Chicago’s Very Own, WGN: How do they report?
Growing up in Chicago means a couple things. You know the right way to eat a hot dog, LSD means something completely different then the drug, and you have gotten your news from WGN at least once in your life. When I was a kid, seeing WGN on my TV was just as common as Saturday morning cartoons or reality shows. I was always fascinated by the stories they would report on because it was usually on things that were happening close to home. Sure there were, and still are, big stories about the latest scandal in D.C. or some agreement we made abroad, but it was always cool to hear about something that happened in the neighborhood next to mine or where my friend lived. I became interested and invested in news because of the local aspect of WGN’s reporting. This is why when I was asked to follow a news source heavily for a week, I immediately decided on them.
After starting this project, I quickly realized how active WGN is on social media. They have individual accounts for their TV station, TV news station, morning news, radio station, and their radio news station across multiple platforms including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Not only that but they have their own apps on the app store as well. Immediately I was taken aback and frankly, a tad overwhelmed. I had not anticipated a local news station to be so incredibly social media savvy. Nevertheless, I was determined to analyze their reporting on social media. Because of the mass amount of accounts and apps however, my findings were a tad broader then I had wanted.
Throughout the week, there were a couple things that I noticed about WGN. Firstly, they never have down times. I got post notifications from them through the entire day, through the entire week. Whether it was Friday night at 7 or the middle of the night Wednesday morning at 3, WGN is reporting and putting news out there for the public the read. They certainly post more during prime times of the day, however. As a side note on that, their favorite platform is unquestionably Twitter which, frankly, does not surprise me.
The biggest point that I want to touch on though is the application that they have on the app store. When you open the WGN9 News app, the very first thing you see is 2–3 headlines with a photo attached to each one. The headlines and stories that they choose to push are quite interesting as well. It is honestly a little bit of everything. As I’m writing this, the two top stories on the app are, “Jeweler, 72, found in his underwear in Chicago after being abducted, beaten and robbed in Niles.” and, “Treasure Island closing after 55 years”. Contrasts in headlines like this are very common for WGN not just on their app, but across all of their social media as well. This means that there is a little bit of everything for everyone. It can bring in and report to people no matter how they feel or what they “want” to see.
The last unique reporting that the WGN app utilizes is live video updates. Through the app, you can get notified whenever a reporter from the WGN station releases a live video update of a news story. Each reporter can choose to post a video to the app and they can choose to talk about any current story that the WGN station is covering. These reports give consumers quick recaps and updates on whatever it is they want to be informed about. In an age where disappearing stories are used on almost every platform, these brief and efficient videos are perfect for people that don’t want to spend a lot of time getting their news.
In analyzing all of WGN’s accounts, across all platforms, I found that there are many similarities in their usage of each social media app. They tend to cross-promote the same stories. I may see just one headline under multiple notifications. One from Twitter, one from Facebook, one from the WGN app, and so forth. The biggest difference in their social media usage would have to be how they use Instagram. The overwhelming majority of posts on Instagram from WGN are sports, weather, or traffic related. You would be hard pressed to find a single national news story or any report about something bad going on in the city. Everything on their Instagram is positive and more or less uplifting compared to mainstream media and news. It’s refreshing to check a news feed and see some of the good things happening around Chicago as opposed to always reading about someone getting killed or hurt.
A final point that I believe is important to mention is that WGN never seems to go out of their way to make striking or “clickbait” headlines. Each headline states facts in a very blatant and informative way that allows readers to really only click if the honest to goodness subject matter of the article will interest them. Again, this is an interesting difference between what we expect from news sources, and how WGN reports.
After spending a week analyzing and studying the basic habits of WGN across all of their social media platforms, I’ve acquired a better understanding of how they report their news and use social media to make the news they’ve reported on, widespread and accessible for everyone in the Chicagoland area and elsewhere. It’s been fascinating to see such a different way of presenting news. Not just trying to get clicks, or just talking about the terrible happenings of the area, but also making sure that people know the simple things as well. Not only will people hear about national stories about our government and important events, but they’ll also get to see if the Bears won or if they need to bring an umbrella to work. It’s a mix of everything and it provides a unique and enjoyable news consumption experience.
