As you probably know, I recently attended the AMEC Measurement Summit in Berlin, Germany. One thing I noticed: There’s definitely a difference in broadcast programming versus the U.S. I believe it’s closely related to both the evolution of print media in the U.S. and our desire to keep up with social media.

In the U.S., fewer outlets report on unique stories leaving less for the broadcast media to cover. You see, much of what is reported by broadcasters is born in print. Why is this important? Because while I love social media and all it has to offer, I don’t want to tune into an anchor checking their tweets. Where’s the journalistic integrity in an anchor reading their Twitter feed? Granted, there is a lot of great information available via social media, but evil forces are at work – a la celebrity death hoaxes (glad you’re o.k., Jeff Goldblum) – and I want to trust my news provider.

In Germany, however, CNN provided straight reporting of the news. The anchor and field reporter interviewed real people related to the story. It was simple, but  interesting and compelling. I even enjoyed the cricket coverage. Why? There were interviews with real people who play the sport, who love the sport, and whose business was impacted as a result.

My frustration came to a head recently when John Roberts, CNN’s American Morning anchor, gave a look followed by “I’m just saying” three times in as many minutes. Really, John? That’s your job. You are paid to say things, so please ease off the slang. What’s next, Kiran Chetry shrieking “OMG” before announcing breaking news? I’ve been a news junkie most of my life, so to watch something I’ve long enjoyed suffer is painful.

Sadly, the news outlets are not alone in struggling to find their niche and that impacts our clients here at BurrellesLuce. On a daily basis, I work with public relations peers who face a similar identity crisis. In some cases. PR pros abandon traditional media and hastily turn to social media outreach when their core stakeholders aren’t in that space. While I always say everyone needs to be listening in social media, you need only be active if you have something to add to the conversation or your key stakeholders are there and you want to be relevant to your audience.

What do you say to the CEO who says “We need a Facebook page”? The same thing you would say to him if he asked for all communication to be delivered on stone tablets. You counsel based your audience and your overall strategy. 

Am I alone in wanting and expecting more from our news providers? Please share your thoughts and I will climb off my soapbox.