How To Handle Local TV Airheads

[FredLeonard]

Had the reporter tripped or been knocked down trying to get away, the two pit bulls likely would have gone for her throat. Would you be saying she deserved that?

One of the reasons two distrust anything the media say: It's always a pit bull. Any time they do a story about a dog doing anything that's not cute, including protecting it's home and owners, it's always called a "pit-bull." I owned a pit-bull and she was a sweet, smart, loyal dog. I know other pit-bull owners who say the same. But Journalism 101: Don't let facts get in the way of a good story.

You newsies are very selective in your respect for the law. When it's convenient, you hold yourself above the law. If you have information about a crime, you feel entitled to withhold it. You feel entitled to invade people's privacy bellowing about the "public's right to know" (found nowhere in the constitution).

People have a right to protect their homes. We will see what a jury says. I hope it has some people on it disgusted with local news. Then I hope she sues Barbie and the station. A big lawsuit is the only way to teach these cretins to behave themselves.

 

[michael hagerty]

Had the reporter tripped or been knocked down trying to get away, the two pit bulls likely would have gone for her throat. Would you be saying she deserved that?

One of the reasons two distrust anything the media say: It's always a pit bull. Any time they do a story about a dog doing anything that's not cute, including protecting it's home and owners, it's always called a "pit-bull." I owned a pit-bull and she was a sweet, smart, loyal dog. I know other pit-bull owners who say the same. But Journalism 101: Don't let facts get in the way of a good story.

You newsies are very selective in your respect for the law. When it's convenient, you hold yourself above the law. If you have information about a crime, you feel entitled to withhold it. You feel entitled to invade people's privacy bellowing about the "public's right to know" (found nowhere in the constitution).

People have a right to protect their homes. We will see what a jury says. I hope it has some people on it disgusted with local news. Then I hope she sues Barbie and the station. A big lawsuit is the only way to teach these cretins to behave themselves.

Frank, did you watch the video? Those were pit bulls. The woman's property was never trespassed upon. There was no threat to defend against.

In 30 years as a TV reporter, I never did any of the things or held the beliefs you suggest we "newsies" do. And I was by no means alone. There are those who fit your description to a "T". I wasn't one of them, and there is nothing on that video that indicates the Providence reporter did anything wrong or holds the law in any disregard.

The mother, on the other hand, left her property to engage the journalists on public property, and assaulted both.

I would hope people would be more disgusted by someone who would hit another human with a rock, threaten them with a baseball bat and turn their dogs loose to bite them when there was no threat and no trespass than would be disgusted by the behavior of some but not all journalists who had nothing to do with this story or the conduct of this news crew.

I find it very sad that you're the type of person that would suggest someone should be able to commit a felonious assault like that on two citizens without penalty purely because of their occupation.

 

[landtuna]

People have a right to protect their homes. We will see what a jury says. I hope it has some people on it disgusted with local news.

Although I share your dislike for aggressive and inept news reporters it is not against the law to be obnoxious. This lady could easily have gone back inside her home or asked the reporter to leave.

I neither saw nor heard anything that would be considered unprofessional by the reporter. I could not understand everything the abusive woman said but if she had asked the reporter to leave then that is what should have happened. I did not hear the reporter press her question or act in any way aggressive toward the woman.

If I were a judge and based upon what is in this video I would have taken the following action:

1. Sentenced the woman to a minimum of 60 days in jail for aggravated assault (rock, bat & dogs) and a two-year probation.
2. I would have removed the dogs from the home and had them euthanized. They are clearly a threat to the general public safety. They were lucky in this case because where I live (an open carry state) I could have shot both animals on the spot - and would have. I am a dog lover and have three of my own. I have nothing against Pit Bulls either but if a large dog menaces me I will take whatever action I can to minimize the threat.
3. Sentenced the woman to pay court costs, incarceration fees and the medical bills of the reporter and cameraman.

I have no information as to the prior shooting on her property but if that incident is in any way the result of inappropriate parental oversight then she does some hard time. We don't need animals like her in our neighborhoods.

