Director

Douthit gives his observations about the future of TV news.

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Randy Douthit Randy Douthit’s Observations on TV News Future

Douthit, a long-time TV producer-director, projects the future of TV news. He speaks from the perspective of more than 50 years of experience.

Who is Randy Douthit?

Douthit has been continuously involved in television directing and producing since 1970. His most notable posts have been with the Judge Judy, Judy Justice, Crossfire, and Larry King Live shows.

Randy became a producer with King Broadcasting in 1970 after graduating from Portland State University. There, he earned a BA in Psychology.

He worked for King Broadcasting for three years before moving on to ABC in New York. In 1981, he became an executive producer with the newly established CNN in Washington DC.

Since 1995, he has been an executive producer with New World Entertainment in Los Angeles and New York City.

What does a TV news producer do?

Douthit’s responsibilities as executive producer for the Judge Judy program and similar shows were the same as those of a TV news producer. For TV news shows, the producer has the following duties:

  • Manage TV broadcasts of the show.
  • Oversee the selection of stories or cases.
  • Ensure productions run on time and budget.

During a broadcast or taping, the producer leads the production crew in the control room to ensure that the broadcast is executed flawlessly.

Douthit’s views on TV news future

Randy Douthit At the beginning of his career in the 1970s, Douthit produced Crossfire and Larry King Live for CNN. These programs presented opinions and news commentaries.

Randy observes that TV news has evolved in important and negative ways since then. Much of TV news is tabloid news that emphasizes salacious news or scandals.

The iconic Edward R. Murrow warned us in 1958 about the trend of news becoming entertainment. Murrow charged that “During the daily peak viewing periods, television in the main insulates us from the realities of the world in which we live”.

Douthit observes that Murrow’s prediction has panned out. However, he is optimistic that TV news is still relevant as a meaningful element of public education and discourse.