|
|
|
|
|
Latest Letters |
|
LA TV |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OTR |
|
|
|
A media critique... and then some! Banned in Beijing, Kabul, and at KCAL TV.
OTR comments on Tuesday's terrorist attack below. Tuesday Letters are up - more entertainment stories than we need...why is one particular anchor still on the air?... the RIGHT way to say Simi Valley. Inside LA TV - more criticism of KCAL's Interim news director, praise and criticism for former KNBC ND Nancy Bauer Goznales, and more. Links to Recent Issues 09-03-01 Monday's OTR 09-05-01 Wednesday's OTR 09-07-01 Friday's OTR If you'd like to send a contribution to help keep OTR going, you can send ten dollars to Ron Fineman, PO Box 42364, Bakersfield, CA 93384 Or you can send $ on-line. Just click on the PayPal Logo. Thanks to Crys Quimby*, and an anonymous donor....our latest contributors. Your help is appreciated! *Given more than $10 |
To get on the OTR email reminder list, email me at BRUIN74@aol.com. |
TUESDAY UPDATE - A DARK TUESDAY FOR AMERICA
From this day forward, America may never be quite the same. Even though memories will fade a little with time, the toll on the United States just can't be calculated right now. As I write this on Tuesday afternoon, we still don't know who hijacked American commercial planes, forcing them into killing machines. What looked like special effects in a movie was incredibly real. We don't know exactly how they managed this sort of coordinated attack against the United States. But we do know that our country has seen terrorism on our soil unlike we have ever seen before. It is without question, an act of war. Now, our government must figure out who has declared war on us.
It would not surprise anyone if it turns out this was carried out by an Arab terrorist group with sympathy toward the Palestinian cause. As you may've heard, Palestinians cheered today when they learned about this attack on America. Suddenly we in the United States have had a tragic first hand example of what it is like to live in Israel. For years Israel has been the target of terrorist attacks. They usually strike back, sometimes harder than other times. Too often, other countries including the United States are quick to condemn that Israeli response. As many Americans anticipate a military response, once we know who our target will be, sadly we can now relate to Israel in a way we hoped we never would. And when you look at the death toll today, which we certainly don't know yet, I would imagine it is far greater than what any one act of terrorism ever visited upon Israel. Some may suggest this is an example of the price we pay for supporting Israel. That may be the case. Sometimes taking the right stand can be costly and painful. And it's not as if the USA and Israel under Barak didn't try very hard to make peace. Arafat just wasn't ready, and he may never be.
I haven't heard it mentioned yet, but I am remembering the Black September terrorist group. It was a Palestinian Terrorist organization formed after the PLO was pushed out of Jordan, after the PLO challenged the rule of King Hussein. It was the Black September group which was responsible for the Munich Massacre. I'm not saying the group is back, but I am just wondering if there is a reason that today's attacks were launched in September.
And now I also wonder what will be the results of this day...this dark Tuesday for America. We can expect stricter airport security. While no anti-missile defense could have stopped today's attacks, I would imagine this will pave the way toward going after the defense system that President Bush has been wanting. No one has to be convinced that the United States is a target for terrorism. Of course a strong country like the United States will endure and always prosper. But we will also be more cautious now. We know what can happen here. Our international consciousness has been raised in a cruel and vicious manner. Maybe we'll all be a little smarter now too. All of the things that we know and love about our country will go on. We'll have our Sunday football, we'll have our music and our movies...we'll still have the chance to pursue our dreams. But are also going to hurt for a long time. We'll probably never be quite the same.
TAKING THE LOW ROAD ON THE TEASE
People in LA are very familiar with this story, though readers from around the country may not have heard much about it. A man shot and killed three members of the family of a woman he used to go out with. It turns out this guy was under the mistaken impression that the woman had given him some kind of blood disease. As far as I know, this blood disease angle was first reported by Hal Eisner on KCOP Thursday Night. He referred to it as an "HIV type disease." The important thing here is that the woman had no blood disease, and there was no evidence that the killer, Reynoldo Rodriguez had any such disease. Yet, when KCBS teased the story for their 11pm, Harold Greene said "a shocking HIV connection!" Yet, in the story which followed, Jonathan Elias reported there was NO evidence of a blood disease. In fact Elias didn't even say HIV until the tag of his live shot. Given these fact, how can KCBS suggest a "shocking HIV connection?" It was clear then that this was just part of this lunatic's imagination. Yet, KCBS says "HIV connection" as if Rodriguez actually caught it from the woman. This is a perfect example of irresponsible, sensational and misleading reporting....only to hook the audience. Whoever wrote that tease should be ashamed.
A DISGUSTING DISPLAY and ANOTHER 'ALLEGED' MISUSE
A tow truck accidentally hit and killed a four-year old boy on a scooter, as the driver drove into a fast food parking lot. The driver stopped, but before he could get out of his truck, he was pulled out by a couple of onlookers who severely beat the man, sending him to the hospital in serious condition. Police say it was an accident...the driver was not negligent, and he will not be charged with any crime. Of course they are looking for the two guys who attacked the driver.
