Feder: TV news rises to coronavirus challenge

The world changed dramatically this week - and so did television. As it has few times in our lives, TV suddenly became the source of essential information to millions of viewers hunkered down at home and desperate to make sense of the bewildering and rapidly developing coronavirus story, Robert Feder writes.

At the outset of the crisis, Perry Sook, chairman and CEO of Nexstar Media Group (parent company of "Chicago's Very Own" WGN-Channel 9), told investors: "If you're quarantined in your home and one of the few things you can do is watch television, I think advertisers see the benefit in that."

As inartfully as he phrased it, Sook may have been on to something.

News ratings are up substantially, according to preliminary reports, even as newsrooms across the country make adjustments on the fly and encourage employees to work from home.

News media across all platforms will take on an even more vital role providing accurate information and a semblance of reassurance in the days and weeks ahead.

Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.