 

[arnoldevns]

So... the person who posted this thread thinks it is okay to assault journalists? No, it is not. The woman in the video in question might not have liked the questions she was being asked, but she had no reason assault the reporter. She deserves a prison sentence for this episode.

 

[FredLeonard]

LandTuna: You say you are a "dog lover" but you advocate killing dogs who obeyed a command and chased an intruder. Strange kind of love.

Michael: I am glad you did not fit my description. If the shoe does not fit, don't wear it. You say you have left the business. Apparently, you are not alone. From what I can see, the people who are there now, do fit my description. From posts I have read here, local TV news has degenerated greatly - and continues to do so.

You say she should have politely asked this mic holder to leave. That is not likely to have worked, not then and not ever. In all likelihood any mic holder who left when asked would have been seriously reamed by her boss for not being aggressive enough.

Maybe this is why there is so much turn-over in local TV news. Partly because TV wants young, pretty faces - to hell with experience. Mostly because people grow up and come to the kind of realization you did about the nature of the business.

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

The original poster must have a serious grudge against television news, given the tone of his comments.

He's starting to remind me of Phil Musnick, sports media critic for the New York Post, who never cut it in broadcast media and wastes precious space in print (in what is itself a waste of paper) complaining about anyone and everyone more talented than he was in front of a camera.

Nothing wrong with being critical and having an opinion. I find everything wrong in being obnoxious about it.

 

[FredLeonard]

The original poster must have a serious grudge against television news, given the tone of his comments.

He's starting to remind me of Phil Musnick, sports media critic for the New York Post, who never cut it in broadcast media and wastes precious space in print (in what is itself a waste of paper) complaining about anyone and everyone more talented than he was in front of a camera.

Nothing wrong with being critical and having an opinion. I find everything wrong in being obnoxious about it.

By your reasoning, should we assume you couldn't "cut it" in newspapers?

Newspapers, despite their business problems, represent the only real news gathering organizations in their communities. They have real reporters who actually go out and find out things. In contrast to TV, which relies completely on press releases, wire stories (from newspapers), canned pieces, or staged news events (news conferences or photo ops).

Mic holders should be required to introduce their "stand ups" by saying, "I'm not a journalist but I play one on TV."

 

[landtuna]

LandTuna: You say you are a "dog lover" but you advocate killing dogs who obeyed a command and chased an intruder. Strange kind of love.

I did not advocate the killing of dogs nor was the reporter in this story an intruder. I said I would defend myself against aggressive dogs.

Michael: I am glad you did not fit my description. If the shoe does not fit, don't wear it. You say you have left the business. Apparently, you are not alone. From what I can see, the people who are there now, do fit my description. From posts I have read here, local TV news has degenerated greatly - and continues to do so.

I agree with you that the quality of local TV news is not nearly as professional as it once was but you are using a very big brush to paint an entire profession and that is also not correct. There are reporters out there doing a professional job and, in fact, I saw nothing in this video that was unprofessional by this reporter either.

You say she should have politely asked this mic holder to leave. That is not likely to have worked, not then and not ever. In all likelihood any mic holder who left when asked would have been seriously reamed by her boss for not being aggressive enough.

Bull poop! All the perp had to do was turn around and go into her house and ignore the reporter. It happens all the time in my market. The classic "no comment". This perp clearly over reacted (unless the video had been edited and something else happened beforehand).

Maybe this is why there is so much turn-over in local TV news. Partly because TV wants young, pretty faces - to hell with experience. Mostly because people grow up and come to the kind of realization you did about the nature of the business.

If there is a fault with the news biz it is their management. They are the ones who choose the people, the stories and refuse to take no for an answer.

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

By your reasoning, should we assume you couldn't "cut it" in newspapers?

I don't remember ever saying I wrote for newspapers. But my work in media is not at issue here.

Newspapers, despite their business problems, represent the only real news gathering organizations in their communities. They have real reporters who actually go out and find out things. In contrast to TV, which relies completely on press releases, wire stories (from newspapers), canned pieces, or staged news events (news conferences or photo ops).

Mic holders should be required to introduce their "stand ups" by saying, "I'm not a journalist but I play one on TV."

