As part of my internship this last week, I watched a few episodes of PBS NewsHour and compared it to a few half-hour episodes of the CBS Evening News. While I noticed these shows had similarities, there were two differences that stood out: what stories were told and how they were presented. 

I found the CBS Evening news used a more sensational style of reporting, and assume this is to keep viewers engaged. One such example was the coverage of forest fires in New Mexico. CBS focused on showing pictures of melted cars and updating viewers on how many people lost their homes. Do these images better prepare you for your day? Or do they just ensure you can’t look away from the screen? This tactic of sensationalizing tragedies does draw eyes to the news but I feel it may diminish the quality. At least clarify how us viewers might help.

Another noticeable difference besides  the length of time (the CBS newscast is half the time of the PBS NewsHour) was that the PBS NewsHour seemed a more balanced show. While some of the same political news, tragedies, and natural disasters were covered that CBS  also reported on, there was broader coverage that pertained to art, pop culture, and inspiring local stories—like one about the response to a Kentucky archival theater that flooded. The NewsHour focused on how this building, called the Appalshop, had been rebuilt after the flood thanks to the strength of support from the local community and due to the work of the employees.

While I found that both programs gave a lot of information, I was disappointed that I left each broadcast feeling a bit empty. I couldn’t help but feel that most topics didn’t seem relevant to my day-to-day life—and I’m guessing other young people would feel the same. 

In many cases, I had seen the top stories from the broadcasts earlier in the day when I browsed the New York Times app on my phone. It made me wonder why so few stories related to local or regional politics or communities. For me and many people in my generation, we want to be informed about our communities so we can be better citizens within them. I think that speaks to the appeal of social media, as it gives us the opportunity to curate what applies to our lives and how we might help change things for the better.

Watching PBS NewsHour and CBS Evening News, and reflecting, was an interesting exercise. I know TV news has struggled to connect with younger audiences, and while I don’t know the answers, it felt clear to me that including more local stories around the country might help. In any case, there’s still work to do. 

Bryce Leatham is CivicStory’s Summer Intern