THE DAY AFTER Post-Mortem got a head start on Sunday Night. The tragedy in Orlando was in the rear-view mirror as the local TV stations, predictably, sent crews to the Castro district and began asking the standard -faire questions: "How do you feel?" "Are you scared?" "Will you attend the Pride Parade?"Like I said, it's all predictable --no real news to report. A slew of MOST interviews without the slightest bit of thought and perspective.
The Bay Area isn't alone but it's one of the biggies. "News" outlets that are run by know-nothing louts with little sense of place or protocol.
The hashtag generation with an onslaught of fake "Breaking News" banners 12 hours after legitimate news had already taken place.
And what was to gain from everyone sending reporters out to the Castro? Oh, because it was a gay nightclub, I see. That's some genius research. And everyone was there because you can't interview a terrorism expert in the studio; you have to send some blond dimwit who has no clue about SF out to the Castro to ask some Guy named Bert if he's "scared" --I'd love to hear Bert say, "No, I'm not scared, in fact, I'm going to go have an ice-cream cone--are you scared?"
The people are smarter than the dumb reporters.
But I'm not surprised anymore.
"...predictably, sent crews to the Castro district and began asking the standard -faire questions: "How do you feel?" "Are you scared?" "Will you attend the Pride Parade?"
ReplyDeleteAnd if they had not Rich would be bitching about it.
"Are you scared?"
ReplyDeleteThat's what the media really wants to know. FEAR is one thing that brings people back. They've been instilling fear into viewers since the 1950s. As a result, we now live in a society that is afraid to walk alone at night; afraid to let their children play alone in the park. Crime is down, but fear is up. Way, way up.
As a longtime San Franciscan I don't think it is safe to walk the streets of SF at night - but then I take the time to check Hoodline and other sources to read the police crime reports. With stabbings and strong arm robberies rampant in SF it is one of the main reasons I check the news. With the current state of the news you have to dig a bit as The Chron and TV Stations bury these sort of stories unless to big to hide to make SF appear as safe as Disneyland. I formerly checked the Examiner as they got stories the Chron would ignore but now the Examiner is toooo progressive for me. I know Bill Hurst is rolling in his grave...
Delete"With the current state of the news you have to dig a bit as The Chron and TV Stations bury these sort of stories unless to big to hide to make SF appear as safe as Disneyland."
DeleteHuh??? That's all the stations report on anymore is crime and grime, every night, story after story, because it's cheap. You just need a desk flunkie and a police radio and a freelance photog to run out and "spray the scene," as they call it. I remember when KTVU and others would do in-depth stories about topical things--"Thing pieces" they used to call them--Bob Mackenzie in Ireland, Tom Vacar or John Fowler reporting on new developments in Silicon Valley (real developments, not a new app to make it easier to book a table at your favorite restaurant), Rita Williams doing an in-depth look at some housing or other urban problem. Now it's all just shootings, accidents and fires, because they're easy and cheap.
It's interesting that if you go to Europe and there's ONE story of extreme violence in a month, it's a big deal. Here you get a half dozen every night on every newscast. Most Americans don't think about it, but when I'm over in Europe I ask locals where they go to vacation. They usually reply Canada or the Middle East (where they're a lot more welcome than Americans) or Australia or New Zealand. But, they'll quickly say, "I want to go to America too, someday." When I politely press them on why they haven't, when they've traveled elsewhere many times (as they get far more vacation and have much more real disposable income than we do), they eventually admit they're afraid to come here because of the guns and the violence. And I have no honest rebuttal, as I too feel far safer in Europe than in America. I've walked down many European streets, even so-called "tourist traps," at 1 am without fear. I'd never do that here, even in "good" neighborhoods.
In all fairness if they don't ask these questions they will get spanked by the suits.
ReplyDeleteBut I'd like to ask all these people who cancel their vacations to Europe because of a terror attack there if they'll now hide under the bed all day since they're not "safe" here either. You know, these same people who text while driving on the freeway at 80 miles an hour...
I'm surprised Karel isn't crowdsourcing funding for a plane ticket to Orlando right now.
ReplyDeleteCan somebody explain why Channel 7 flew a reporter to Orlando, had her on the 11 for a minute forty-five, repeated for the morning show and is sending her home today or tomorrow? Aren't there any stringers available from the local ABC affiliate? ABC National News had at least three reporters on the scene - they could have sent something along. KGO IS O&O, after all. Hope Katie Marzullo gets to keep the frequent flyer miles.......
ReplyDeleteThat's because money is of no concern to Mickey Mouse.
DeleteKPIX did the same thing. Maybe some others did too--didn't watch them all. What's your problem with it? The biggest terror attack since 9/11 and they rely on a stringer??? Then Rich would be (justifiably, in my opinion) bitching about that.
DeletePoor Katie. I hope she got some time for fun while she was in Orlando.
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated note, the frat boy dudes on KNBR this morning were good therapy for us bummed out Sharks fans. They were whining so much about Draymond Green being suspended for Game 5 tonight you never would have known the Sharks' season just ended.
Did anyone watch the LIVE news coverage from the Orlando local TV stations during the 3-hour standoff-massacre? No? Right. Because there was no local coverage. Odd, isn't it? Makes you wonder. What is REAL and what is conjured up for the public to debate over. Now you have crisis actors parading before the cameras to do rehearsed interviews. Check the Orlando affiliates and Youtube. No LIVE coverage from the street in front of the venue during the supposed shooting.
ReplyDelete