Show some common sense, for god's sake. Hold back on the tiresome "local angle" and try to be a bit more creative. Talk to the teachers, talk to principals, and get your sound bite, but stay away from the young kids. Or have the decency to at least talk to the kid's parent before sticking a mic into someone's face.
No, this isn't a morality play. You're well-intentioned. You have no malice intended, most of you. And the reporters--most of them at least, show proper judgement. Most, not all.
This is not a Bay Area phenomenon--it's pretty much universal. That doesn't make it right. And it's happening on cable too, but by and large it's a local TV news habit and it, quite frankly, needs to be cleaned up.
Common Sense. Show some.
Of course, Rich is lecturing the local media. Amazing that he knows best about just about everything.
ReplyDeleteRich is right on this. I am not in the business, and what I have heard, outside of the scene reporting itself is fairly disturbing. KCBS, a source I generally trust had an expert in "Workplace violence" on, saying that usually people see signs of this kind of thing happening before it actually happens. Really? A classroom of 5 year olds are supposed to see the signs of a shooter?
ReplyDeleteHe went on to say that all of the people at the school are going to have to live with the missed signs. Absolutely disgusting. A 20 year old is not likely to be an employee at the school, and yet a "Workplace Violence Expert" is who they choose to give the local angle to? Please...
What we want locally are the facts. If there are no new facts to report, don't report crap just because you broadcasters think thats what we want. Don't give us what we want. Give us what we need.
To their credit, they did have another expert on a little later discussing how to talk to your own children about what happened. That is indeed something we need.
Anon @ 7:12, you are obviously in the business, and are probably one of the normal haters who disagrees with everything Rich says due to your own bias, but now is not the time.
Think about those of us who are the viewers. We make decisions about those outlets we choose to follow an outlet based in large part on how you handle the big stories. I completely changed which news team I trusted, and followed regularly based on their handling/coverage of 9/11 (Both sides). I am sure I am not alone.
So rather than trying to get the story out there with the local angle fastest no matter what kind of drivel it is, think about what is being put out there, and address the audience. The real audience, not the one most of you in the business seem to perceive us to be.
We are not idiots, and we are paying attention.
Perfectly said. On KGONE this morning some dumb reporter stuck a mic in the face of a parent who reacted to the news by saying: ”I'm glad stuff like that would never happen in Cupertino.” After the newsbreak even the tired Matress Man was alert enough to say: ”Guess what? The shooting happened in a place not much different than Cupertino”. These are times when idiot reporters need to also stay away from average Joe on the street for reaction, especially when the tragedy happened 3,000 miles away. Rich is 100% right...
Delete@7:12 So you're saying it's OK for the local media, CNN or ABC to interview 2nd or 3rd graders about a tragedy they don't understand? Interesting response or are you like @7:54 alluded to, just a Rich Lieberman hater?
ReplyDeleteNow is the time to rally behind Rich and stand behind him.
ReplyDeleteRally behind Rich, why???? What are you even talking about?
DeleteRich, I could not agree with you more. Thanks for posting this. I hope my pals in TV news pay attention.
ReplyDeleteEvery child that I saw interviewed was with a parent. It can be a good thing for a young one to have a chance to tell his or her story. Each interview I saw was brief and the reporter did not ask many questions. I didn't have a problem with it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I did not like is the misinformation that changed constantly probably because people wanted to get their story out rather than wait for the information to be verified.
However, this is a very painful story to cover and emotions were high on everyone's part.
It is so horribly sad.
Rich: Where are Armstrong & Getty this morning? It's 7:34 a.m. and for the last 20 minutes (since I tuned in), both flagship station KSTE 650 AM, Sacramento, and KNEW 910 AM, Oakland, are airing a Purity Products infomercial. No A&G show this am. Normally their show airs from 6 to 10. What's up? Have they been canned? Is this the end?
ReplyDelete@737 since when are Gordon & Getty on air on weekends? Infomercials are much more entertaining than those two buffoons, I wish they were replaced permanently by a vitamin infomercial
DeleteNo. I'm happy to report that A&G are still very much a part of the M-F morning line up. However, these two stations no longer air "The Best of" shows from the previous week on Saturday mornings.
DeleteRich, I got into a long Facebook discussion about your post. Readers could infer that you believe some interviews may have been done without parental consent. I did not get that from my reading because I think your larger point, one with which I agree, is to question why young children in that situation should have been interviewed at all. That is an entirely fair question and one that is being widely discussed today. An article in the Atlantic (attached to my name in case this message board filters out links) cites a reporter whose on-air questions made me cringe. http://goo.gl/Dh7Ma
ReplyDeleteChannel 2's 10 o'clock news last night -- the first one following this tragedy -- was (rather uncharacteristically) an absolute train wreck. Reporters oblivious to the fact that they are still on air and checking their cel phones before the director woke up and cut to someone else, various glitches like cutting to the wrong camera while someone else is speaking, people stepping on one anothers' lines, mismatched b-rolls... it was apparently an all replacement cast, in front of and behind the cameras. Nice attention to detail, KTVU! I actually feel sorry for the director, truly cringeworthy to watch back later I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point Rich.
ReplyDeleteNews producers must "find" a story. Anyway possible. Even sticking a microphone in the face of a child.
But this is typical of local news. JUNK!
It goes both ways Rich. You have a huge photo of kids on your Dec 14th post - Just another day in America. Did you ask the parents for permission to use? Didn't think so. Hypocrite.
ReplyDelete