Members of the Writers Guild of America East that work in TV news are both optimistic and pessimistic about the future of broadcast news, according to a survey conducted by the WGAE.
“Our members who are working in this area are optimistic that their employers are going to stay in the game,” WGAE executive director Lowell Peterson told TVNewser. “In the past we have heard from members that are concerned that maybe networks will stop doing news altogether. It doesn’t seem to be what people are really thinking, although they do think that the number of people that watch broadcast news or listen to broadcast news on the radio is going to decrease.”
Peterson also noted that technology is having a powerful effect on the future of news.
“[WGAE members] think that even their employers are going to put more and more stuff on the internet, either in addition to broadcast material or instead of broadcasting material. They also feel that their jobs are less secure than in the past, and that they are working harder.”
According to the survey, 60% of respondents believe that broadcasters will still be in the news business in more than 10 years, though 68% of respondents also think that the amount of broadcast news consumed by viewers will decrease over the next five years.
60% of respondents said that they felt their job was less secure now than it was five years ago. That said, a plurality of respondents also suggested that the guild should focus on training members to adapt to the news climate.