A friend called me yesterday to ask "how do I get my story on TV news?" My friend works for a medical practice and wanted to get some publicity for their doctors and their medical treatment. I listened to my friend's problem. "I called the assignment desk and they put me through to the medical reporter at XXXX station and she didn't return my call," my friend said. "What's going on?"

Of course, I couldn't answer. But my years in the TV news business told me that there are various issues at work.

The most obvious reason for no "call back" was that they didn't care about the story. Lots of medical doctors have treatments for this and that and if it's not the flavor of the month no one will care.

Then, the medical reporter might be a "reporter" but may not have the ability to actually decide what goes on in their "medical segment." There are more likely producers and managers who decide.

What the public might not understand is that the news business has its own intricacies and politics and reasoning for what gets on the news and what doesn't. Sometimes that news "process" is good and sometimes it leaves you scratching your head in wonder.

On another news discussion forum there was a discussion about having "beat reporters" or specialists to help bring new and interesting stories to newscasts. But you have to wonder if "specialists" would be deciding or if the managers and producers behind the scenes with their own agendas would really be pulling the strings without the knowledge that a "beat reporter" or specialist has?

During my 32 years as a "business reporter" and producer, I worked at shops (TV and radio stations) where I had to deal with show producers and managers to get my stories on the air. And rarely was I able to put a story on the air without prior approval of other producers and other managers.

Bloggers have the freedom to do what they like, and that's why there are so many diverse opinions on the Internet. But in something like TV or radio or newspapers, where air time and space is limited, there is usually a chain of command and what is called an "editorial process" before stories get published or broadcast.

Yes, those specialty reporters and beat reporters might be smiling to you on the screen, and they might tell you to call them or email them with your story ideas, but in the end they might not be deciding anything about what gets on TV or radio or in the paper.

It's a complex business. But there are some of us who wonder if more specialists such as those for "medical news" and "money news" and "education news" and "environmental news" and "energy news" might bring "better news" to TV and radio than what we are getting now?

Frankly, I think more medical stories, more financial stories, more education stories, more environmental stories and more energy stories would be better than what I am seeing now on my local TV news.