Whenever someone hits and runs, they are rightly criticized and face a serious criminal charge because of it. But what kind of signal does this incident send? Stop after a serious accident and risk getting beaten? There was a crowd there, and from what I've heard reported, no one did anything to stop the beating. And you have to ask, do his parents bear some responsibility? Would you let your four-year old ride his scooter along the sidewalk of a busy street? Four years old is pretty young, isn't it? They've paid a terrible price, but as a parent, I know I would never have let my son in that situation when he was four.
This tragic story gave another LA reporter an opportunity to show she also doesn't understand when to use the word allegedly. On KTTV Saturday Night, Jane Yamamoto reported that police were looking for "two men who allegedly beat up the tow truck driver." The man was obviously beaten, and witnesses must've told police that two men did it. Unless you're naming John Smith and Joe Jones as having committed the crime, there is simply no reason to say "allegedly."
Maybe it's time for me to give up on this one for a while. But if you're a news director, shouldn't you consider putting out a memo to explain when the word should and should not be used? At some point, doesn't the embarrassment factor slip in?
PUTTING IT IN PERSPECTIVE
 |
 |
A 4.2 earthquake hit LA late yesterday afternoon. There were no reported injuries, but some damage. So often, quakes are exaggerated in LA TV news, which is pretty bad, considering people in LA have been through some serious ones. I want to compliment how KNBC handled yesterday's quake on their 11pm. Conan Nolan said it was a "minor" earthquake and LA was due for one. In the next piece, reported by Patrick Healy, he also acknowledged that while it may not've been a big quake, people still had some strong reactions to it. Fair enough. Meantime on KABC the lead quake story by Lora McLaughlin had significant audio distortion. That is never pleasant to listen to. I just wonder why once her story was sent back to the station, someone back at the studio didn't say "we've got an audio problem, send it again."
I GUESS WE ALL GET CONFUSED SOMETIMES
I had to smile a little when KTLA's Hal Fishman started to introduce a live shot on a chase story, where the reporter couldn't possibly have been live in the field. He hesitated, but said "Let's go now live and see what happens." It turned out to be pre-recorded story voiced by Fishman. Possibly he had a producer in his ear talking about a different story, which may've caused the confusion. Whatever the cause, it's always fun to see the old pros make mistakes too.
I HOPE IT'S NOT THAT BAD
An OTR reader and media member who was good enough to send a few bucks my way, said this site is much needed. They also said "I know it doesn't make you the most popular guy, but real newsmen are never loved." Sometimes I think that even good OTR supporters don't realize how many others there are like them. And then other times I wonder if I don't realize how many people think I'm full of crap. I get a lot of media people who tell me or email me that really like and appreciate this site. I also realize that at least some of the people who never say anything probably are not pleased. I guess the mystery for me is where the balance lies. To be honest, the rate of donations to help keep OTR afloat has not been good. Of course I realize that you might well appreciate this site, but not have any money to send. Or you may like OTR, but not that much. Why send money for something which is free? I can appreciate that. If it doesn't get better, one possibility would be the route of Don Barrett at LARadio.com. Don keeps his main page free, but other features are only available to subscribers. It's just something I'm thinking about for now. Sometimes it seems like saying "thank you" isn't quite enough to those who have contributed. It seems like they should get something extra. Anyway, let's give it some more time, and see what happens. Whether you pay or not...I am glad you're there!
WHAT WOULD FREUD SAY?
During a newscast, KCBS anchor Harold Greene was ad-libbing and made reference to a Dolly Parton song "Here They Come Again." Of course the name of the song is "Here YOU Come Again." So, I'm wondering, why would he accidentally insert "they" for "you"? Oh sure, that fit with the point he was making....but, the only reason I can come up with goes back to an introduction on The Tonight Show when Jack Parr was host. If I remember the story correctly, the line was written by Woody Allen. (I've been corrected...it was written by Dick Cavett). Introducing either Marilyn Monroe or Jayne Mansfield - I can't recall which - Parr said "Here they are."
HOPE IT HELPS
Not too long ago, a couple of readers suggested using pictures of anchors and reporters, so they'd have a better idea of who I'm talking about. So as you may've noticed in recent weeks, I'm been inserting them in OTR. Good ideas are always welcome here. Thanks.
ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT RIGHT
When spot news happens, it seems that some misinformation often gets out. But when the smoke clears and we learn the facts, you'd think everyone in the news media would get on the same page. In this case I'm talking about the death of Deputy Jake Kuredjian. At first, we heard that he was shot to death while helping to serve a search warrant. Later, we found out that he wasn't there when they tried to serve the warrant. He responded to a call of shots being fired, and the Sheriff's Department says he was shot soon after he got off his motorcycle. Yet for some reason, this weekend, KABC-TV again reported that he was shot while trying to serve a warrant. During that same story, anchor Philip Palmer said that it happened in Stevensons Ranch...even there is no "s" at the end of Stevenson. Arguably that is a pretty small mistake, unless of course you happen to live in Stevenson Ranch. Sometimes, it really does come out better if everyone sweats the details.
