Need something shot, produced, edited, reported, uplinked/downlinked in SoCal? <---CLICK THRU JDnewsie Productions: 818.766.7122  jdnewsie@aol.com www.jdnewsie.com

A media critique... and then some! 9/07/01 - Friday Friday Letters are UP - Sam Rubin on the coverage of the near riot, a Latino reader complains about over-pronunciation of  Spanish names...and more. Coming Monday - More critical comments on KCAL's interim news director.  And, does the online bio of one  reporter have a pretty large exaggeration?  Links to Recent Issues 09-03-01 Monday's OTR 09-05-01 Wednesday's OTR 08-31-01 Friday's OTR If you like OTR and would like to help keep it going, feel free to send ten dollars to Ron Fineman PO Box 42364 Bakersfield, CA 93384    OR you can send $ electronically by clicking on the PayPal logo   My sincerest thanks to all of you who have contributed so far.  My special thanks to  George W Bush for the 500 dollars. Your help is very  much appreciated! Send your opinions to BRUIN74@aol.com.

To get on the OTR email reminder list, email me at BRUIN74@aol.com.

GOOD FOR KCOP

I just had to pass this one along:

"Ron...

On Wednesday, you posted:

"AS LONG AS WE HAVE A BIG LOTTO PRIZE...
I figure I should urge some enterprising TV reporter to expose the myth about Blue Bird Liquors in Hawthorne being a lucky place to buy a ticket. I went into some detail on the facts not too long ago, so I won't bother with that again. But as long as people are actually waiting hours in line for no reason, it remain a story which someone should do"

Just thought I'd give you a heads up. We did this story last night. Oh, Ron, if only we could consistently stay one step ahead of you.

Best,
Bill Applegate, Jr.
Senior Producer, KCOP-TV

(Finally, someone did the story! I'm sorry I missed it.-Ron)

THERE ALWAYS HAS TO BE SOMEONE

Certainly there can be no defense of a 14-year old pitching in Little League.  The scandal involving Danny Almonte seemed to be a great example of out of control parents.  No telling how much damage it has done to the image of Little League Baseball.  But certainly, you can't blame people from being upset over this, can you?

A former coach for the Bronx team, Miggie Collazo was quoted in the LA Times as saying "This is all happening because our kids were Spanish and they got that far." Talk about being in denial. Instead of embarrassment for throwing a 14-year old against 12 year olds, this guy has the nerve to act like a victim! As I've suggested here before, it makes it harder to fight real cases of bias,  when you have some people who think any time a minority is caught doing something wrong, there must be bigotry involved.  The guy is a classic example of what talk show host Larry Elder calls a victicrat.

Of course you also have to wonder, if this is all because of the kid's ethnicity, why is the Dominican Republican threatening to arrest Almonte's father for falsifying the birth certificate?  Does the Dominican government have something against Spanish people too?

LAPD NOT SO COOPERATIVE

After publishing a letter from a former LA police officer here, I got an email from another former cop who said this person never worked for the LAPD. I was told his name wasn't on some list of retired officers. I emailed back to the first officer, who assured me that he was legit, and wanted me to him check him out so I'd know for sure.

I called the LAPD media relations and talked to one of the officers I've talked with many times before. I asked if he could connect me with the retirement counselor.  I gave him a name which he was not familiar with. I told him I was trying to verify the employment of a former officer, but he said he couldn't give me anyone at the LAPD who could help. He was nice enough, but he could only give me the phone number of the police union, thinking maybe they could help.  So I called the Police Protective League.  You know what they did? They gave me the phone number of LAPD Personnel.  Personnel transferred me to a retirement counselor, and the counselor sent me over to the Records department. After waiting a few minutes, they were able to verify that the officer in question was in fact a former member of the LAPD.  So what I'm wondering...why couldn't LAPD media relations give me a phone number which the police union was able to give me?

WHAT'S SO FUNNY?

A TV insider emailed to tell me that anchor Mia Lee laughed through a story today on the CNN  Headline News cutins which KCAL does. If you're taping a mini-newscast and you screw up, why in the world wouldn't you re-do it?

PART ONE OF OUR FRIDAY INTERVIEW WITH KCBS REPORTER/ANCHOR DREW GRIFFIN

(1) OTR - Maybe we could start with a little background. Where did you grow? Was journalism a long time goal growing up?

