As a local reporter, I can say you have a point here...except there is a big but. That is the fact that each news organization, large and small, have different audiences and we, as reporters for our various customers, try to fill their desire for information in a unique way compared to other places where they can get…

It’s not the exact same outlet. It is affiliates, some many miles from the town serving different markets. Even some affiliates from the same network compete with each other. And then you have the national networks themselves competing against their own affiliates at times.

A lot of times someone on the scene says they know something, only to find out they really did not see or hear anything themselves...in print, we can work around that, but on tv...the reporter finds out at the same moment as the audience...in fast breaking stories it is hard to vet the witnesses.