BRING BACK THE VERBS, PLEASE
The degree of seriousness of this problem depends on which newscast you watch. KCOP seems to be the worst offender in LA local news. It seems like all of the writing for the anchors is written by Joe Piscopo's old SNL sports anchor character. The worst thing about this writing is of course that it isn't natural to be speaking in headlines. People don't talk that way unless maybe they've just run a couple of miles, and they're too out of breath to speak normally. Another problem with this weird sort of writing is that it can obscure the meaning of the story. For example, on KCOP , in a story about Whitney Houston, Lauren Sanchez said "Last week hubby Bobby Brown rushed to the hospital suffering a seizure." So the way Sanchez read the story, Bobby Brown rushed himself to the hospital. What a normal person would've said was "Bobby Brown was rushed to the hospital suffering a seizure." This false sense of urgency and timeliness that this bizarre form of writing is supposed to create is silly and awkward. It's like getting your news from someone who failed English class. It's hard to believe that many viewers enjoy being talked to this way.
TIME FOR ANOTHER LA NEWS POLL
Maybe I've forgotten, but I don't think we've ever done a poll on best individual anchors, have we? I know we did best anchor teams, and most attractive female anchor/reporter...but I think that's been it. So, let me open the floor for nominations for best female anchor. You can nominate up to three, if you like. Send them to me at BRUIN74@aol.com. I'll take the top ten, and then we can do a poll.
READERS SAY YES TO NATIONAL ANTHEM
| Do you think the National Anthem should be played before all athletic events? | ||||
 |
votes | percent | ||
1.) Yes |
43 | 75% | ||
2.) No |
11 | 19% | ||
3.) Undecided |
3 | 5% | ||
THIS WEEK'S POLL QUESTIONS
I've got a couple for everyone. One, do you think George W Bush has shown enough leadership on the economy? Two, do you think Gary Condit will run for re-election. On this last question, I'm not asking about how you feel about Condit, but rather, I would just like your prediction.
MORE Q&A ON ENERGY WITH MR KABC
By the way, though he's not asked me to mention it....I wanted to let LA readers know that Marc Germain (Mr KABC) can now be heard 10pm - 1am on KABC radio.
OTR - Both the Assembly and Senate versions of the Edison rescue bill
say that larger businesses would end up paying back the bonds that Edison would
float to reduce their debt. Residential customers would not be hit. The
money couldn't go to pay off the big energy generators, but rather to banks
and alternative energy sources. IF that is the way it plays out, what do you
feel is wrong with that? Do you just feel that on principle, Edison
shouldn't be able to pass any further costs onto any customers?
Mr K -"This would not be the first Edison bailout but the second. Edison reaped
the rewards of deregulation to the tune of $10 billion and passed off
another $10 billion in bad business debt with the rate cap [explained
earlier]. I cannot see any reason why Edison should not bear the
consequences of an out of control wholesale market. After all, in 1995,
before the deregulation law had even been drafted, Edison CEO John Bryson
was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying that the deregulation plan
proposed by state regulators was, "The best, soundest way to move to a
desirable competitive market that will benefit all customers."
Edison is a company with $35 billion in assets so why would elected
officials authorize one penny more of our tax dollars to enrich them? Yes,
the 4.1 billion dollar bailout would be funded primarily by bond sales
repaid by higher rates for 180,000 businesses - including small businesses
and family farms - but ultimately, business has to pass these costs onto
consumers. Many California businesses operate on slim margins and
additional energy costs could bankrupt them.
Additionally, the bailout plan contains loopholes which let big, industrial
ratepayers off the hook for buying electricity purchased by the state,
effectively leaving residential and small business ratepayers paying off the
bonds. This form of corporate welfare has no place in our state and most
alarming is that nothing in the bill prevents Edison from taking the
ratepayer money and then declaring bankruptcy anyway."
INSIDE LA TV
We've got more criticism of KCAL interim news director Davida Plummer, praise and criticism for former KNBC ND Nancy Bauer Gonzales, and is one local reporter exaggerating on her station's web site bio? Head to Inside LA TV on the menu.
BROADCASTEZE VIOLATION OF THE WEEK
Who: Lora McLaughlin
Where: KABC-TV
What : "officials have deemed this an accident."
Put your hand on the monitor and count to three....one, two, three....HEAL!!
YOUR OPINIONS
They are always welcome. You can reach me at BRUIN74@aol.com. Unless you say otherwise, I will assume your comments are for publication.
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.
OTR's main page IS PUBLISHED MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY. Letters are added Tuesday - Friday.
 |
