News is People: The Rise of Local TV News and the Fall of News from New York [Hardcover]

Craig M. Allen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0813812070 | ISBN-13: 978-0813812076 | Edition: 1

News is People is the first book-length account of local TV news, taking readers behind the scenes of more than 50 years of broadcasting. As local newscasters continue to invest resources into meeting the needs of their audiences, local newscasts continue to grow and gain public approval, giving them an edge over network news.

News is People includes 200 interviews with station managers, news directors, producers and anchors, and addresses many issues facing local network news today such as:
-- Criticism of news media
-- Tension between "high-reporters" and "average American viewers"
-- Spreading influence of news consulting

Media students and professionals, as well as regular viewers, will benefit from this account of the history behind a primary source of information for an estimated 150 million Americans.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 323 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (February 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813812070
• ISBN-13: 978-0813812076
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 9.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #784,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Professor, check your facts, August 25, 2007

By 

Kirstie Wilde (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: News is People: The Rise of Local TV News and the Fall of News from New York (Hardcover)

I didn't know I was in Professor Allen's book until a friend picked it up on Google. I would be wary of factual problems in the book because everything he wrote about me, except the spelling of my name, was wrong.
-Kirstie Wilde, former television news reporter and anchor, KGW-TV, Portland; KCST-TV, San Diego; KGTV-TV, San Diego; KRON-TV, San Francisco; WHAS-TV, Louisville; KNBC-TV, Los Angeles; KTTV-TV, Los Angeles; KCBA-TV, Monterey/Salinas, in that order. Also, I wasn't the first female anchor in any of those cities, but I was the first female floor director at KGW-TV, Portland, my first job.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for those interested in Local TV News, July 18, 2004

By 

Kirk Varner "Gadget guy" (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: News is People: The Rise of Local TV News and the Fall of News from New York (Hardcover)

If you have ever wondered why the local news on television looks similar from one town to the next, or how it came to be that local TV news is more important to most folks than what Peter, Dan, and Tom--or for that matter any nameless face on CNN, Fox News Channel or MSNBC have to say--then this is a must read for you.

It is obvious that Professor Allen is an academic and takes a scholarly approach to his subject matter. But his work is very accessible for the reader because much of the material was gleaned from the author's interviews with over 200 figures who were there when local news on television moved from fifteen minutes of headlines read from behind a desk each night--to the primary way millions of Americans get their daily news.

How this transformation came to be is at the core of this book.

Anyone who works in television news, or is contemplating a career in a tv newsroom should absolutely read this book. You'll get a great understanding about the multi-million-dollar business that drives most local television stations across the country.