The qualitative research method of focus group interviewing was employed in a study of the subjective meaning of newswatching for the average American. Thirty-two adults were interviewed in four groups of seven to nine people each, and the audiotapes of the discussions were analyzed for comments on various aspects of television newscasters (the topic used by the group moderator) and the subjects' self-generated topic areas. The responses of the subjects indicated that they grouped television newscasters' characteristics into physical considerations (voice and overall attractiveness) and professional considerations (energy, relaxation, and trust). Most of the comments generated by the subjects fell into four topic areas: political party convention coverage, rapid camera and electronic news gathering procedures, why the subjects watched the specific station they did, and general criticism of television news. The results also indicated the worth of using a qualitative method like focus group interviewing in the study of television news. (RL)