ABSTRACT
Polls still show people choosing television over newspapers, magazines, and radio as the most important and believable news medium, and television viewing continues to increase. Radio has remained an important source of news. In fact, news-talk programming was among the fastest growing formats during the mid-1990s. Many listen to music, talk, and news on the radio as they get ready for work or school in the morning, travel in automobiles, and work in their homes or businesses. This chapter examines radio newscasts, television and cable newscasts, and television and cable news services. It looks at other forms of news programming—documentaries, on-the-spot coverage, and interviews. Television stations broadcast news less frequently but for longer periods than most radio stations. During the 1980s, satellite relay capability spawned additional sources of television news. Electronic newspapers now provide continuous updates of news and sports events for online subscribers.
