Priorities of General Managers and News Directors in Anchor Hiring

Emerging theory suggests that news directors in local television emulate the thinking of their general managers. This possibility has proven difficult to test, however, because news directors and general managers generally have unrelated work roles. A study of anchor hiring, a duty they do have in common, reveals a shared concern about both journalistic and economic factors. Thus it may be a mistake to assume these managers always prioritize the “bottom line,” as some have speculated.