David (not Dave)

I’m very proud America re-elected Barack Obama. I watched the speech and got a little goose bumpy when he brought it to a close (emphasis is mine): 

America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunities and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you live. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight. You can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.

I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America.

And together, with your help and God’s grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. Thank you, America. God bless you. God bless these United States.

I don’t watch much TV and when I do, it’s generally not the local news. Mostly because it seems like more like an infomercial than news. Or better yet, local news is to journalism as Twinkie is to food.

But, I did happen to catch the local news on @nbcbayarea last night and was disappointed then slightly amused and then back to disappointed. Really, really disappointed.

Here’s the breakdown of everything they covered in their prime-time half hour of “news”:

• Rain at Olympics with an on-site reporter to talk about the rain and how wet it was and how different people got wet in different ways. 
• SPOILER ALERT: Wrap up of Olympics coverage. This was coverage of what was to come on the Olympics broadcast right after the news broadcast. Like news from the future (insert future-y sound effects). 
• Story about water polo and how popular it is at Stanford. It came complete with on-site coverage, so you could see the overwhelming popularity in person. 
• An in-depth look at table tennis in the Bay Area. I know, I know. Why wasn’t every news outlet covering this hot story? Oh, this also had on-site coverage and expert interviews. 
• A special (that ran multiple times on the same day) by the hard-hitting Investigative Unit at NBC Bay Area on a particular brand of dog treats that allegedly killed a Bay Area dog. Apparently there is no story too small to go unnoticed by the “investigators.” 
• An Amber Alert, which in my view was the only thing that actually seemed worthy of being billed as news. 
• Roller coaster malfunction that had no injuries or anything else that might have made this seem even remotely newsworthy. 
• An exclusive, lengthy one-on-one interview with a U.S. swimmer and Bay Area native Natalie Coughlin. She nice and all, but there was no substance or importance to the discussion.   
• Weather. Duh.
• Sports! Also mostly Olympics coverage that was on before the local news, was then covered extensively in NBC’s Nightly News, was then covered at the top of the local news AND was set to follow the local news, now mostly over. 
• More weather! And I’m thankful for the extensive coverage since I can’t think of anywhere else I might be able to check the weather…without going outside or looking at my computer or pulling my phone out of my pocket. 

Keep up the good work, local news. I’m sure your predecessors couldn’t be happier that you are carrying on the proud legacy of journalism in this country.