Was going to make this Monday read all about job listings, but that was before John Oliver raked local news over the coals on his This Week Tonight show on HBO. It was brutal if you were one of the stations he focused on…because he had video to back up his ‘what are they doing’ story about paid content, etc. We all know it can be done and done right, but he found some fascinating (dare we say glaring?) examples of products that might not have made the cut back when there were standards and practices. And, sigh…he named call letters, and in two cases even reporters/hosts. He included the largest ownership groups. Basically, local came away with a black eye and a lot to think about if the premise of successful local coverage hinges on audience trust. I’m sure you’ll be able to find it on YouTube or if you have HBO it’s on demand.

Look for tonight’s writing tomorrow. And definitely, check out his story. Not paid to promote HBO or Oliver, although I would definitely consider it and let you know if it happened.

Think About This: “Trust but verify.”  ~  Ronald Reagan