Florida High-School Massacre Brings Out Good In TV News Journalism; Humanity Supersedes Madness

WE THINK THEY'RE EMOTIONAL ZOMBIES; that they look into the camera and just read the news blindly no matter how horrible and awful.

They are not zombies.

I'm talking about TV journalists; anchors, reporters, and the like. To a lesser degree, radio news people too because we can hear their voice but can't see them.

I'm speaking specifically about the Wednesday tragedy; the latest slaughter of innocent human life by a madman --although like Sandy Hook, this one at a South Florida High-School especially hurt deeply considering the human toll, the faces of the victims; high-school kids that went about their business on a typical February day, Valentine's Day no less, not knowing the terrible fate that would take their lives so violently.

I watched, like most of you, the TV/Cable coverage. It was predicable ---but in this instance mostly professional and acceptable given the awfulness of what took place--evil on full display. I saw a CNN reporter on the scene tell a young mother to "stop and forget this interview; go call your daughter." The mother was doing a live interview and in the middle was interrupted by a call from her daughter at the hotel where survivors --mostly kids--were gathered to reunite with loved ones. It was a genuine and heartwarming moment --a break away from the grim reality of what happened only hours earlier and it was nice to see the CNN reporter know what the right thing to do and call off the interview.

I saw anchors here locally (some national too) who showed an emotional side; they probably have sons and daughters the same age who looked as if it was difficult to read the teleprompter. It was. And it showed. As it should have. We're all human.

I'm not trying to be overly dramatic here but I frequently rip a lot of these people for their boorishness and bravado. Obviously, something horrible like this changes their perspective. Like I said, yes, they are paid to report the news and tell us what's happening; the latest developments; the latest briefing; unfortunately, we've become accustomed to this sort of thing. Almost part of the culture.

On Friday night, KGO's Dan Ashley, in just the right tone, gave a thoughtful summation about the Florida high-school massacre in his well done "What Really Matters"--what I pointed out, yes, Ashley noted, the story needs to be told and information gathered and reported. But above all, journalists have family too; kids, high-school kids for some. And behind the scenes, they too feel the anguish and see the horror. Because we're all human. Like the CNN reporter cutting off the interview with the mother so she could call her daughter, Ashley's ninety-second vignette was both proper and dignified.