
of the White House and repeatedly yelled “Allah Allah” after Secret Service
agents put the fire out and restrained him. |
approximately
30 sec. |
|
National News Story: Beavers built a dam with stolen
money. |
approximately
30 sec. |
|
Teaser: Upcoming investigative report on
“War Driving” and keeping your home computer safe from wireless hackers. |
Commercial
break: approximately 3 min. |
|
Investigative Report: “War Driving” – In this segment,
reporter Jana Shortal reveals the security risks involved in wireless
Internet connections. The first part
of the segment describes the problem and “alarming” rate of occurrence. “War drivers” are individuals that hack
into someone else’s wireless Internet system and essentially surf the Web for
free. But they also have access to
personal information, which makes identity theft a real threat. A member of the Geek Squad is consulted as
an expert in War Driving, and is described in the report as a “soldier in
war.” After demonstrating how easy it
is to find a free connection through unprotected networks, the story provides
solutions and tips for protection, leaving the viewer with a sense of
relief. The segment self-promoted the
station by encouraging viewers to log on to www.kare11.com
to learn more about protecting your wireless Internet connection. |
5 min. |
|
Weather: Overview of current conditions and
recent warm-weather trends after a cool summer. The weather reporter, Ken Barlow, engages
in “happy banter” with Julie Nelson and Frank Vascellaro during his segment. |
3 min. |
|
TEASER: Prep sports highlights still to
come. |
Commercial
break: approximately 3 min. |
|
Sports: Randy Shaver is Sports Anchor. Segment begins with “YMCA” by the Village
People playing in the background as professional sports scores flash across
the screen. A brief update on
professional sports news and then a longer segment on the “Athletes of the
Week” sponsored by U.S. Bank. A female
volleyball player from |
4 min. |
|
“Before We Go”: Feature story on Bartender
Championship in |
approximately
1 min. |
Analysis
The newscast
started with local news stories. The top
story was breaking news on a hit-and-run accident that killed a pedestrian in
north
The
investigative report was the longest segment.
First, it presented a problem that was framed as a very serious and
dangerous issue. The rhetoric that was
used conveyed a sense of struggle between the “good guys” and the “bad guys.”
Because the offenders are called “war drivers,” the expert from the Geek Squad
that was called on for the report was referred to as a “soldier in war,” as the
struggle between the good guys (i.e., the Geek Squad and innocent citizens) and
the bad guys (i.e., the war drivers) is actually a battle between good and
evil. Or so the viewer is invited to
perceive. The investigative report also
utilized self-promotion for other media associated with the news station, as
viewers were encouraged to log onto www.kare11.com
to learn more about protecting themselves against War Driving.
As the
newscast progressed, the stories became softer.
For instance, the sports segment was introduced with “YMCA” by the
Village People. Though some professional
sports news was provided, the bulk of the segment was on the Athletes of the
Week. One female and one male athlete
were chosen.
Even though
there was gender balance in the news stories, the newscasters in this broadcast
were predominantly male (3:1). From a
critical discourse perspective, this suggests that the news, particularly the
hard stories at the beginning of the broadcast, is more credible because it comes
from the authoritative male voice. By
comparison, the softer “investigative report” on a serious, yet not
life-threatening issue, was delivered by a female reporter. As illustrated, these subtle gender roles
have implications for news content and delivery.
Although I did
not analyze the content of the commercials, it would be interesting to see the
types of advertising in terms of the intended audience. Studying this would provide further insight
into TV news viewing trends.