WBBM investigative

[newsman123 104]

WBBM clearly has the best investigative team in town. They are the only station (aside from Chuck Goudie and Blago) doing any investigative that makes any waves. Is it helping the ratings? Is Brad working out as the lead? Or is it classic case of doing “good journalism” that keeps you in last place? Serious discussion. 

[Newsboy22234 18]

Yes I think their evening newscasts are good now. I also like Brads straightforward approach and how he won’t pick sides on issues. I can enjoy that as well as their investigations are hard hitting. However about that morning show it’s not good. People don’t want to hear hard hitting no nonsense news  the first thing in the morning. As well as the fact they scrapped their traffic reporter. I honestly like Good Day Chicago for mornings Channel 7 Middays . I still like Channel 5’s news as they get to the point , and as channel 2 exposes corruption I believe channel 5 focuses more on consumer complaints as that can be just as important. When put in that position of getting wronged. Channel 32 needs an investigative unit, I believe they posted a opening for a investigative producer on their website to finally get started again but I still do hear they take tips. I just find Channel 9 boring as heck now.

Just now, Newsboy22234 said:

Yes I think their evening newscasts are good now. I also like Brads straightforward approach and how he won’t pick sides on issues. I can enjoy that as well as their investigations are hard hitting. However about that morning show it’s not good. People don’t want to hear hard hitting no nonsense news  the first thing in the morning. As well as the fact they scrapped their traffic reporter. I honestly like Good Day Chicago for mornings Channel 7 Middays . I still like Channel 5’s news as they get to the point , and as channel 2 exposes corruption I believe channel 5 focuses more on consumer complaints as that can be just as important. When put in that position of getting wronged. Channel 32 needs an investigative unit, I believe they posted a opening for a investigative producer on their website to finally get started again but I still do hear they take tips. I just find Channel 9 boring as heck now.

However I will say I’m not a fan of Channel 2s weather Robb Ellis is cool , but I’d much rather watch Brant Miller or Bill Bellis

[Newsboy22234 18]

Overall here Is my list as a whole:

Breaking News Coverage-WLS

News Gathering-WLS

Investigations-WBBM

Consumer Complaints-WMAQ

Weather-WMAQ

Sports-WFLD

Overall Apperance-WLS/WFLD (their new graphics help a lot however I wish they would use the complete package)

News set-WFLD

WGN does a lot of things simply just ok now and in my opinion apart from having a official investigative unit I honestly think WFLDs newscast are better .Of course WGN leans  slightly Democratic and WFLD slightly Republican but as far as their news coverage appearance and anchor talent FLD is better in my opinion here I’d how I would rank them

1.WLS

2.WMAQ/WBBM

4.WFLD

5.WGN 

[Roadrunner 212]

3 hours ago, Newsboy22234 said:

As well as the fact they scrapped their traffic reporter

I'd argue that Yasmeen still does traffic and can easily play a 'foil' compared to Ryan or even Audrina, but I know her presence leans more "live desk" now, especially since the pandemic, so I can see your side. 

 

Anyways, I think CBS 2 has been hitting their stride here with their investigative team. It's not that they haven't before, with Pam Zekman's impressive streak, but they've really made waves with their leads & exclusives this year, and rightfully so, especially with Savini's Anjanette Young case (and the rest of his botched raids series) + the Joliet officer-whistleblower (Javier Esqueda) as well as Brad's continuing "Getting Hosed" series. Regardless of how you think they reported on the case, they've definitely forced their competitors to cover material that they basically unveiled or studied and most of all, force public officials to respond. I mean, I like Chuck Goudie and all, but I feel like he's just been taking a 'story of the day/week' and giving it slightly more depth, so there's really a difference to the substance here, IMO. Anyone's free to disagree with me on any of this, of course.

 

I still think people aren't generally drawn to CBS 2 because of its historically poor reputation (in recent years) with its dramatically high turnover (and we can't forget the layoffs just this past May) -- it just ruins it for viewers and people are already comfortable with their old habits (like channel 7). But other media outlets openly reporting that CBS 2 broke the leads should get people noticing and I do think they are; also, in his profile with the Tribune, Brad mentioned the ratings were slowly improving (IIRC), so these are good signs. And if you also personally put any weight to Emmy winners, CBS 2 can definitely vouch for their content this past year. But most of all, I'm thrilled to see more stability at their main evening programs (...so far). I've personally been a fan of Brad's non-traditional delivery and unique voice and he definitely might look smarmy but I've found him anything but thus far, especially if you've read his Tribune profile. I'm hoping he and Irika can stay put and continue to build on the team's chemistry.

[polyiguana 22]

I watched some of WBBM during the Anjanette Young case and not being from the market, I do think Brad sounds smarmy and overdramatic. Pulling out the fingers to do air quotes to describe Mayor Lightfoot's initial nonresponsive statement may seem like what the viewer wants to hear, but is not professional. Maybe if you use that umbrage selectively, like when Ted Koppel infamously used the word bullshit on air a decade or two ago, but if that's his usual style then I think it's polarizing. I guess the hope it will polarize people toward WBBM.

[Newsboy22234 18]

23 minutes ago, polyiguana said:

I watched some of WBBM during the Anjanette Young case and not being from the market, I do think Brad sounds smarmy and overdramatic. Pulling out the fingers to do air quotes to describe Mayor Lightfoot's initial nonresponsive statement may seem like what the viewer wants to hear, but is not professional. Maybe if you use that umbrage selectively, like when Ted Koppel infamously used the word bullshit on air a decade or two ago, but if that's his usual style then I think it's polarizing. I guess the hope it will polarize people toward WBBM.

Better that then cold as a fish I’d rather have a little too personal as opposed to  cold like Irika and then when she does say something it makes zero sense or it’s awkward 

[Roadrunner 212]

 

55 minutes ago, polyiguana said:

I do think Brad sounds smarmy and overdramatic

I agree that for anyone unfamiliar with his style, he's very polarizing, and he's still a very polarizing figure in the market too, so your opinion is valid. But I think he carved out his own reputation in Chicago by not trying to be like a typical main anchorman, and breaks from the mold that his predecessor followed and many of his competing anchors continue to embody. So this is my interpretation: Brad's always been very vocal on social media with his criticism of city/state political leaders' lack of transparency and action, though instead of sounding off with seemingly straight-up cable TV punditry, he often tries to weave that underlying conclusion through the story he's trying to make with the incidents he's covering (I imagine his content fitting in more with documentaries one day instead of broadcast news). So you definitely might not agree with how he's reporting on it, but he's really just amplifying people's discontent with his presence. It's certainly unlike most anchors who come off as just reading off of the prompter, but before he was anchor, much of his work was styled the same and for him, he's gained many accolades, and for his career, his bosses have so far rewarded the risk.