CONSONANCE IN LOCAL TELEVISION-NEWS PROGRAM CONTENT - AN EXAMINATION OF INTERMARKET DIVERSITY

This study examined whether television news program decision makers in stations across the U.S. provide diversity in what is presented to vi ewers. Stories dealing with human interest and sensationalistic topics , including crime, accidents, and human interest, accounted for 60% of consonant, or duplicated stories. Stations in medium sized television markets exhibited the highest level of diversity, although these diff erences were not great. Moreover, medium market stations gave signific antly greater emphasis to video reports originated outside the market. Thus, no indication that large marker stations are more active in new s gathering was forthcoming. Overall, the farther the geographic origi n of the story from the market, the higher the level of consonance.