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Kent Shocknek of Channel 2 News sent an email memo recently suggesting that the early morning show he anchors choose stories, then write and edit them, not to inform but to make sure viewers "Feel Good." The pay site RonFineman.com reprints the memo. Some snippets:
On morning shows we want to make the viewer Feel Good. That's all: just Feel Good. Here's why: We make them Feel Good; they want to watch. Conversely, we make them feel bad.... they will NOT watch.[skip]
Of course we will cover the news that matters; let's just ask ourselves: does it matter? Does a hit and run matter? Police want *your* help? Come on, it happened at 2 a.m. on a dark street in one section of a region that covers 15 million people. Fire in a business? Great flames? So?
[skip]
They want to Feel Good. On home prices, "bad news if you're looking to buy" can easily become "the numbers show now is a good time to sell." I have never heard of a philosophy so simple, yet so all-encompassing. [...] Can we all please start right now to get into the mindset, and give it a try? Thanks.
I feel better already.