# Local GOTCHA! television newscasts **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 25, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919 "2004-05-25T02:34:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/1 "2004-05-25T02:34:21Z")
Local television newscasts in Cleveland are pretty bad. I think you see more Cleveland news on the Akron stations than on broadcasts originating from the Home of Rock and Roll. “Gotcha!” reports seem to have been a fixture for months, where cameramen stalk government workers, and them approch them at an inopportune monment. They’ll show film of city and county cars going through restaurant drive-thru windows, or dig up the criminal records of criminal records of an employee. “Mister Building Inspector, we have film of you spending an hour lounging in a local restaurant between 1:00 and 2:00. Why are you goofing off on the taxpayer’s dime?” Apparently, timeshifting lunch is something government workers aren’t allowed to do. In a couple of years, I have to go to a conference in Las Vegas. What’s going to happen when I get home? Will hidden cameras from home follow me around? “On Monday, you spent an hour at the craps tables. How do you justify gambling at taxpayer expense?” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/2 "2004-05-25T02:39:18Z")
FOX 5 in New York has a team just like that. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/3 "2004-05-25T02:44:37Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > In a couple of years, I have to go to a conference in Las Vegas. What’s going to happen when I get home? Will hidden cameras from home follow me around? “On Monday, you spent an hour at the craps tables. How do you justify gambling at taxpayer expense?” Thanks for the tip. You’re mine now! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/4 "2004-05-25T02:50:08Z")
I could just imagine it now. You’re an innocent government worker on break, just trying to get a Big Mac and get back to work. All of the sudden a newscaster and film crew jump out of the bushes next to the drive-thru and shout: _ **GOTCHA YA!** _ ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/5 "2004-05-25T04:36:36Z")
This is part of the reason I’ve stopped watching the local news. Between the non-stories and the words “Busted” being hissed in the background, I couldn’t take it anymore. Denise Dufala, one of our local news anchors, shops in my store, and some days it was all I could do to not shake her and scream, “where’s your dignity?!!!” I figured I’d just stop watching instead. Of course now I have no idea what’s happening in the city and since I listen to Detroit and Windsor radio stations on the way to work in the morning, I have no idea what the traffic or weather in Cleveland is either. Bit by bit, I’m just creating my own alternate universe. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/6 "2004-05-25T04:51:27Z")
This doesn’t irritate me nearly as much as the local Fox news turning into nothing more than a half-hour ad for American Idol. As if that show isn’t already overexposed. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/7 "2004-05-25T21:49:49Z")
And people wonder why I don’t want to go into TV. Robin ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/8 "2004-05-25T22:09:52Z")
You want happening news in Akron, Ohio? Then become the Happening! ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/9 "2004-05-26T00:07:12Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Denise Dufala, one of our local news anchors, shops in my store… As a former Clevelander, let me just say… Can you get me her phone number? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/10 "2004-05-26T03:40:13Z")
Wow ok now it seems like the only bad local news is in Cleveland. I’m in Cleveland and I agree, local news SUUUUUCKS. I won’t even go into the story they did about cutting bussing in my local school system and saying that “if kids get injured walking home, it’s all on the superintendent’s shoulders…” Man that was bad times around our house! (he’s my mom’s boss) Anyway…uh, so only Cleveland and Fox 5 in NY suck? Storm reports in Cleveland are equally as sucky. You’d have thought our last storm was a hurricane. Thank God I didn’t follow through with a career in journalism after getting that degree. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/11 "2004-05-26T04:12:56Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > or dig up the criminal records of criminal records of an employee. " Wow, even their _records_ have records?! Now _that’s_ tough! ---
**Author:** ![cmason32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@cmason32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmason32)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/12 "2004-05-26T10:40:55Z")
A few weeks ago one of the local stations had promos suggesting that anyone that was carrying a knock-off purse was likely to get hauled in jail. Instead, they focused on street vendors and purse-parties. They do shit like that all the time: Coming up next - why a normal everyday household item might be killing you in your sleep. What bothers me more is the shit that passes for news. I don’t care about a waterskiing squirrel or how some cat dialed 911 to save her owner’s life. Coming up next: Why waterskiing squirrels might be killing you in your sleep! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/13 "2004-05-26T11:01:16Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Wow, even their _records_ have records?! > > Now _that’s_ tough! [Film Noir detective] So Mr. Criminal Record, it seems you like loitering. Well it was easy enough to find you… ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/14 "2004-05-26T14:26:48Z")
These are called “ambushes” in TV speak. Many times they are done when the subject has refused comment through other more reasonable means. They are also used for dramatic effect. Things should calm down shortly, however. The May ratings period ends today. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/15 "2004-05-26T15:08:08Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Wow, even their _records_ have records?! > > Now _that’s_ tough! What you don’t understand is that they’re _bad_ records. Personally I blame the parenting records. About a month ago I pitted the local Fox affiliate because, after 2 days of 70 degree sunny weather that followed a long winter, the Fox dipshits had a commercial that said “Finally, a break from the heat wave!” Ratings sluts. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/16 "2004-05-26T16:04:20Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Storm reports in Cleveland are equally as sucky. You’d have thought our last storm was a hurricane. Glad to hear we aren’t the only ones, though the weather people in central NC are slightly less hysterical than the ones in Norfolk, VA. They make what usually turns out to be less than a half inch of snow sound like it’s going to be the Storm of the Century, causing people to run out and buy all the bottled water, milk and bread there is in the stores at the time. I’m sure the bottled water, milk and bread people are thrilled though. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/17 "2004-05-26T18:25:28Z")
I hope you know that this will go down on the permanent record of your permanent record. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/18 "2004-05-26T19:22:05Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > As a former Clevelander, let me just say… > Can you get me her phone number? I could, but don’t plan on that happening any time soon. And may I just make you more crazy by saying that Denise is one of those people who, when you see them in person, makes the word “lovely” seem inadequate. She is truly lovely. But I heard she’s dating some politician or some such thing. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/19 "2004-05-26T19:31:55Z")
If anybody can find local news more pointless, vapid, stupid, and painful than what goes in So Cal, I will be shocked and extremely appalled. Words cannot express how absolutely horrid the local news is…I can’t even give a concrete example, but I’m sure other So Cal dopers know what I’m talking about. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919/20 "2004-05-26T19:44:44Z")
Fox 9 “News” in Minnesota is promoting tonight’s investigation, which appears to be video of people drinking at the State Capital. They may or may not be state representatives. They may or may not have been drinking on the job. But I’m sure it will be fifteen minutes of mind-blowing excitement either way. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-gotcha-television-newscasts/246919.md?page=2)