RealFastNews.MOBi
RNT Frequently Answered Questions
Check this page often for new entries exposing the ridiculous tactics
and manipulation of news content by local news providers. This currently includes RNT's obvious duplicate story posting,
holding online news to sell papers later, but will later expose proof of exaggerated traffic, conflicting relationships,
recently discovered insider videos, idiotic, ignorant management & more. It's not just RNT either. Click on questions to see
the answers. (answers will appear at top of screen)
Why does RFN constantly criticize RNT? Is there some type of obsession or jealousy?
Why does RFN link to RNT stories while criticizing their operations & why not just go to RNT and skip RFN?
Why does RFN not post as much "news" (AKA: filler) on a daily basis like RNT does?
Why do RNT's video selections look so amateurish?
Why does RNT sometimes post the SAME story on their wesbsite's homepage as many as THREE+ times simultaneously (see screenshot) and also create one or more additional new story page(s) about the same previous story when there is an update?
Why does RNT sometimes post a story on their website but it is quickly scrolled off by other local,
regional and national stories or left on the page but obscured in smaller typeset among other stories?
Why do I hear about local news on RFN and sometimes other local sources when it actually happens but not
by RNT sometimes hours or even a day or more later? In other words, why does RNT hold existing stories, pictures & video that
could have been posted online much earlier?
Why does RFN constantly criticize RNT? FULL Explanation
Why does RFN constantly criticize RNT? Is there some type of obsession or jealousy? [ back to menu ]
Because they're so criticizable and infected with terminal idiocy? See the many reasons in the RNT section below. Yes, the
RNT section because it has come to that. But no, there is no obsession or jealousy involved when criticizing RNT and others
like them. They do it to themselves and RFN just highlights it. It's what goes on behind the scenes in this industry that is
so nauseating and needs to be exposed. The factual and opinionated comments expressed by RFN also reflect many other seasoned
industry veterans' observations of qualitative decline in various divisions and levels of the television production industry
whether it's news or entertainement in their respective local markets. It's very frustrating to watch an industry that once
required extensive training and experience before content could be aired be degraded by organizations like RNT and others
locally, across the country and around the world. Although the only consolation is that the production quality of RNT and
others' inferior video product are obviously amateur and never taken seriously, it's still sad to see none of them have the
ethical desire to do it right or not at all further nurturing and perpetuating the "good enough" generation. Shouldn't the
big, high tech, money making machine RNT be way ahead of the smaller, "insignificant" operations like RFN? Check out the
comparison chart >>
RFN Bio
Why does RFN link to RNT stories while criticizing their operations & why not just go to RNT and skip RFN? [ back to menu ]
In addition to providing video that is actually watchable, RFN has also become known as a significant source of discovery for
local breaking news because you may sometimes wait for hours or more for RNT or others to post information about an event
(see the RNT obscuring & holding news FAQs below).
But, because RFN does not have as many staff resources as RNT, you may or may not get the complete story as you probably
would with RNT later on. So RFN links to RNT to ensure you get the most complete coverage as possible. But, to at least know
what's happening as fast as possible, RFN is a logical first choice.
RFN gives credit where it's due so currently and overall, RNT is the best, most consistent news source in this market. But
shouldn't they be? It's certainly not necessarily because they're the best at what they do, far from it. It's mostly because
they are a household name due to being the ONLY name in town for 100+ years! This is what happens when there is no alternative
news sources. RNT also notoriously gives away advertising at rates that some, like RFN, will not dare match or attempt to
beat. This is one of the reasons Comcast's tv news operation left Rome ten years ago. Additionally, a few Romans may know
what recently happened to another want to be, flash in the pan, cut throat, cheapskate that tried that trick and lost
everything. But, the reason RFN sometimes links to RNT stories is because instead of rewording someone elses work like others
do, RFN sometimes links directly to other providers' stories to ensure that important news beyond RFN's current capacity to
cover gets maximum exposure and the original author maintains full credit. You're welcome RNT!
Why does RFN not post as much "news" (AKA: filler) on a daily basis like RNT does? [ back to menu ]
Let's face it, thankfully, the Rome and Floyd county area is a very safe place to live. Therefore, sometimes it can be kind
of boring. RFN gets the same load of press releases that RNT and others get but RFN actually knows its audience content
preferences therefore knows what is and is not consistently viewed preventing an oversaturation of press releases. In other
words, RFN is not a generic press release vending machine and because of this, RFN will sometimes appear not as "busy" as the
others. This means even when there are slow news days you should not expect RFN to show favoritism, post endless press releases
or what's on whoever's faceyspaces, bliggidy blogs or tweety pages, pretend that stories are newsworthy and not a favor for a
friend or advertiser, overstate "significant" announcements, post annoying, oversized, animated weather maps for simple drops
of rain, post stories and/or video and send alerts for kindergarten plays / circuses / weddings / playground parties, easter
egg hunts, kite flying, garden club meetings, flower pots, etc. stolen from porches, businesses that change their sign,
flooring, parking lots, or paint their building, etc., and let's not forget bias, agendas, misinformation and hypocrisy. Those
are just a few examples of what RNT & HTH have been reduced to and it's only getting worse. So, just because you don't receive
RFN news alerts on a regular basis whether it's daily or during the week, does not mean you are not subscribed or missing
anything. It just means nothing significant is happening.
