Why I’m Unfollowing Local TV Stations on Twitter

March 20, 2015

I grew up watching New York City TV, and have held the opinion for years that WABC-TV is a class act. I think back–dating myself in the process–to Bill Beutel, a legend who was one of the few anchors in my years as a local TV reporter who got me to call home to my family to say I’m doing a liveshot with Bill Beutel–record it!

But man, times have changed. I follow WABC on Twitter, but I really think it’s time to unfollow–and that’s not saying I don’t appreciate their news. I do, but the station’s Twitter account is a cavalcade of garbage that wastes my time, and I hate that. This morning, WABC tweeted–in all caps, no less–a story about a woman who drinks soda: “ANOTHER UNEXPECTED SECRET TO LONG LIFE,” the tweet bellows across my TweetDeck. “At 104, Sullivan keeps her doctor on hand.”

Sorry, who’s “Sullivan,” again? Well, as it turns out, she’s a lady from Texas. And she drinks three Dr. Peppers a day. And that, my friends, is that. Worse, if you click on the story, you get this gem of a lede: “One of Fort Worth’s oldest residents is contributing her longevity to Dr. Pepper soda.” Contributing? I give up. Unfollow.

The tweet that preceded the lady from Houston who thinks soda is keeping her alive was this: “PRECIOUS: Farmer live-tweets birth of 10 sheepdog puppies.” Staten Island, at least? Queens, maybe? No. England.

Two tweets before that, we were treated to a selfie taken by reporter Kristin Thorne, dancing. “Reporter by trade, but Always a dancer.” Unfollow.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy being alerted at 4 a.m. by the ABC-owned TV station in New York to a promotional video from a betting company in the UK that features dogs racing, sent in a tweet that read “Too cute!” What, no caps? Well, the thing is, maybe I don’t want this flood of garbage. Just tell me about alternate side of the street, weather, and what the mayor is doing to my daughter’s school. I can get the viral video and soda-drinking old ladies everywhere else.

Unfollow.

Be Sociable, Share!