MoviesNewsTalk
Good Morning America, also known as GMA, is a staple in morning television broadcasting known for delivering news, interviews and special segments. In recent programming they show support in recovery for the communities near Los Angeles.
ABC News made a major shift and commitment with a "SoCal Strong" initiative after a recent wildfire event. This new approach expanded the effort of highlighting issues by bringing reporters on location to report on the story. With this in place their coverage focused on themes such as, community recovery rebuilding and resilience to offer support while raising funding for needed support.
ABC made a special decision with GMA by having Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, and Ginger Zee head to Los Angeles to report live at various affected areas. The team aimed to bring a human level of compassion while showing people directly what occurred during this recent event.
ABC’s overall "SoCal Strong" plan expanded through the rest of its various media departments using ABC News Live. All aspects including social media shared the campaign. Local TV channels also participated with all providing continuous content on various networks which created a way of communicating with a wide viewing audience.
The “GMA” team is supported by Matt Gutman a chief correspondent and Kayna Whitworth. ABC News also shared information through different programs with GMA3 "What You Need to Know" for a deeper understanding and ABC News Radio also reporting as well throughout each different program.
The show highlights how people are coming together to show love and community. During that week different shows gave a more intimate take by using personal stories and focusing on hope as recovery began in the aftermath of tragedy. Local musical groups also made an appearance showing an uplifting form of emotional support as an additional part of this coverage. They presented different takes on people helping other's and being together in a time of difficulty.
Aloe Blacc and "The High Notes" children’s choir performed live which further displayed community unity while also giving an element of support through music and artistry. Those acts became a point of representation showing a community spirit during a tragic moment.
The major goal of coverage during this specific time was to make a space for awareness along with requesting donations to local groups that support area residents. This approach shows that through an established program resources are more accessible with direct pathways to support.
The "SoCal Strong" effort by ABC, created a call to action using the #SoCalStrong which made it easy to view while helping to showcase what they have set to support the Los Angeles area which was a way to have a broader audience involvement and connect with viewers directly using the hashtag in social media.
ABC News president, Almin Karamehmedovic stated that by "being on the ground," it really created an understanding of how severe this disaster had become for individuals as it creates a broader picture of issues people face when rebuilding. Their intent was to not just share the issues that happened but to help inspire and motivate those looking to contribute.
“GMA” beat out its direct competition during a few airings in this timeframe by showcasing all levels of commitment to quality information as a source of importance to all its viewers. The ratings prove the importance viewers put into the delivery of information during important times. By showing a focus on support and community, they are delivering a more relatable format of programming.
News publications and outlets reported on the story of ABC having a focus on this disaster along with showing how all are coming together in a supportive way. This demonstrates the unique efforts being made in the region to come together for betterment of the community during challenging circumstances.
Many sources spoke about the focus the program and organization was giving while focusing also on large celebrity contributions that would help uplift families during this difficulty. By creating partnerships those areas impacted had greater access to support that otherwise might have been missed.