When thinking about what news is, many things come to my mind. I am very much influenced by what is happening in the world around me. I am intrigued by what interests other people and what is happening in the lives of others.

It is very interesting to look at this from the flip side, though. I take having news to read and watch for granted. It is just always there and so easily accessible. When thinking about what goes into the news and the many behind the scenes workers, it is amazing.

I believe that news is a major part of American culture. It is how we interact with one another and it influences our daily lives to a great deal. It is a challenge to determine what news appeals to what people and to project the right impression of events to the audience. In ranking news, it is a challenge to determine which parts of culture are most important to the general public. It is also important to determine which news is priority depending on what it is for.

For example, the cold weather we are having this winter season in the Tri-Cities is important to us, but not to the rest of the nation. Whereas the ice storms in Kentucky, being more serious, have a greater impact on the rest of the nation. Looking at the news from a producer standpoint requires a much different view. A producer must decide what news is priority and what is less important. It is very easy to stand back and enjoy the news, but much harder to put it together.