WHY DID CBS, NBC LEAVE THE 2ND BIGGEST STORY OF THE DECADE SO SOON ?

[mgsports]

NBC had MSNBC and CBS no News Channel.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

This type of overboard reporting seems to happen on any story perceived as having unique interest. Here in the middle of the Sonoran Desert we get endless stories on weather segments about the flooding in the Mississippi River Valley. Anything to pump up drama and (hopefully) viewers.

We are a nation of relocated souls. Most of us, it seems, do not live in the same geography that we describe as "where I am from". People like myself have lived in multiple states and communities. It gnaws at me to get up the morning to hear a report: "Three people were killed in a small town in Arkansas." Come on. Would it kill you to tell us the name of the small town? Do I need to get on the phone and call my second-cousin once-removed that I exchange Christmas cards and letters with each year to see if he survived?

I expect any day now to hear: "There is flooding in a small state just west of the Mississippi River." Or will we hear Diane Sawyer report Monday night: "President Obama sent the Navy Seals into a middle eastern country last night but they did not locate any terrorists.

But you raise a valid point. Naming Vilonia, AR as the town hit is different than spending 12 minutes desribing details of Vilonia including the style of the local police uniforms. Circa 1957 to 1961 I used to drive through Vilonia on my way from a couple of small towns going to see our parents who lived in another small town beyond Vilonia. See. I could do network news. I know how to pinch out the granular materials in the mix. ;D

 

[landtuna]

But you raise a valid point. Naming Vilonia, AR as the town hit is different than spending 12 minutes desribing details of Vilonia including the style of the local police uniforms.

I'm not griping about coverage of a newsworthy event but rather the constant repetition of a bare minimum of facts or the repetition of the same old facts. Every morning on my local Fox news there is yet another piece featuring some reporter, clad in waders and standing in front of a flooded house or casino along the river. Yes, we realize there has been a flood. Yes, we saw this same story just yesterday - or this morning - or a few minutes ago. And yes, it may be of concern to a few hundred people out of the 3 million living in Central Arizona - after all, floods on the Mississippi River are an almost annual event.

The shooting in Tucson of one of our representatives (and several others including a child) was huge news both here and nationwide. And we get it over and over and over again every time another delay in the shuttle launch is mentioned. Yes, we know the shuttle commander is the husband of the representative who was shot. Yes, we already know the mission has been delayed. And no, we do not need to once again hear the facts of the shooting.

This constant repetition and meaningless dribble is extremely irritating and results in the declining credibility of TV and radio (but especially TV) news organizations.

 

[WPPCProductions]

I mentioned this before.they dwell on the same story.As I remember the nightmare on sept 11 and weeks after when they kept replaying the twin tower being slam with the two jets non stop.I think it was poor taste as the loved ones were mourning the loss of their loved ones or a best friend.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Yes, it is insane to repeat and repeat and repeat the some simplistic story. Where in the journalistic legwork? Using the flood as an example: I think it was last year that Mississippi made news. As we were trying to recover from the recession, the station of Mississippi had THE LARGEST INCREASE in exports of any state in the nation. The export of CHICKEN... to Russia I think, but maybe China. If a news program feels the need to remind us all that our neighbors in Mississippi are having problems, why not a feature on how the flood is affecting the chicken industry in Mississippi. The raise a lot of "farm grown catfish" in MS. Why not a feature story on how the flood is affecting fish-farmers. Arkansas grows a lot of rice. Why not a feature on rice fields that are being flooded. If rice is grown in these flooded fields, does having the river add to the flood ruin the crop or boost the crop. Curious minds want to know. Arkansas has a lot of timber land in the southeast part of the state. What does a flood like this do to the timber lands? ... to the timber industry.

That is one of things about NPR. They are like little ferrets when it comes to putting a human face on the news with off-the-beaten-path features that do things like that. The other day in this time of foul weather and tornadoes ripping up the countryside, they put a little flavor in the salsa by doing a feature on GREENSBURG, KS... the little town totally destroyed a few years ago by a tornado. The rebuilt Greensburg, KS now claims to be "the greenest city in America".

That probably didn't make Fox News.

 

[recto101]

Link TV and FSTV have better stories there.