I happen to be friends/acquaintances with a several TV journalists, many of whom pounded the pavements in college and small towns before getting to the big markets, and they would take a huge offense to those ignorant and arrogant statements. In fact, they'd tell you to your face where to shove your comments.

I'm now more convinced that you know absolutely nothing about how television news works. If you don't know what you're talking about, I'd really refrain from criticizing about someone else's job.

 

[FredLeonard]

If there is a fault with the news biz it is their management. They are the ones who choose the people, the stories and refuse to take no for an answer.

Yes, I agree. But that's the problem. They hire airheads. Back in the day, they hired people from newspapers, magazines and wire services. They found somebody with news credentials who could be presentable on camera. Not necessarily pretty but with personality. Now they just want a certain physical type - pretty similar to politicians' wives and beauty pageant contestants. Nice looking but not really attractive - let alone sexy. The guys are just sort of vacuous, department store mannequin types. Come to think of it, they all look like cast members on the Lawrence Welk Show.

I have to wonder whom they are testing prospective hires on?

 

[landtuna]

Yes, I agree. But that's the problem. They hire airheads. Back in the day, they hired people from newspapers, magazines and wire services. They found somebody with news credentials who could be presentable on camera. Not necessarily pretty but with personality. Now they just want a certain physical type - pretty similar to politicians' wives and beauty pageant contestants. Nice looking but not really attractive - let alone sexy. The guys are just sort of vacuous, department store mannequin types. Come to think of it, they all look like cast members on the Lawrence Welk Show.

I have to wonder whom they are testing prospective hires on?

Here in the Phoenix market we have a few "beautiful" reporters but the majority are fairly ordinary looking. The beautiful people are the ones hosting and doing features instead of true news stories. The true airheads don't usually last a long time.

 

[AKA]

If there is a fault with the news biz it is their management. They are the ones who choose the people, the stories and refuse to take no for an answer.

Yes, I agree. But that's the problem. They hire airheads. Back in the day, they hired people from newspapers, magazines and wire services. They found somebody with news credentials who could be presentable on camera. Not necessarily pretty but with personality. Now they just want a certain physical type - pretty similar to politicians' wives and beauty pageant contestants. Nice looking but not really attractive - let alone sexy. The guys are just sort of vacuous, department store mannequin types. Come to think of it, they all look like cast members on the Lawrence Welk Show.

I have to wonder whom they are testing prospective hires on?

It looks like she has "news credentials" to me. I'm not sure which pretty-faced local news reporter peed in your Corn Flakes, but you really need to relax. Maybe have a glass of prune juice to relieve any tension.

 

[michael hagerty]

Newspapers, despite their business problems, represent the only real news gathering organizations in their communities. They have real reporters who actually go out and find out things. In contrast to TV, which relies completely on press releases, wire stories (from newspapers), canned pieces, or staged news events (news conferences or photo ops).

If that were true, this reporter wouldn't have been there. She didn't wait for a news release or to read in the following day's paper that a suspect was in custody. She got word, likely by checking with her sources, confirmed it and went to tell that story.

She had no reason to expect what happened to her. I can tell you that on the occasions I've told shooting victims family members a suspect was in custody, even the ones who preferred not to appear on camera thanked us profusely for letting them know.

 

[FredLeonard]

I see that newsies, former newsies and would-be newsies here have gotten their shorts in knots.

TV "reporters" without real newspaper experience have no journalistic credentials.

And getting a news release from the cops is not "checking sources."

To call a mic holder a "journalist" is like calling a DJ a musician.

TV news is a branch of show business, the most pretentious branch. Politics is show business for the ugly. Preaching is show business for the lazy. TV news is show business for the untalented and not too bright but OK looking.

The more you all scream, the more you confirm the nature of TV news.

Even real journalism has ceased to be a high calling.

"Anyone can do the journalists' job. After all, everybody gossips." - Gaye Tuchman

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

I see that newsies, former newsies and would-be newsies here have gotten their shorts in knots.

TV "reporters" without real newspaper experience have no journalistic credentials.

And getting a news release from the cops is not "checking sources."

To call a mic holder a "journalist" is like calling a DJ a musician.

