Oregon Media Insiders

is that KPTV produces its newscasts for the viewers. We sit on here and rip each other about how we as "journalists" think we should be covering stories. It's an interesting debate really. Do we know better what the public should be seeing on our air? Or is the viewer smart enough to know what they want?
Let's face it, ratings right now, is the best gauge we have for discovering whether they choices we make in our story meetings are really the choices our viewers agree with. Sure there are other factors like lead ins and anchors and things like that.

However, I think the average viewer couldn't care less what a station's lead was. We put far too emphasis on "leads." I know exactly why KPTV played that story in their second segment... because they don't take CW as a serious threat and knew people would stick around for 10 minutes to see the story, which then boosts their average a tad. I think the bridge story should have been their lead, but I'm a journalist like you.

But in KPTV's defense and regarding your post, I wouldn't necessarily use the term "smart insightful journalism" with any of the broadcast media outlets in this town... including 'butt kicking' KOIN. Stations around here once in a while do something noteworthy, but by and large not so much. I think the people doing the best journalism in Portland are the Portland Tribune and the Willamette Week. But that's just me.