Drew - "My arrival into broadcasting was quite tragic. Not for me, but for the two 
guys who made it possible.

I was hosting a late night jazz show at my college radio station (University 
of Illinois) when the lead sportscaster at the station overdosed and died. 
The backup sportscaster needed help fast and turned to me. About a week 
later the backup sportscaster was hit by a car. No kidding! I was suddenly 
it. We had a contract and I became the stations play-by-play man for Big Ten 
Basketball and Hockey. No prior experience.

It was fun for awhile, but the station was so cheap I had to fly to various 
Big Ten games with a student pilot in a Cessna. That got very ugly in 
winter....so when the season ended I switched majors to journalism and 
decided to try news.

It was all quite accidental, and other than growing up watching the great 
television journalists in Chicago, I had no huge desire as a kid to grow up 
and do this."

(2) OTR - After that beginning I'd think you would've been doing some looking over
your shoulder. So what was your first TV news job like? Did it meet your
expectations at the time? How long did it take you to make it to the 
majors?

Drew - "My first job in TV was ripping scripts for a noon show in Champaign, 
Illinois. I did it for one summer, until I was "hired away" by the NBC 
station in Champaign to be the station's Vermillion County Correspondent. I 
was a one-man band who drove my pieces 40 miles into the station everyday, 
edited them and then drove the 40 miles back to Vermillion County.
The only perk was a Subaru station wagon. Unfortunately one of my 
first stories was a strike at a UAW foundry. They didn't smile upon that 
Subaru at the Union Hall.
It was a great place to start because our viewership was virtually 
zero. I experimented a lot with my shooting and editing. I learned how to do 
stand-ups by carrying around a stick with a mannequin head on it (for 
focusing). I also learned the fine art of working a beat in a very small 
town.

I stayed at WCID-TV for four entire months---then to WEAR-TV in 
Pensacola, FL (14 months), WCSC-TV Charleston, SC (2 years), WRAL-TV in 
Raleigh, NC (2 years), and KIRO-TV Seattle (for 3 years).
Surprisingly with that track record, I've been at KCBS almost 8 
years...and hope to stay!"

(3) OTR - How did you happen to end up in LA? Was working here a goal of yours?

Drew - " I never really thought of working in Los Angeles until a news director 
I competed against in Seattle got the ND job here (KCBS). Bob Jordan was a 
fan of mine in Seattle...and when he had an opening on his staff at KCBS, 
he offered it to me.
I arrived one week before the Northridge Earthquake!"

(4) OTR - So did you have the chance to cover the Northridge quake? If so, I'm
wondering what that was like as an out-of-towner. Either way, what must it 
have been like to come to Los Angeles and feel one our biggest and most
destructive earthquakes?

Drew - "It would have been the best spot news story of my career, had I been 
here. That first week of service KCBS sent me to Portland to cover the Tanya 
Harding leg bashing incident. I actually found out about it from an Alaska 
Air pilot who stopped me at SEATAC airport in Seattle.
The follow-up reporting was intense though...I arrived at LAX at 1pm 
and was able to relieve my colleagues who had been on the air, non-stop, 
since the quake hit.
The aftershocks alone were enough to scare me....but I must admit when 
I was on the air reporting in those first few days, I felt like a fool for 
not being here, and also having little knowledge of Southern California's 
shaky ground.
Once the ground stopped shaking, I learned all I could about our 
tectonic plates...and continue to follow up the research on quakes, and 
lately tsunamis."

(5) OTR - You're part of KCBS's investigative unit. Could give us your definition 
of an investigative reporter, and how that differs from other reporters?

