Viewers of "local" TV news in nearly 40% of markets nationwide are hearing the exact same thing found on a competitor’s channel, according to a new study co-authored by the University of Delaware's Danilo Yanich. This widespread word-for-word duplication could have major implications on local journalism and newscasts, which are a source of critical information for millions of Americans.
Yanich and fellow UD researcher Benjamin E. Bagozzi analyzed three months of local TV news broadcasts from 861 stations nationwide — more than 400,000 programs in all. Using a high bar for what counts as duplication (at least half of the content being word-for-word identical, excluding sports, weather and ads), they found widespread story sharing.
Other findings:
In many cases, two stations in the same city aired nearly identical newscasts night after night.
• Duplication is driven by service agreements and the gobbling up of stations by groups such as Nexstar, Gray, News-Press and Gazette and Sinclair.
• Stations with service agreements had duplication rates twice as high as those that were simply co-owned.
• Smaller markets were more likely to have these overlaps. In some cases, two stations in the same city aired nearly identical newscasts night after night.
• The duplication usually happened within the same geographic market (86% of cases) rather than between different regions. On average, these station pairs had identical content 65% of the time.
• Local TV remains America’s most trusted news source. Over three-quarters of Americans say they trust it more than newspapers, radio or online news.
“In any other context, this would be plagiarism,” said Yanich, noting that he and Bagozzi intentionally examined stations over 91 days to cover a body of content large enough to provide meaningful results.
The study’s authors stress that while consolidation may make financial sense for station owners, it raises important questions about the future of local journalism. If more and more markets see their “local” stations airing the same news, communities may lose the independent voices that help keep citizens informed and hold local leaders accountable.
To reach Yanich directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile and click on the "contact" button. Email MediaRelations@udel.edu to set up an interview with Bagozzi.
