Journalist Blasts Networks

The quality of network news programs is deteriorating because they are no longer competitive, a former executive producer of CBS Evening News said at the Kennedy School of Government Wednesday.

Sanford Socolow, a veteran journalist with 42 years of experience, discussed the decline in competitive journalism during an off-the-record talk to an audience of approximately 30. In an interview before the speech, Socolow outlined his views on the changing face of the news media.

Socolow said the CBS, NBC and ABC news operations are relying in creasingly on information gathered by independent organizations such as the National Election Service.

"In a presidential caucus, for instance, all network news agencies get the same information and predictions at the same time, he said.

"Election nights used to be a race to counting the votes," said Socolow. "I don't think people are aware that election-night calls[forecasts] are now all done by one outfit."

Socolow said the networks' dependence on news pools has resulted in a leaner news operation.

"Networks have cut back drastically," said Socolow. "Money is driving the networks out of the news business."

The networks' reliance on regulated news pools has decreased the need for foreign news bureaus, which formerly provided eyewitness reports, said Socolow.

CBS suffered drastic cuts in foreign news coverage and recently closed bureaus in Johannesburg, Bangkok and Hong Kong, he said.

"[Network news programs] have redefined news," said Socolow, noting a change of interests from foreign to more domestic "news-you-can-use" stories, featured on programs such as 48 Hours, 20/20 or Street Sense.

Socolow, who considers himself a member of the "old guard" of journalism, said he worries that "old-fashioned news" on programs such as 60 Minutes may be rapidly disappearing. Socolow predicted that two of the network news agencies would be out of business within five years.

If staple nightly news programs continue to decline, Socolow said, "the random viewer will not be able to find information readily available."