South Florida News Does it Again
By Kassandra Lopez, Global Strategic Communications graduate student at the University of Florida
How my local U.S. News Station, compares to a night of watching the BBC News broadcast.
Disclaimer: it is BAD.
As a fun tool to gauge the perspective of my local news, and to better understand a global news’ perspective. I have looked at two news broadcasts, ran the same day and both concerning Covid-19 and its current impact on the surrounding area. What I found was disturbing, but admittedly, not surprising. The BBC’s evening broadcast spoke of the terror sweeping England as Covid-19 spreads faster than the government can work to contain it. The reporter is formal, maintains a severe demeanor and focuses on how poorly the situation is developing. There is an air of formality within this broadcast, and the whole video feels credible. The story is deep, with details given as to how the government is trying to cope and the overall situation.
In sharp contrast, my local South Florida broadcast decides to softly mention the threat of Covid-19 at the beginning of their broadcast. And then go into an exciting and gleeful recap of all the Halloween events going on in the area. The two presenters do not maintain a professional demeanor, instead acting very lax and using playful diction. At the end, the male reporter puts on a Football themed face mask and the action itself feels ironic. The difference in professionalism and choice of what to report on is vastly different for both channels. It is important to note that the U.S. is currently being assaulted by thousands of new Covid-19 cases as well!
The difference between the quality of newscast put out by BBC and that of other news stations, has long been evident. But even deeper than that, we must acknowledge the stories each choose to portray and their angle. The meme to the left may be a hyperbole, but as with the two broadcasts I analyzed today. The differences in voice, tone and choice of coverage are vast.