Why do RNT's video selections look so amateurish? [ back to menu ]
Well, the simple anwser is because RNT's content is supervised and produced by . . . amateurs! Newspaper video has become
nothing more than a local version of amateur youtube submissions. These people literally have ZERO experience in professional
video production. This is not only a local problem with RNT but is systemic in the newspaper business in general and has
gotten the tv news people not only laughing hysterically but nauseated as well. Basically, newspaper executives all over the
country thought all they had to do was send their reporters and/or video production managers to short production tutorial
seminars and they would magically learn the art of professional video production in a few days or maybe weeks. They couldn't
have been more wrong. The term used to describe this new hybrid position is a multimedia journalist or MMJ. It merges a reporter,
photographer, videographer, internet content poster and whatever else management can think of into one position supposedly to
be more efficient but the real reason is to do one thing, save money by eliminating several other positions. This MMJ model
is in wide use in the tv news industry as well and is not being received well at all mostly because it's too much for one
person to perform. As with most papers' video departments large or small, RNT's is no different. Their current video
production manager "expert" has ZERO professional video production experience. But if you read the over the top article RNT
posted before his arrival several years ago, you would have thought he was going to revolutionize the entire industry. So, in
other words, it's the blind leading the blind. To add more insult to the industry, like most cheap news operations, RNT uses
an annual steady stream of young, naive, willing to work cheap college interns that don't know any more than their "expert",
no experience, way overpaid supervisor. It's just press the red button and hold the camera as steady as you can. If it wasn't
for advanced camera technology to automate videography settings, the video would look even worse than it already does. The
supervisor can't be checking and approving each video before it is posted because at least 95% of it should have never been
posted. If he is checking, that explains everything. No, to him it's about using pre-produced templated motion graphics that
RNT executives probably believe he produced himself. Or, it could be the bragging about being an advanced website coder even
though the RNT website's "new and improved" look has not changed from its kindergarten bubble buttoned, oversized text layout
since its launch several years ago trying to win useless small newspaper awards. Or finally, bragging about the volume of
video content produced each year fulfilling the "more is better" model giving the RNT executives something to brag about at
dinner parties and on the golf course. When the kids (interns) finally figure out there is no money to be made and their
career is going nowhere working for RNT, they leave and the next set moves in to replace them further perpetuating RNT's
amateur video product. Maybe if RNT reduced the ridiculously overpaid salary of their "expert" and redistributed it to a few
talented shooters, they could maintain a decent, consistent video product.
Why does RNT sometimes post the SAME story on their website's
homepage as many as THREE+ times simultaneously (see screenshot below) and also create one or more additional NEW
story page(s) about the SAME previous story when there is an update? [ back to menu ]
Newspapers in general operate by a "more is better" concept to create and maintain the illusion that they are still relevant
and busy. When there is an update about a story, RNT also commonly creates an entirely new standalone story page about the
SAME previous story with a few additions or changes instead of just updating the original page. Sometimes they do this the
same day too! These are also known as spinoffs. If you look at the bottom of RNT's story pages, you will usually see a list
of "related" or "suggested" story links that show how many times they regenerated the same thing. All to increase the story
count to brag to advertisers that don't know any better. RNT's mindset is, if they produce or display more content, whether
it's original or duplicates, then they're better whether it's useless and/or non-local news or not. It's all about the numbers.
That is why you will often see so many copied and pasted out of town or trivial local stories that seem pointless. The RNT
department heads actually attend seminars to learn this "tactical" crap. But, the reason for multiple postings or repurposing
the SAME story on their homepage is to make their website look busier than it really is pitifully attempting to disguise that
fact by putting the SAME story headline link under a different heading title like, >> SCREEN SHOT
Top Stories, Local News, Most Read, Latest Stories, Most Commented among all the other useless
clutter on the page. That shows how dumb they think we all are like we won't notice it. In the near future, RFN will be
posting a stripped down version of RNT's homepage demonstrating how empty it would be if all the ads, clutter and duplicate
stories were not there making it look "busy" so check back for that.
