Want ratings? Follow the money

Quick... what are the three stories Americans care most about right now? Don't think, just answer.

Your answers probably included health care, the economy, jobs, the war, or politics.

Anyone out there say "car wrecks" or "crime?" Anybody?

So why are you loading up your newscast covering stuff Americans don't care about?

That recent health care vote on a Sunday garnered tremendous ratings for the news outlets that covered it. You would think a discussion about things like pre-existing conditions and physician reimbursements would drive viewers away in droves. But it was just the opposite.

Because the discussion wasn't really about health, it was about money. And viewers care more about that than just about anything else. That is also the reason for the phrase "people vote their pocketbook on election day."

Stories about the economy and jobs are all about money. Stories about politics are about how much Congress is spending your money. The war? It's not only about terrorism, but about how much it costs to fight it.

Several years ago I joined a station that put on a white collar newscast. We never covered car wrecks, domestic disputes, or crimes featuring shirtless criminals robbing convenience stores that seem to fill every newscast these days. A manager told me, "Our viewers don't care about that stuff." He also told me that we were tied for first in the ratings, but our viewers were worth more to advertisers, so we could actually charge more for commercials than the other station. The other station had numbers, but those numbers were comprised of people advertisers didn't want.

Local news ratings have been going downhill for several years, and part of the problem has been the fragmenting of the audience. But the big part is the fact that the scanner has become a crutch for News Directors, and viewers have tuned out the parade of death and destruction. But if you put on a newscast filled with stories that actually affect the viewer, you can reverse the trend.

When you're looking for an enterprise story, always consider the money factor. You'll probably have better results pitching it and your viewers will be more interested.

And keep this in mind... if you honestly don't care about a story, why should the viewer?