Letter to Local News Media

Dear Local TV Newscasters and their Masters:

I have always been a regular evening news viewer.  I usually take in some news before prime time (if I'm home from work) and almost always watch the 11:00pm news and sometimes Nightline (not since the format change, though).  Over the past decade, I have become disillusioned and miss more and more nightly news casts.  This topic comes up with my conservative and liberal friends and colleagues alike - the news is just not the news anymore.

Daily, I am more and more thankful for the internet and for the myriad other paths to actual news.  If it weren't for alternative outlets for news and other pertinent information, I would think that every event in America, nay, the world had a "Portland or NW Connection". Additionally, I would never be able to go to another local restaurant because of the disgusting and sensationalized restaurant "reviews" that you show on a regular basis. I don't want to see stories on bedbugs for days and days in a row - show the story and move on for the love of Pete.

It is a little sad to see the old time newscasters reading the hideous and unfortunate "news" scripts and engage in uncomfortable banter.  I can almost see them flinching when they have to go from a bombing to an invasive infotainment segment.  I'm not sure why they stand for the disrespectful handling of the audience and the embarrassing way they insert themselves into the news stories.  Please stop forcing the newscasters to chat with each other - I don't care what they think about health care or Tiger Woods or the weather in California.

One newscaster, in particular, is on my DISLIKE list for her pretentious attitude and ingratiating manner.  Her interviews with some of the most vile criminals in the state and her "closeness and friendship" with some of the victims and their families has been such a turnoff that I simply cannot watch this person read any kind of news.

Please note that your "teaser" commercials really only serve to chase me to a different channel. Mostly, I just turn the TV off.  So, I don't watch Leno, Letterman or Kimmel, either.  I'm not sure the national stations know this, but perhaps they should...maybe that will be the next letter I write.

Respectful of my own time and sanity,

Jean