I’m back. And here is my premise in this column: 50 years spent in newsrooms — local and national — have taught me there is no better place than an active, energized television news journalism factory. I took 2 years off after posts at ABC News and NBC News as senior national correspondent, senior law and justice correspondent, 20/20 correspondent, and finally White House correspondent.
But I got back in the game last year in a smaller, more connected fashion at KGTV ABC10 San Diego as a Senior Investigative Reporter. I no longer covered the world or the nation; I covered San Diego.,
The transition was surprisingly seamless. I was certainly the oldest and most experienced reporter at the station. And while I was able to mentor several young reporters — helping with writing and reporting tips — I got as much as I gave. I was inspired by the same vigor and idealism in these 20 and 30-something reporters, some in their first TV job, others their second.
They wanted to expose corruption, tell human stories filled with empathy for the homeless, and the thousands of undocumented that pass through San Diego. They filed FOI’s (Freedom of Information requests) to hold local officials accountable and track how taxpayer money was being spent.
And they did this with enthusiasm, despite constantly hearing the refrain “local news is dying.” They kept their heads high and pressed on. And I admire them for that.
Yes, the number of people watching local news is smaller and smaller. Stations across the country are laying off staff, including KGTV, which just cut 20% of the newsroom. It’s hard to get past that as a young reporter, but recently at a party to say goodbye to those of us moving on, I found optimism and determination to keep doing the journalism that counts.
It is up to managers to figure out a way to deliver this necessary and powerful journalism to a new audience. Ways to offer news at any time, on any platform, meeting the audience where they watch. But these young, eager professionals will continue to provide content that enlightens, informs, and yes, entertains.
So when I hear the predictions of the demise of local news, my mind counters with the local newsroom still brimming with ideas and strategies for advancing journalism.
Our business is under increased pressure from falling audiences, lack of trust, and constant attacks by an administration that resents and retaliates when held accountable. The FCC is being weaponized with White House-instigated investigations into CBS for its 60 Minutes story on Kamala Harris. President Trump is accusing the network of editing her interview to make her look better. A claim discounted by nearly every journalism professor or free press lawyer asked. The Associated Press is banned from pool coverage because it won’t change the name of the Gulf of Mexico. It goes on and on.
These are fights that must be had, and carried out with the same idealism and enthusiasm of those young reporters I have met over the last year.
We are fighting for Freedom of the Press. Not only for ourselves, but for those who follow.
In this space going forward, I will be writing about the press, television news, and how it covers politics in these difficult times. With young journalists always on my mind.
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Jim Avila is a weekly news television columnist for Barrett Media. An Award-winning journalist with four decades of reporting and anchoring experience, Jim worked as Senior National Correspondent, 20/20 Correspondent, and White House Correspondent for ABC News. Prior to his time with ABC, he spent a decade with NBC News, and worked locally in Los Angeles and Chicago for KNBC, and WBBM. He recently spent time in San Diego, serving as Senior Team 10 Investigator for KGTV. Jim can be found on Twitter @JimAvilaABC.
