OCCUPY COVERAGE--
*KPIX, (CBS5) was tops with wall-to-wall coverage from Frank Ogawa plaza to the Port of Oakland. High marks to anchors, Dana King and reporter on the scene at the plaza, Ann Notarangelo, in particular. Good, concise reporting, tons of nice visual actualities and plenty of riveting material from the port.
Most especially, hats off to PIX for covering some sidebar material; i.e, Phil Matier's 6PM live shot from Rockridge on what "the other part of Oakland was doing on strike day." Matier ventured out to Chinatown, College ave, and East Oakland for reactions from citizen's on the day's events. It was a logical story idea, first and foremost, and nobody else did it.
KTVU stuck with the basic formula, (like everyone else), but it defies me why they would make over-hyped, reporter, Eric Rasmussen, the centerpiece of their coverage. Rasmussen, (a new hire courtesy "Special Ed" Chapuis), was his usual uber-cafineated self, breathless and devoid of anything new--a real instant turn-the-channel guy. Mike Mibach at the port was slightly better and yes, a bit more relaxed. In these high-pressure, loads of noise settings, sure, it's human to show emotion, but these are supposed to be "professionals", right? Be your own judge.
NBC Bay Area and KRON--just OK. The usual copter shots and mostly banal actualities. KGO-TV delivered a solid account(s) from anchors Dan Ashley, Carolyn Johnson, and Cheryl Jennings. Nothing in particular stood out, but in today's local TV news world, that's at least a passing grade.
*RADIO--
KCBS was on top of the scene, with stellar reporting from Doug Sovern, in particular. Sovern is a Bay Area news veteran, (he also lives in Oakland), and deserves high marks for his quick and spot-on reports from the plaza. Bob Melrose was his usual best--and hats off to all the anchors--Jeff Bell, Stan Bunger, Patty Reising for a job well done...
KGO Radio deserves a pat on the back for sending PM news anchor, Bret Burkhart, live to the scene at Ogawa plaza. It was a nice touch and it was cool to hear the goings-on, live, and in the process. While not ground-breaking radio programming, it was at least something new.
OVERVIEW--
As indicated, mostly satisfactory and decent coverage all the way around...a major crap factor: the frequent, over-nauseating anchors and reporters warning viewers, "it's been a mostly-peaceful march, but with darkness setting in, who knows..." Great way to fan the flames and sure enough.
And finally, the usual 400 shots of the Whole Foods market getting vandalized--and B of A too, along with the other banks even after it was widely reported by OPD that the 40-50 thugs were not a part of the demonstrators and were mostly anarchists, (the same thugs at Oscar Grant protests who willfully make trouble no matter what cause).
Tell me how a responsible local news team can continually give these monsters repeated shots of PR without telling their viewers/listeners about who they really are? OK, one or two shots, fine, it's part of the story until the truth comes out and we learn they're the usual rent-a-mobbers. It makes for great TV, but too bad it AIN'T really a part of the story.
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Thugs?? Those who the police have arrested are more innocent then the bankers who looted this country. But I see your NIMBY about protesters,who should send letters of complaint to the bankers. Shame-selling out so you can look like one of the moderate media who dont give a damn about you. YOUR an anarchist to them-you dont see that?
ReplyDeleteS
9:27, Does your initial stand for Socialist?
ReplyDeleteRich, those arrested and filmed vandalizing and looting in the Oscar Grant riots were almost all Oakland citizens. Very Rovian of you to keep repeating the 'out of towners did it', repeat it enough and someone will start to believe it.
ReplyDeleteMy estimate is 55% of the people there don't even know what occupy is about or what the core message is supposed to be. They're there to smoke weed and hang out. It's a huge party to them. The news coverage last night shows a bunch of people marching with a banner and 2 black girls to their left dancing like they're at a hip hop concert. Really? Really? Reminds me of last year when the Giants won the world series....where did these thousands of people come from? Bandwagon. Please don't turn occupy into a joke. Move it out of Oakland. Go someplace less ghetto.
