The credibility of local TV news is under attack again, but not by critics like yours truly — by network TV.
The Fox network has not one but two prime-time series — one "reality," one fictional — that strike right at the heart of what local television news is. Which, given that the credibility of Fox's local newscasts in markets across the country is somewhat iffy at best, is the ultimate in irony. (Whatever failings the news operation at KSTU-Ch. 13 might have, it's not the sort of circus you see in markets like Los Angeles and San Diego.)
First up is "Anchorwoman" (tonight at 7 on Ch. 13), a so-called "reality" show about an "uber vixen" (Fox's words, not mine) who's hired to anchor the news at a small TV station in Texas. And in September, Fox will premiere the sitcom "Back to You," which features Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton as local news anchors.
The message of both shows is that TV news isn't about the news, it's about show biz. It's all about appearances, not journalism.
In "Anchorwoman," Lauren Jones — beauty-pageant contestant, swimsuit model, "Price Is Right" hostess, WWE diva — is hired by the owner of a TV station in Tyler, Texas, to anchor his newscast. She's utterly unqualified; she dresses as if she thought she'd be working the streetcorner; she's apparently an airhead.
She winks. She blows kisses to the camera.
"You know, I could do this if I was doing this in a bikini," Jones says.
It's not just about Jones, however. The regular anchorwoman she's replacing (who is appalled by Jones) is shown acting less than professionally. And the station's on-air team includes Stormy the Weather Dog.
The scary thing about all this is that, although she's completely unqualified and apparently not all that bright, there's nothing to prevent Jones from becoming a successful local-news anchorwoman. You don't have to be qualified or smart, you only have to be able to read and look good.
Is it any wonder that "Back to You" executive producer Steve Levitan said, "This world ... was extremely ripe for a comedy." He maintains that his show is "very accurate about the way that local news is done." He sends scripts to an old friend who anchors the news at a Pittsburgh station to make certain he has a note of authenticity.
"What's so funny to me about local news is there's this great narcissism pretending to be altruism," Levitan said.
"I love the hairdos and seeing the different markets. You got your New York anchors who — the gals who really could use a little wax on the brow," Heaton said. "Then you get all the way to the West Coast — some of them look like hookers."
And they are indeed paying attention. Levitan will make fun of the ridiculous local TV news practice of putting reporters places where absolutely nothing is happening to do their report. "We have the whole notion that even though there's nothing happening at a courthouse at 10 at night, you have to go stand in front of the dark courthouse," he said.
Watch any local newscast in Utah and you'll see that every one of them does that.
Both Levitan and Heaton sounded sorry for local-news anchors.
"I just think these poor newscasters, they have to be entertainment now. There's no line anymore, really," Heaton said. "They're having to promote shows that are coming on, and they have to do goofy stuff and dress up or be funny. ... It's tough for them, I think. They want to maintain their journalistic integrity, but you have to get those ratings."
"There's more and more pressure for them — ratings are becoming everything," Levitan said. "I think that showbiz-versus-journalism struggle is alive and well in local news."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com