Drew - "I think every good reporter out there is an investigative reporter. 
That's what we are paid to do: investigate, question authority, question 
government reports, probe into the why and how, not just the who, what and 
where.
But having worked in this town as a general assignment reporter, 
(nightside, mornings and days), I know the tremendous time pressures we are 
under when just trying to get as mush on the air as we can and then move on 
to the next breaker.
KCBS has given the Special Assignment Team the time to dig, and 
hopefully root out all the facts of a story before we present it. This has 
led to some smashing reports on major ratings wins like Joel's Restaurant 
piece, and to less-promoted but perhaps even more socially important reports 
like Randy's expose on lead paint in schools.
These reports have earned all of us lots of awards...but more 
importantly we have been a catalyst for change. Dozens of new laws have been 
enacted because of our reports, illegal medical clinics and scams and other 
con artists have been shut down, exposed or sent to jail. Our report on 
Alzheimer's research even cleared the way for some breakthrough experimental 
surgeries that could provide a possible cure for this disease. We've been 
able to do this because we have been given the time and the backing of our 
bosses to pursue these stories.
Ron, I just read that last paragraph and it sounds self-serving. Let me 
say that L.A. is filled with great reporters at all stations. All of them 
could do what we do given the time and the backing to do it. And I wish they 
would. But all of us serve different masters. My masters like good 
investigative reporting and they are willing to back us up."


NEXT FRIDAY - PART TWO WITH DREW GRIFFIN

LET THE SEASON BEGIN!

This Sunday marks the beginning of the NFL season. You may recall that last year I picked four games each Friday, including point spreads. When it was all over, I was below .500. On the plus side, that gives me a pretty low bar to overcome this year. But I hope to do better than 50/50. We'll see.

WEEK #1

49ers vs Falcons  - 3 1/2

Dolphins  vs Titans   +6 1/2

Chiefs vs Raiders  +3

Giants vs Broncos  + 6 1/2

OTR ONE YEAR AGO THIS WEEK (9-6-00)

EXCLUSIVE? I DON'T THINK SO!

You'll recall the story that OTR broke a few  weeks ago, in which an ad saleswoman for the LA Times falsely accused a Long Beach Police officer of raping her. I reported that story on Wednesday August 16th right here. On Friday, August 18th the story appeared in the Long Beach Press Telegram and I also did the story that day for KNX Radio. That being the case, how in the world can KNBC-TV have the nerve to report the same story last night (September 5th) and call it EXCLUSIVE?  

I do give KNBC and reporter Ana Garcia credit for doing this story, and doing it well. They got tape of the transcript which I printed here, and devoted a long time to the story on their 11pm newscast.  I can't understand why other LA TV stations haven't done the story too.  KNBC  did some good hard work on this story, but why did they have to LIE about it and  falsely claim it as an exclusive? Would it have made the story any less important if they'd been honest about it?  I never like it when stations make bogus exclusive claims.  But when it's a story I've done first, I take it a little personally.

BUSH'S GAFFE LEADS TO SOME  UNFAIR COVERAGE

I think a legitimate case of hypocrisy can be made against George W Bush. The man who wants to take the high road in Washington...the man who wants to bring dignity back to the White House,  publicly calls a reporter for the New York Times an asshole. Granted, Bush somehow didn't realize that the microphones in front of him would pick up his comment.

However, on KTLA, reporter Grant Rampe crossed the line in his coverage.  In setting up the offending soundbite, Rampe said George W Bush wants to add  a new tone of civility to politics, "but could this whispered remark to his running mate be what he had in mind?"

Obviously, Rampe's setup is a sarcastic swipe at Bush. It is uncalled for. Bush's comment speaks for itself. And it is certainly appropriate to remind viewers that Bush has called for a new civility. The problem came when the reporter asked if the rude comment was what Bush had in mind. Framing the story that way turned what should have been a possible conflict of principle, into a biased bit of reporting.

I am glad that Bush didn't apologize for the comment. If that's how he really feels, so be it. If some people actually won't vote for a candidate who swears, I would suggest they're pretty silly. If someone doesn't want to vote for a guy who's not smart enough to realize his comment could be picked up by nearby microphones, that is less silly, though still not a reason to me to choose or not choose a candidate.  I do think that if Bush didn't present his holier than thou attitude, his constant reminding that HE will bring dignity back to the White House, then he wouldn't look as bad as he does over this.  I'm sure that dignity can mean different things to different people. But I don't suppose anyone would suggest that George W Bush's comment about reporter Adam Clymer was dignified, especially for a man running for president.

Now, I'd like to hear Bush explain exactly what Clymer has written which bothers him so much.

BIG LIE OF THE DAY

This one from Bush spokeswoman Karen Hughes yesterday was a whopper.  When Bush says he wants two of three debates with Al Gore to be on Meet The Press and Larry King Live, obviously he knows that other networks wouldn't carry those debates.  CNN especially has a small audience compared to the big networks.  Everyone in broadcasting knows that, and I'm sure both campaigns do too. Yet Hughes had the nerve to say that Bush wants the biggest audience possible, and that's why he want a debate on CNN! This just goes to show you that the Bush  campaign is just like every other major party presidential campaign. They say what they need to say, forget about the truth. 