Why does RNT sometimes post a story on their website but it is quickly scrolled off by other local,
regional and national stories or left on the page but obscured in smaller typeset among other stories? [ back to menu ]
They'll never admit it but it's most likely because they don't want to look more foolish than they already do by not posting
it at all so as to not pre-empt their print edition thereby further hastening their inevitable demise. OR, they may post a
story to show that they're aware of it and have made some effort so no one can say they didn't have anything posted at all.
Put quite simply, if their content is easily found for free on their website why should anyone pay to see it in their paper?
See more similar info below.
Why do I hear about local news on RFN and sometimes other local
sources when it actually happens but not by RNT sometimes hours or even a day or more later? In other words, why does RNT
hold existing stories, pictures & video that could have been posted online much earlier? [ back to menu ]
Well, it's not called Real Fast News for nothing! But seriously, all newspapers, especially RNT, including tv and radio
broadcasters are in a real bad situation right now because the internet has really changed the diversity and speed in which
information is delivered and those that fail to acknowledge this will eventually cease to exist much like RNT's gradual and
continued decline. Put simply, all papers, not just RNT, hold stories to sell OLD news in papers that will be delivered the
following morning. Yes, there are plenty of people that insist on depriving themselves of breaking or very recent news and
will wait hours to be informed so they can actually hold the printed information, not to mention pay for it. A large part of
RNT's revenue comes from their print edition which is losing a significant number of subscribers every day because most information
delivery is moving to the internet via electronic devices. Additionally, RNT's model is incredibly outdated and their "New Media
director" is overpaid, deceptive, inexperienced and incompetent producing and "supervising" amateur intern video selections
that are too painful to watch, not to mention inadequate for ad sales. So, because RNT has failed to hire a competent multimedia
staff and to discover a way to successfully monetize their electronic edition to keep current print subscibers and gain new
ones for the eventual transition, they must still preserve their strongest current revenue source's value which is their print
edition. So how do they do that? Well, one way is to obscure or completely withhold online stories until late into the night
when most people are asleep and until after their print edition is distributed. This tactic is nothing new in the industry
but allowed complete control of news delivery before the internet changed the rules forever. Although it defies all logic,
believe it or not as stated earlier, there is a large number of holdouts in any given market, that could easily get recent
FREE news online but will wait and pay for a print edition to be delivered to them before they will allow themselves to be
informed.
Why does RFN constantly criticize RNT? FULL Explanation [ back to menu ]
As within any industry, there are things going on behind the scenes that nauseate those that know about it. First of all, the
statements and opinions provided by RFN are absolutely NOT about jealousy or envy of RNT. RFN works for national tv
broadcast and cable networks as well as other high end clients on other platforms in the production industry. See the RFN Bio
page. This information is all about principle and facts. RNT is not the only decades old established local news entity that
fails to deliver its full potential. So what is full potential? Well, that is open to interpretation but RFN's concern and
disgust is with RNT's and others' pitiful attempts to produce a "professional" video product using and taking advantage of
naive, inexperienced interns. There are many, but some of the frustrations that RNT causes are the contribution to the dumbing
down or degrading of the professional video production / broadcast industry. It is very insulting to production professionals
that work for national entities, as RFN does, to see the absolute worthless, amateur crap that RNT not only produces and posts
for public viewing but also brags about and seeks meaningless awards for. Their product is so bad and unwatchable, special
categories were created so small papers and their inexperienced video managers could feel included, important and pat themselves
on the back because they weren't going to get acknowledged any other way. These failures are mostly due to technically ignorant
members of ownership/management that have been duped by young, smooth talking "experts" impressing the ignorants with
meaningless tech talk and simplicity like all you have to do is point, shoot and post to get viewers and most importantly,
advertisers. But to answer the question more specfically, it is irritating to know that RNT generates millions of dollars but
is notoriously cheap, cheap, cheap, treating their employees like it's a privelage to work there even though their turnover
is off the charts. They and the entire newspaper industry have absolutely no business participating in the realm of professional
video production but for some reason, RNT continues to pour money into a non revenue producing black hole known as "new media"
(in most small markets & numerous larger ones), otherwise known as worthless, amateur video. Obviously, RNT "executives" are
not aware of the real numbers and trust their video manager's word without question because if they did know the real numbers,
they would shut down the video department sooner than it is going to happen anyway. These are just a few of the many opinions
and feelings about RNT and are no different than those of members in other industries being infiltrated with cheap and
inexperienced labor producing or providing an inferior product or service. If mediocrity hasn't affected your industry yet,
consider yourself lucky. There is ALOT of inside information about RNT operations feature in several videos, from those you
wouldn't expect, that will has been revealed and will make you laugh out loud and be nauseated no matter who you are so click
here
for that.
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