Unveiling the Unseen: Navigating the Ever-Evolving World of Local TV News
Buckle up, readers! Prepare for an eye-opening journey into the dynamic world of local television news. Monica Robins, the seasoned Senior Health Correspondent at Cleveland’s NBC-affiliate, WKYC-TV, recently peeled back the curtain on the ever-shifting landscape of the industry. In an age where longevity in the TV business is as rare as a shooting star, Monica’s 37-year tenure, including 26 years at WKYC, is a testament to her talent, dedication and resilience.
Why is there such a constant churn of faces on your local TV screens? Monica delves into this question with clarity and candor, revealing the seismic shifts reshaping local news. Gone are the days when anchors and reporters planted roots for decades. Nowadays, a decade-long career merits applause, while a 40-year run, like Monica’s, is practically folklore.
Why the exodus? It’s a tale as old as time, but with modern twists. The rise of alternative news sources, from websites to social media juggernauts, has transformed the competitive landscape. Meanwhile, shrinking budgets and expanded news coverage mean doing more with less. It’s a balancing act of epic proportions.
Monica paints a vivid picture of the realities facing today’s TV journalists. From relentless market hopping to shorter contracts, the pursuit of greener pastures is a constant refrain. Yet, amidst the flux, there’s a sense of camaraderie. TV news, like a professional sports team, sees its roster evolve, but the bonds forged endure.
So, as spring heralds a fresh wave of arrivals to Cleveland’s airwaves – and the airwaves in your hometown, too – let’s extend a warm welcome. These new faces, eager to make their mark, are poised to become part of our daily lives. And who knows? With a bit of luck and a lot of love for your community, they just might decide to stick around.
Now, let’s go ahead and dive into Monica’s illuminating insights on the state of local TV news.
Inside the Broadcast: A Candid Look at the Dynamics
Shaping Local TV News Today
By Monica Robins, WKYC-TV Senior Health Correspondent
TV news is constantly evolving and revolving. People come and go all the time. It’s normal. What’s different is that people don’t stay in this industry as long as they used to do. A ten year TV career is incredibly long. A four decade career like mine, is practically unheard of these days.
The industry and you, have changed drastically. Local news isn’t as relevant because you can get your news from so many other sources. The other local stations are no longer our only competition. We’re against hundreds of websites, cable options, streaming services, podcasts and the juggernaut of social media.
Cleveland was my fifth market, and when I arrived, I believe we were market 11. It’s normal for reporters to move to several different cities in their careers as they try to move up market sizes and get better opportunities and a better paycheck.
It’s also exhausting and expensive. We’re not millionaires. The pay is not what it used to be and we work incredibly hard for this living. Cleveland used to be a market that demanded years of experience before you could land a job here. It hasn’t been that way in more than two decades. We’ve also dropped market sizes so we’re now 19. Meaning there are 18 other cities ahead of us that may sparkle a little brighter for an ambitious reporter/anchor.
We’re recruiting younger talent, often with less experience, and contracts are only two years. So after eighteen months, it’s not unusual for them to start looking for greener pastures. Especially if their chance at another position or shift at 3 is slim because of us “old timers.”
Sometimes that means moving up or going back to a market that has family. Or perhaps life got in the way and priorities changed and marriage and family is the next career choice. Or perhaps they’re just tired of the incredibly difficult grind of TV news and want to find a different challenge.
While you may get used to seeing anchors, and some reporters, for years at a time, it’s not unusual to see others come and go. We celebrate them. We’re grateful we had the opportunity to work with them and watch them hone their skills. We’re excited to see them get what we hope is the “dream job” they always wanted. And we’re sad to see them go, but we understand, it’s like a professional sports team, rosters change. We can also follow their careers on their social media accounts, so they’re never really “gone.” And yes, we stay in touch.
This is not a WKYC-TV thing or management thing. It’s a TV thing and happens in every market in the country and every station in Cleveland. Contracts are expiring and unfortunately Spring is a common time for new moves.
Over the next few months, you’re about to meet several new people who are excited to call Cleveland and Northeast Ohio home. We hope you embrace them like you did the others, because they’ll be part of our work family too. And if we’re really lucky, they’ll love it here so much they won’t want to leave, but it doesn’t mean they’ll always be on your TV.
We thank Monica for allowing us to reprint this article, which originally ran on her Facebook page, in toto.
—————————————————————-
Monica Robins is Senior Health Correspondent for WKYC-TV in Cleveland, Ohio. She is also podcast host for ‘Health Yeah! With Monica Robins,’ host for WKYC’s ‘Prescription for Life’ and a columnist for the Cleveland Jewish News’ ‘Monica’s Health Hub.’
Monica is a seven time Emmy award winning reporter, well known as one of Northeast Ohio’s most reliable sources for health news, having earned the respect of the region’s medical establishments, including The Academy of Medicine of Cleveland and Northern Ohio for fair, accurate and unbiased reporting.
She has also received numerous first place ‘Excellence in Journalism awards’ from the Ohio Press Club, Cleveland Press Club and the Associated Press. She’s also been inducted into the Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
You can read all of Monica’s work here: https://authory.com/MonicaRobins