ANYBODY KNOW WHEN AN EARTHQUAKE IS COMING?

A moderate earthquake hit northern California this week, and it hit on a fault which wasn't known to exist. Scientists will be the first to tell you there're likely lots of faults they don't know about. The silly thing about coverage in LA was this line that came from KABC's Michelle Tuzee, which said that people in Napa were caught "off guard" by the quake. Since everyone knows earthquakes are common to California, and no one knows when they're going to hit, saying those people were caught off-guard would seem to be a meaningless point to make.

WHO'S HE TRYING TO IMPRESS?

I'm becoming more convinced that Monday Night Football made a mistake. Monday night Dennis Miller made another one of his formula jokes. This one was "(so-and-so) has more fabric that when Christo covered the (such-and-such)." I don't recall the name of the project Miller referenced. But come on. How many people who watch Monday Night Football have even heard of the artist Christo, let alone know what project Miller was talking about. I never much liked Miller on SNL. But I do like him when I see him on Politically Incorrect, when he's just ad-libbing. My sense is he's trying to hard to be cute on Monday Night Football. I'd much rather have Dan Dierdorf back.

ENOUGH OF THE MISERY

I never bang my head against a wall any longer or harder than when I make this complaint. But someone needs to say what I hope many in the TV newsrooms are thinking.  Last week I can think of three different cases where someone was killed and a TV camera was there within 24 hours to talk to the father or wife or whoever. KCAL actually had the nerve to call it an exclusive when reporter Sandra Mitchell interviewed the father of a one-year old boy who was killed in a car accident. I'm not suggesting it wasn't an exclusive. I am suggesting being the only station to interview a father after his baby boy is killed is nothing to brag about.

There was also a wife of a man killed who was interviewed by several stations. This poor woman was crying hysterically. WHY in the word must that be on TV news? Every time one of those emotional sensational exploitative interviews is seen on television, I'll bet the already sliding  public respect for reporters drops a little lower. If anyone sincerely feels there is news value in these sort of interviews, please write in and let me know. Seriously, I'd like to hear how people defend this sort of reporting. Okay, let me guess...it brings home the tragedy so other people will start driving safely or stop shooting innocent people because NOW they now how sad the relatives of the victims feel.

I would love to see some LA TV station step up to the plate and stop doing  these poor excuses for journalism.

CO-ANCHORING WITH HAL

It's obvious that it will take some getting used to for Lynette Romero to co-anchor with veteran Hal Fishman. While Fishman was ad-libbing over the head-on crash last week ( and I think, though I don't remember now,  he may've been chatting with a reporter at the scene), Romero jumped in. The odd part was she actually said "I'm going to jump in here", and Fishman told her to go ahead. This is not a big criticism. But in any other anchor pairing, there is enough equality to where a second anchor wouldn't have to announce they're "jumping in"...they would simply do it. As she gets more comfortable, hopefully she'll feel a little 'more equal.'

TEENS AND SEX

I was listening to a talk show in Bakersfield last week, when the talk show host mentioned some poll. Supposedly, 80 percent of teens want adults to teach them "abstinence skills." Now I realize how questions are framed can make a big difference in how they're answered.  But the point this host was trying to make was that most teenagers really aren't interested in having sex. And they wouldn't, IF only someone would teach them these "abstinence skills", whatever those are.  I realize there is such a thing as peer pressure. But if you really don't want to have sex, you simply make that clear to your partner. I guess I object to this notion of "it's the adults fault for not telling me HOW to say NO." I'm all for sex education of course, including information about contraception.  But, I'm troubled by these sort of discussions by people who seem to think sex is only natural and enjoyable after a wedding ceremony. What nonsense.

YOUR OPINIONS

They are an important part of OTR. Please send them along to BRUIN74@aol.com. Unless you say otherwise, I'll assume it is for publication.

OTR IS PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY   Letters to the editor are updated Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Ron's disclaimer: Like all reporters I have opinions.  I do the best I can to make sure that nothing I say here has any effect on my objectivity in covering stories.