ReplyDeleteIs 9:27 the "masked S" or just a normal "S". If it is the masked S, glad you dropped that ridiculous tagline.
ReplyDeleteLet's occupy Los Banos. 3 of us can stand outside Walmart chanting with signs. Or as my buddy put it, we can stand next to the 2 Mexican guys looking for work. I heard South Park started mocking occupy last night when Cartman decided to occupy something. If we did occupy Los Banos, we'd need our token fat kid standing next to us with 1 liners, like Seth Rogan has Jonah Hill. Now that I have all the jokes out of the way, I absolutely support what the real occupy is all about and wish them nothing but the best.
ReplyDeleteMasked S. S..proud old lefty. When you protested back then, and were HEARD..if some of that noise was broken glass so be it.
ReplyDelete"Go someplace less ghetto" Makes my point perfectly. They are in near the perfect spot..to make the bankers sweat and worry is a noble cause. As noble as there is.
signed,
the Masked,
'S'
Anarchists are of course taking advantage of the occupy movement..they are easy to distinguish from the legitimate protesters...much as the racist survivalist types tried to usurp the message of the tea party..so too the anarchists are no friends of this country, the bay area, or the average aggrieved American. cops should target the violent anarchists..and so should the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteRich, you didn't mention that channel 2 and 36 did live remotes for the 6PM and 7PM news in Walnut to show what the suburbanites were doing.
ReplyDeleteRich, what the hell did you think was going to happen? Now you think you can disavow the destruction like the Pope washing his hands? Sorry chum. Any attempt by the police to control the protestors, any of the protestors, has been met with threats, bullshit, and mayhem by the mob, er protestors. OWS has now shown it's true colors, a mob bent on violence. Pictures tell the story.
ReplyDeleteAll Occupy Oakland protesters are hoodlums.
ReplyDeleteA friend was watching KRON and said when they cut to the live shot, there was no reporter and the camera was on the ground. Did they run? Bathroom break? Roll a fatty in tent city? Anyone know what happened?
ReplyDelete"Tell me how a responsible local news team can continually give these monsters repeated shots of PR without telling their viewers/listeners about who they really are? OK, one or two shots, fine, it's part of the story until the truth comes out and we learn they're the usual rent-a-mobbers. It makes for great TV, but too bad it AIN'T really a part of the story."
ReplyDelete100% agree. What a shame, newscast.
This is Lord of the Flies. They blame 'corporate media' for distorting their message and complain that we are biased for asking a tough queastion. Suddenly, I appreciate the police, the Supreme Court, and a child who has studied hard to go to a good school so that she can become invested....unlike these poor disorganized people.
ReplyDeleteI love the Asian guy with the shotgun... "Occupy this motherfuckers!"
ReplyDeleteI think that unlike the times of the past,it seems many reporters have a conservative bent. I think Laura Anthony of ch.7's is above the rest. Her mugging on camera,smirks and disgust are so biased. And when she asked the head of the Police Union "Who runs this city,the protesters or the mayor?" it was FOX newsism on ABC at it's worst.
ReplyDeleteWhen Laura's home is foreclosed on by bankers,maybe she will see the light...
'S'
Oh, "S", so judgmental.
ReplyDeleteI think Laura asked a very good question. Try filling her shoes with three stories a day, just like the rest of the KGO people. FYI...they're the only ones who have been dogging BART and OPD about that driver who ran over two protesters. Everybody else pretty much dropped it. So when the protesters accuse corporate media of being against them, they should buy a tv or computer, study up in Freedom of The Press, and recognize that if the 'evil' corporate media left, their asses would already be in jai.
ReplyDeleteMeantime, we sit there in our trucks and deal with these people all day. It's as if we have become news kiosks out there.
Yeah,well,Laura and all her family and friends have been lucky to not have any layoffs,loss of jobs,or see bankers deny badly needed loans..and the gap between the rich and the hard working poor at its all time worst hasn't meant a thing to Laura Anthony.
ReplyDeleteNow,if she is laid off at KGO,and other stations wont hire an older female reporter as seniority means more cost to the station...Laura might feel like making noise herself. Or maybe break something.
'S'