Some Salt Lakers complain when shooting coverage preempts favorite shows

[Antisocial_Worker]

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5219070

People complained when news of the Trolley Square shopping mall shooting cut into their watching of 24 and Heroes. And tell me there's not something ironic about this. People are bitching that shows about fictional heroes were interrupted for news of real heroes doing their best to make sure the shooter at Trolley Square didn't get any more than he did.

[Crosshair]

The way the media covers these events sicken me.

I don't see the point in new agencies covering such stories as they are happening. There is nothing anyone who is at home can do about it and info available right away is often inaccurate or incomplete. I'm in North Dakota, the reporters came on the air, talking like the world was ending. What am I gona do, drive down to Salt Lake to lend a hand? Yea, sure have a small info bite letting people know that bad stuff is happening somewhere and then save the rest for the 10PM news when you have something more to show than covered bodies, paramedics rushing people off to the hospital, and police taping of the scene.

My opinion is that the reporters are in love with their own voice.

Sorry to sound like I don't care, it's sad that people die in such events. But standing in front of a camera and blathering into a mic when you don't have all the info is not helping anyone. Interviewing random people doesn't help anyone. Spend that time getting all the facts together and producing a new segment.

Unless there is the posibility of me being in immediate danger from said story (Like the nutjob who took a tank for a joyride or aircraft being flown into skyscrapers.) you really should wait, get your story together, and present it on the 10PM news.

[ArenaBoy]

Crosshair, that thing you said about getting sources together is the first thing you learn when you broadcast. There is an example that broadcasters use, the guy who covered the Hindenburg crash as it happened, said the number of people that died AS it happened.

As for the link, come on! Suppose those nutcases got near their homes and they'd whine about it because no body told them.

[Boozy]

I think I agree with Crosshair, for the most part anyway.
Viewers who complained at least recognized that real-life tragedy is not entertainment. Maybe some of them planned to pick up a newspaper and read about it the next day, but on that particular night they wanted to relax and tune out the world for an hour. There's nothing wrong with that.
Its a little SCish to go to all the bother of writing to the station, though.

[Dips]

I'm always amused by the newfolks who broadcast live from the scene well after the fact.

"This is Lenny George LIVE at the Happy Meadows Office Park where two days ago a building collapsed injuring sixteen people. There's nothing really happening here now and they won't let cameras near the actual scene of the accident, but I'm REALLY CLOSE BY and I'm LIVE! See! I says so at the bottom of you screen. I'm LIVE! And at...um...near the scene!"

WTF is up with that? Do you get extra cookies for it or something?