The Daily News – Making Sense of Your Community Through Video
A newspaper that focuses on local news and provides its readers with a brief account of current events locally, nationally or internationally. It may be published daily, semiweekly or weekly and can include articles written by journalists who do not have subject expertise. The main purpose is to inform the reader on topics that affect their community and lifestyle, and is intended for a broad audience. Generally, newspaper articles should not require prior subject knowledge to read.
The New York Daily News, or simply the Daily News, is a morning tabloid newspaper founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the Illustrated Daily News. It became the first successful tabloid in the United States, and in its heyday had the highest circulation of any newspaper in the country. At its peak in 1947, it was selling 2.4 million copies per day. The newspaper has had a long history of sensational crime and scandal coverage, lurid photographs, and entertainment features. Its editorial stance has varied, but the paper is often described as a centrist with a liberal populist legacy.
In this digital age, technology has disrupted the business of journalism by putting thousands of reporters out of work and closing newsrooms across America, leaving vast areas without traditional local media. The city of McKeesport in southwestern Pennsylvania is one such example, where residents are now struggling to make sense of their communities as they try to separate fact from gossip.
We analyzed hundreds of local news videos posted to YouTube by the most popular channels, including those owned by traditional news organizations and independent publishers. To assess each video’s overall tone, we looked at whether it took a positive, negative or neutral stance on its primary topic. About one-in-five videos (22%) had a negative stance on their main topic, while only 4% had a positive tone.
To evaluate the quality of a video, we looked at how well it was produced and presented. We considered things like the clarity of the audio, the camerawork and the use of graphics or visuals to convey information. In addition, we looked at how the video incorporated external tools, such as social media links and links to other websites or news sources. We also examined how well the video addressed key aspects of local news, including public safety, government and politics, and the economy and jobs. Our research found that the most popular local news videos emphasized these themes, with more than half discussing government and politics and a third covering public safety and emergency response. These are the areas most frequently covered by traditional newspapers. They are also areas where online news videos can excel. They provide an opportunity for civic engagement and the formation of citizen journalists. They also serve as a model for what the future of local news might look like.