TV news is a branch of show business, the most pretentious branch. Politics is show business for the ugly. Preaching is show business for the lazy. TV news is show business for the untalented and not too bright but OK looking.

The more you all scream, the more you confirm the nature of TV news.

Even real journalism has ceased to be a high calling.

"Anyone can do the journalists' job. After all, everybody gossips." - Gaye Tuchman

So, what then exactly is your skill? Where is your experience? Since you enjoy pontificating about what your utopian idea of journalistic credentials are, where do you rank?

Are you a exceptionally good writer? Are you a good-enough storyteller?

Can you switch up your style to fit both short-form and long-form? For the web, print, radio, and TV?

Can you write something on the fly and go on the air within minutes? Can you ad-lib and not sound repetitive?

And, just for good measure, do you possess a face for TV or a voice for radio? (No, you can't have both, just one.)

You're talking quite loud, but in the end you're saying absolutely nothing.

 

[michael hagerty]

I see that newsies, former newsies and would-be newsies here have gotten their shorts in knots.

TV "reporters" without real newspaper experience have no journalistic credentials.

And getting a news release from the cops is not "checking sources."

To call a mic holder a "journalist" is like calling a DJ a musician.

TV news is a branch of show business, the most pretentious branch. Politics is show business for the ugly. Preaching is show business for the lazy. TV news is show business for the untalented and not too bright but OK looking.

The more you all scream, the more you confirm the nature of TV news.

Even real journalism has ceased to be a high calling.

"Anyone can do the journalists' job. After all, everybody gossips." - Gaye Tuchman

Fred, you don't know whether she checked with sources or got a news release. Fact is, she checked with sources (had there been a news release, two other TV stations, the newspaper and a few radio reporters would have been on that sidewalk, too).

There's a long list of highly respected broadcast journalists who never worked in print. We can start with Ted Koppel.

And no one is screaming or has their shorts in knots. If we were, it would be because of your defense of violence in a situation where there was no threat, not because of your opinion of an occupation.

 

[sdwulfdawg]

As someone who works as a multimedia journalist, I'm totally and completely shocked at the venomous comments directed to members of my profession. You kick us in the groin when we don't report something, you kick us to the curb when when we do our job.

Journalists are the antibiotics in a free society and free speech and freedom of information. The woman being attempted to be interviewed is clearly psychotic and should be locked up in a mental asylum, in my opinion. If she doesn't want to talk about the incident involving her daughter she could have simply not answered the door, offer a "no comment." For society's sake, I hope this woman is taken off the streets.

 

[Morgan Wick]

As someone who works as a multimedia journalist, I'm totally and completely shocked at the venomous comments directed to members of my profession. You kick us in the groin when we don't report something, you kick us to the curb when when we do our job.

Journalists are the antibiotics in a free society and free speech and freedom of information.

Fred's response is likely to be "Newspaper journalists are. Television reporters are just a bunch of [insert epithets here]."

 

[LKellerIII]

Appearances can be deceiving. About 15 years ago, an anchor named Dan Noyes came to the Bay Area to work at KGO-TV. He was very handsome, had a big mop of tousled dark hair, and a deep voice that sounded affected to me. My first response was - 'Great - another Ken-doll airhead anchor.' Well, Noyes is still here, and he turned out to be an excellent reporter as well as anchor, and has uncovered a lot of local corruption and bad acts as his station's chief investigative reporter.

He's still handsome, though the tousled hair has turned gray. He definitely has a flair for the dramatic - yes, TV news is part "show biz" - but he's a well respected local 'journalist,' regardless.

The new ABC reporter I mentioned earlier in the thread - Cecelia Vega - did start in print journalism in San Francisco, and there's no doubt that one reason she was chosen for TV was her appearance. But she's also a seasoned reporter, and was immediately able to do live reporting (truly live, not that introduce the tape from outdoors nonsense) very articulately without a script.

Yes - like in any business, there are no doubt stupid and lazy reporters, and those with bad intentions. But IMO, TV news has changed for the better since the 80s - at least around here.

 

[Dtv]

Wlne is a semi local station that I watch from time to time. Let me say this Wlne is the least tabloid like station in Prov/NewBedford and Boston DMA.