NO MATTER how many excuses; how many seemingly "genuine" calls from his immediate family, they (the Chronicle and KTVU) reported the premature death of someone, Pat McCormick, who was still actually very much alive.
The Chronicle is in defense mode and KTVU is applying the CYA card-- "well, we got it from the Chron!") Its especially putrid for 2 which apparently has never heard of the word, factchecker --maybe past recent demons are still polluting the newsroom.
Everyone makes mistakes --it happens. But when it comes to someone's demise, make sure you get it right and make a few extra phone calls. Because if you don't it's not going to be a very good day.
*A quick personal story; when I was blogging, briefly, for the local paper, I got a call from a respected journalist telling me that former KTVU sports anchor, Gary Park, had died. The journalist worked with Park many years. There was no reason for me to question the source but I still remember asking, "hey, this is no bull, you're sure about this?" The journalist was incredulous: "I wouldn't make anything up like that." Of course not but I just wanted to make sure so I called around just in case. We're talking about the death of a very famous local TV sports anchor. Like I said, I wanted to make sure.
Again, I'm not dumping on the Chronicle (after all, their editor only uses "real journalists" --pity the local media blogger) and KTVU, but you would think something like this wouldn't have took place.
Just imagine the fallout had a blogger did this.
Strike one was Rusty Simmons for the Comicle. This is strike two!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard anything from KTVU this am about the mistake they made. Does management know what retraction is? I have a feeling they won't even address it.Have they reported any other deaths that haven't happened?
ReplyDeleteKTVU reported he was alive last night.
DeleteIt makes KTVU and the Chronicle look innocent and vulnerable. Very attractive and human qualities. Not monstrously huge corporations cranking out "spin." It was somebody's dirty trick, but I'd say it backfired because it makes KTVU and the Chronicle look relatable. Could happen to any of us. "To err is human. To forgive, divine. " Goggle it, I'm busy!
ReplyDeleteI have no confidence in liberal rags. Spin, report lies as fact, all part of their DNA.
ReplyDeleteY.A.W.N.
DeleteAre you people actually required to act like this?
Is Y.A.W.N. another social program that redistributes wealth?
DeleteAnon at 5:19...no, that would be the republicans...redustributing wealth upward to the 1% and crushing the middle class in the
Deleteprocess.
Actually...."Nobody cares"
ReplyDeleteHo Lee Fuk! Sum Ting Wong wen KTVU kant fak chek dare own staff memba def.
ReplyDeleteChron hasn't been worth a shit for 20 years. I gave up on it after Caen's passing. Wouldn't even use it to start a Duraflame log.
I appreciate you posting this story and the opportunity to comment.. It made me think about the very early 80s when I was in school and I saw some syndicated tabloid news program on TV. I thought then that it was signaling the end of journalism standards. (Though it really it began to erode in the 70s with "if it bleeds it leads"), And it went downhill from there.. with a plethora of sleazy tabloid programs, each lower in standards from the other. That is one factor in journalism standards.
ReplyDeleteThe other contributing factor to the deterioration of simple journalism is the expense factor. I will use KTVU as an example. The much more seasoned old Cox management (such as Kevin O'Brien) really understood their product.They supported it monetarily and understood the expense for keeping up standards and the benefits..like credibility. Nowadays those standards are a dream ( with some local media exceptions that really try like KCBS or KQED). It is likely hard for the current KTVU media management to quantify the benefit when dealing with an accountant mindset for the expense when they are focused on as much profit as possible Do not get me wrong. My experience come from both sides of the equation and I appreciate the needs of both sides. I just think the profit focus has shifted way too far because of crowded competitive media landscape. I think a company should be able to make money as well as support the resources of journalistic standards such as the having the bodies for such tasks as simple fact checking.
The last contributing factor to the detoriation of journalistic standard is the need for speed in today's very crowded and competitive media landscape. The race to get the story.out is fierce..Rich you face it each day. it leads to cutting corners in journalism judgement. It is easy today to post or press send...and then re-edit the story later for corrections or accuracy. It is much harder to get it right the first time.
Again, I appreciate the opportunity to comment here on this blog and really sincerely hope you will expand your own coverage of local BA media, to not just what interests you or frustrates you but to the larger and very interesting BA media landscape.
Speed Kills!
DeleteThe Chronicle editor needs to resign asp.
ReplyDeleteOh wait she is too busy editing a fawning feature about the CEO of Yahoo.
Or maybe she busy reviewing another bird brain story about some silly top 10 list about how hip and cute SF is.
Or maybe she is busy running another story about some expensive home that 95% of her readers can't afford.
95 percent? Try 99.9!
DeleteAnd I agree with every word, 10:57. I don't even read that rag anymore, and don't know a single person who does. They have them sitting around in the local coffee shop for free, and except occasionally for the sports scores no one ever looks at them. They use them to mop up coffee spills.
Pity cause I really like Peter Hartlaub's musings. One of the few reasons to click on SFGate.
ReplyDeleteWow!...just wow. A new depth.
ReplyDeleteI remember once when I was working at KTVU the report came over that "something" had happened to Phil Hartman...the police, an ambulance, etc., were called to his house. Nothing confirmed yet, but a production assistant who sat behind me said he'd heard from his buddy in LA that Hartman's wife had shot him and herself. He was incredulous when I wouldn't run with this because there was no official word. He couldn't seem to understand that while it'd be great to scoop, a report from his buddy who lived in the area wasn't good enough.
ReplyDeleteOf course it all turned out to be true, but I still don't regret not going with it at the time. I'd do the same today.
Well done! Thank you for sharing.
DeleteThe first thing that comes to mind when I read this is the scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail... "I'm not dead yet!" I propose channel 2 change its sign off to Faux 2 News. Seems appropriate. Haven't watched them since the botched handling of the Asiana names (not just the names but how they reacted afterward) and only catch them by accident if I am watching a football or baseball game.
ReplyDeleteIt's still 10 times better than the DNC's in-house news channel MSLSD.
DeleteRich, you may want to forward this to both KTVU and Peter Hartlaub. It's a link to Reuters source handbook. I think they need a refresher: http://handbook.reuters.com/?title=The_Essentials_of_Reuters_sourcing
ReplyDeleteSum Won Di
ReplyDeleteI had the privilege of producing Pat McCormicks weather segment of KTVU. A real gentleman, funny and weather savvy to boot. Real nice guy.
ReplyDeleteHartlaub said in his original posting that he wanted to get the news about McCormick's death out there first before he did a formal obituary. The pressure to something quickly without checking the facts is the problem here. That's the newsroom culture at the Chron. It's the system Editor Audrey Cooper demands. Of course she should be fired for this, but it won't happen. She's in way over her head. It's not that she isn't a good journalist, but she doesn't know what she's doing, particularly as a manager of people or an editor who has to handle complex stories. She'd be a better Mommy blog writer or maybe editor of the Pleasanton Weekly.
ReplyDeleteThe last line of this Q and A was classic:
ReplyDeleteQ: You filled a lot of roles at KTVU — from “Dialing for Dollars” to the weather desk to the children’s shows. What would you like people to remember you for? Is there anything you’d rather forget?
A: I suppose I’m best known for “Dialing for Dollars,” which I hosted for 17 years. Many folks remember my many years as the weather anchor on the 10 0’Clock News, and all those years (1972-1988) as host of the San Francisco portion of the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. But, if you really want to make my day, just mention Charley and Humphrey. All the other things I did on television were just jobs. It was my work. By contrast Charley and Humphrey were my passion. They were me. I miss working with them more than I can describe.
On the other hand, the things I would like to forget — I have. Including the S.O.B. who managed KTVU for several years.