No, I think your’s is the first vote for “Why the hell are you watching local network news in the first place.”
Because I like to know what’s going on locally. It seems to me pretty self-evident why one would watch the local news.
Okay then, I’ll be second.
Since I live in Northern Virginia, the lead story every night is about some shooting in SE DC. Then there’s a story about the Nationals, then one about the Redskins, then a feel good story about a squirrel who can water ski. Then a promo for whatever’s coming up next. Nothing even remotely useful. Ever.
Along a similar line – playing the 911 calls. They seem to love to do that here in Chicago. A few months ago a guy came home to find his wife had killed their two kids. The stations played his frantic call to 911 over and over again, for at least a week. It was horrible to hear.
A state senator or representative is going to introduce a bill to prevent 911 tapes from being released without the approval of the caller. He said he was contacted by a friend of this father, who said the guy breaks down every time he hears his call on TV.
Local TV news is good for one thing: weather.
And if your news is anything like Pittsburgh’s, even that is only accurate 30% of the time.
Jeebus toast, I cannot possibly express how much I fucking hate when they do that.
A few years back a little boy went missing. His body was found by a man who was hiking with his similarly-aged son. The news played that 911 call over. And over. And over.
Listening to the poor man in tears, freaking the fuck out because he’s just found the dead body of an innocent boy just like his son, not knowing how he’s going to explain things to his kid, and generally an emotional wreck … it made me sick to my heart and to my stomach.
The fact that a child’s body has been found is moving enough without having to capitalize on the emotional state of the poor guy who found him. They had no goddamn reason to play that on the air.
Though I hate to admit it, I occasionally get the feeling the Channel 11 news staff is just a reflection of the public it serves
That’s a valid argument - but perhaps there’s one too many ones in your station preference. I’m sure you’d agree Louis Dodley is alot easier to watch than Marvin Scott
You’re right. I can’t imagine NY1 doing that shit. But then again, I didn’t think channel 11 would have done that either, until I saw it. Oh, the snippet of crying family members, sure. But not deliberately making someone cry in such a cruel way— and then playing it on TV.
Not that 11 is my preference. It was the channel that was on when the news came on.
Stupid infotainment. If any of those people approached me I’d be pulling a Kenny Rogers/Ron Artest on them.
[sub]Not Artest on the cup throwing guy, Artest on the MSG cameraman.[/sub]
Seems to me it wasn’t a live shoot*, so there’s no freakin’ way that should have gotten on the air.
*My inference, based on the fact that they had time to determine that the young lady was a family friend, and to prepare a graphic to that effect.
But…but… what about Natalee? All Natalee all the time?
The only reason I watch local news is to see if our hockey team made the sports segment. Sadly, it usually doesn’t. I think we got 30 seconds when we won the league championship.
I was a victim of a local panty thief (actually, he only ever peeping-tom-ed me, but I was still involved in his prosecution) shortly after Brooke Wilburger, a college-aged girl was kidnapped from near here. A crew showed up to interview me. The reporter asked me a few pointless questions (Weren’t you scared? How did you sleep that night?) and I mostly shrugged it off. The thief was the most harmless guy you can imagine, and well, it wasn’t my panties being stolen. It was ooogy, but not scary.
The reporter kept pushing me with more questions along those lines until I said something like “I’m glad I had my dog with me that night.” Out of a 10 minute interview, those 15 seconds were all that made it on the 5:00 news. :rolleyes:
Stop and ask what purpose is being accomplished. Do you think the revelation that “people are upset when somebody they know is murdered” is newsworthy? And showing these people crying is the only way to convey this startling information? Filming the friends and family of victims isn’t news - it’s just cheap sensationalism.
Sadly, it’s increasingly easy to get the impression that the big issue, the one journalists are most sensitive to, the one that trumps all others, is ratings.
I don’t know why folks are getting all pissy about local TV news. I was just watching Faux News. There’s a report about a missing lady. The only known fact is that she is missing. There’s been no crime, no arrest. She’s missing. News Lady and Distressed Dad are talking
NL Have the police talked to anyone?
DD I don’t know. I think maybe they talked someone.
NL What’s your opinion of this person?
I’m paraphrasing slightly, but only for the sake of clarity. NL asked DD for his opinion of a person whom he had never even heard of before.
The comment of my American co-worker:
“Faux News makes me ashamed to be American.”
From a technical standpoint, it only takes a few seconds to prepare that graphic. Part of it is a template, so all the graphics person has to do is type the person’s name in.
That said, this is a particularly scuzzy use of “gotcha!” journalism, and probably the product of a brainless producer wanting ratings. The station should go out of its way to apologize not only to the friend, but to its audience, as well. They can start by firing the person responsible for airing this drek.
Robin
My “alarm clock” is the television in the bedroom that goes on and I hear the last ten minutes of the local news, and then Katie Couric and Matt Lauer.
Not often, but enough to annoy, is to wake up hearing an interview with some grieving relative sobbing uncontrollably n agony and listening to stupid platitudes by the newscaster, “our prayers are with you” or “this must be a hard time for you.”
Does anyone really need to see a mother wailing away on a crying jag about their child dying? This is “news”?
The rules of TV news:
Rule #1: If it bleeds, it leads.
Rule #2: If people are wailing and screaming, it leads.
Rule #3: If you can’t see blood and nobody is crying, ask incredibly stupid and abrasive questions until someone cries. Then it leads.
Rule #4: If no one cries after the questions in #3, then screw it, it’s not worth putting on the air or even mentioning in passing. Get back in the van and drive around until you find another car wreck or dead kitten.