A few thoughts on news coverage

The unexpected or momentous event is the mother’s milk of daily journalism

The macro and the micro.

In the case of journalism this would be the coverage of national and international news as opposed to reports on state and local matters.

Given the way the media landscape is laid out, the former usually captures the most attention, while the latter is often get relegated to the back burner. The irony is that what’s happening in our respective states or communities often has the most direct and immediate impact and a longer-lasting repercussion on our lives, yet many of us are more familiar with what’s going on in Washington or overseas than at the state capital, county courthouse, or city hall.

But that said, it’s not a either-or choice, or shouldn’t be.

We’d ignore to our detriment or even peril the decisions made by Congress, Supreme Court rulings of major consequence (as was the reversal of Roe v Wade), dwindling water resources in the West due to climate change and overuse, gun violence in schools, China’s threats to Taiwan, Russia’s invasion of The Ukraine, and most recently the Hamas incursion into Israel and the butchery that took place followed by the Israeli bombing of Gaza and planned ground attack that promises a high civilian toll.

While such news is admittedly more compelling, reports on what’s happening closer to home also have their importance. The village council voting on a new budget, the test scores of students in the local school, the township’s road expenditures, or the county commission’s funding of departments may seem mundane. Yet the village budget pays for such services as snow removal, new sidewalks, and sewer and water improvements. The test scores reflect how well young people are learning their lessons. The township expenditure is used to fix potholes, smooth out the washboards, and provide dust control. And the county commission funding determines how many sheriff deputies are on the road, the scope of public heath responses, and how quickly ballots are counted.

Of course, local journalism can have its moments, particularly when a controversial issue pops up, as it inevitably does, or a governmental board makes a hotly-contested decision, In those instances when there are ardent proponents on both sides, the resulting passions can be fierce, the discussions heated, the rhetoric intimidating, and ties of friendship and fellowship become strained—if not broken.

As a newspaper reporter, it can be challenging to navigate the battleground, aware that the passions can easily be aimed in my direction. The best course of action, I believe, is to lay out the facts as they seem to present themselves, attempt to explain each side’s position, and (if warranted) offer the appropriate context and explanation. I believe it’s called “fair and balanced,” which is easier said than done, but should be the guiding light that’s followed.

What makes it difficult to capture people’s interest on the more mundane matters, important though they may be, is that the unexpected or momentous event is the mother’s milk of daily journalism—even the weekly version that I practice.

The fatal car crash, the devastating storm, or a governmental leader caught with their hand in the cookie jar. The horrors of war, the faces of starving children, or the bloody aftermath of a terrorist attack. A presidential campaign, sensational murder trail, or a violent clash between police and demonstrators. . .These and similar events have a way to diverting our attention, capturing the news cycle, or otherwise sucking all the oxygen out of the room.

Feeding into this scenario is that covering these sort of occurrences is what a reporter has been trained to do and for the more enthusiastic, it’s what makes the profession more of a calling to them than a livelihood. Also, it doesn’t take a market survey to know this kind of new engages the reader, listener, or viewer’s interest.

A littler further down the interest level are those stories in which the narration is a series of unfolding episodes with both the reporter and news consumer watching to see if the matter is resolved or the train wreck occurs. the reoccurring threat of a federal government shutdown due to lack of funding would be an example of this.

Of course, there can be the news that is seemingly compelling or of great import, but turns out to be (as Shakespeare wrote) “much sound and fury signifying nothing.” News that turns out to be more froth than substance. And, let’s face it, we do have our appetite as well for scandal and gossip.

But whether the news coverage occurs at the macro or micro level, there remain some basics: An embrace of accuracy, an adherence to putting facts in proper context, listening and observing as impartially as possible, holding up truth to corrupt or disinterested power, choosing an ethical approach over that of expediency, and a faith in the power of the ‘grave compulsive’ word and of a well-told story.

Steve Horton is a mid-Michigan journalist and editor-publisher of the ‘Fowlerville News & Views.’