WRAL TAKES AIM AT MEDIA CORPORATIONS

A tip of the cap to WRAL for shining a bright light on the cost-cutting media companies.

As the television industry continues to be gutted by corporate mandates, massive budget cuts, and endless consolidation, one local station is pointing its cameras directly at the problem.

Capitol Broadcasting’s WRAL is set to premiere a new documentary titled "Left Uncovered: Inside North Carolina's News Deserts." While the documentary is framed around the devastating loss of trusted local information across North Carolina, the core message cuts deep into the business side of the industry: the corporate suits are the ones who caused this mess. The special explicitly examines how shrinking newsrooms and aggressive media company consolidation have stripped communities of their watchdogs. Essentially, WRAL is reporting on a massive, systemic crisis while making it clear that the blame lies squarely at the feet of the media conglomerates who prioritized profit margins over local journalism.

The documentary is produced by WRAL Investigative Reporter Cristin Severance and photojournalist Dwayne Myers.

“Of course, this is personal for us as journalists. But this documentary isn't about journalists. It's about communities,” Severance said. “We wanted viewers to understand what's at stake when local news disappears: access to reliable information, accountability for those in power, and the role a free press plays in our democracy."

It’s rare to see a local television station tackle the destruction of its own industry so bluntly on air, especially when pointing fingers at the very type of corporate ownership that governs most of the country's newsrooms.

"Left Uncovered" premieres Wednesday, June 10, at 7:30 p.m. on WRAL-TV and will stream live across WRAL’s digital platforms.