GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Viewers tuning into FOX 17 may notice a different look and feel of our newscasts. Beginning this week, we’re shifting our strategy to cover more stories our audiences are telling us are important to them.
As the media landscape continues to evolve, these changes allow us to continue serving our West Michigan communities, now in a more sustainable way to ensure we can continue providing our audiences with essential services well into the future.
Over the last couple years, FOX 17 and our parent company, the E.W. Scripps Company, have done deep research on what our audiences want from us. We’ve had conversations at community events, we’ve conducted formal focus groups and feedback sessions – we’ve even visited our viewers in their homes.
One thing is clear from all the feedback: Our communities want us to represent them. That is one step in rebuilding trust in our industry.
We believe local news and information is too important to let that trust continue to erode. After all, we live here, too.
So, we’ve reflected on how local TV has traditionally covered the news, and how it needs to adapt to better serve its audiences:
How do we want to show up for the community? How can we best serve everyone who lives here? How do we build more trust?
We know it may take time to address some of these questions, but we have to begin now.
So what does this mean for FOX 17 and our audiences? In the coming months, we will have more of our journalists out news gathering on the street, instead of sitting behind the anchor desk. Our new newscasts will look much like traditional news stories, which are often reported, shot and edited hours – or minutes – before being prepared for air. However, unlike former newscasts, these stories will more frequently be introduced by one of our reporters out in the field instead of by an anchor.
We’re also still committed to covering local sports; sports is community news. This new model will allow our reporters – who will be strategically integrated into communities within our coverage area – to report on the biggest stories happening in their areas, which often includes sports. While we may not report the scores from every game in the region, we’ll still cover the big games that matter to the community and the athletes’ stories.
Earlier this year, we began integrating content from the Scripps News Group, a network of local and national journalists, including reporters at our own FOX 17. This means our audiences here in West Michigan have access to Scripps News Group’s fact-based, context-driven national news without having to change the channel, and it means FOX 17’s reporters are freed up to follow the local stories that most impacts the people in our neighborhoods. Similarly, our relationship with Scripps News means that when national news does break in our community, reporters from FOX 17 and Scripps stand ready to serve as national correspondents for Scripps News. As experts in our community, they’ll bring the local context and perspective that is often lacking when national networks swoop into communities – then back out – to cover a story.
Lastly, we want to hear from you.
We know this shift has meant some changes in how our news looks. We hope you’ll continue to place your trust in us as we look for ways to serve you better. As always, please feel free to send us your feedback or questions through the form below.
Thank you for watching.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
