A media critique... and then some! 9/24/01 - Monday Monday Letters are UP - more comments on LA female anchors, sudden Spanish  accents, and more! Links to Recent Issues 09-17-01 Monday's OTR 09-19-01 Wednesday's OTR 09-21-01 Friday's OTR OTR can use your help to keep publishing. If you like it, 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.   Your help is very  much appreciated! Send your opinions to BRUIN74@aol.com.

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SEEING HOW TOUGH THE JOB CAN BE

I really had to empathize with KTTV reporter Lisa Breckenridge. It was two days after the terrorist attacks, and the first planes were again landing at LAX.  Her job was to interview some of the passengers who had been diverted to Canada for a couple of days. What made it tough was a barrier separating reporters from the passengers. In terms of logistics, it was not unlike trying to get a sound bite with a celebrity walking down the red carpet. Unfortunately, KTTV was showing this live. So we all had the chance to watch her call out to passengers, who for the most part ignored her. At one point, one of them started to walk toward her, and then it appeared as if a police officer stopped the passenger from coming over.  This whole thing was tough to watch.  Finally, and I would say belatedly, Steve Edwards jumped in from the anchor desk to rescue her, and suggest that she let the folks go. I would suggest who ever was producing at that point really should've made the call to jump in sooner.  However, there may've been one silver line to this cloud. It gave viewers a chance to see how  difficult a reporter's job can be. Sometimes you have perfectly legitimate questions, but people just don't want to talk. When you consider some people are camera shy, it makes it even tougher for a TV reporter.  Unless you take the rejection personally, which would be silly, the only problem is frustration.  But when you have to solicit interviews from passing strangers with a TV audience watching, that can be rough. I hope Lisa doesn't feel TOO bad, because it certainly happens to all of us. 

DID SHE EVEN KNOW WHAT SHE WAS READING?

Last week, Mindy Burbano was filling in for Sam Rubin on the KTLA Morning News. She reported that top entertainment executives were putting together a telethon that would air "on all major networks."  When she was finished with her segment, Carlos Amezcua asked her "Did you say it was going to be on all the networks?" Burbano answered "I'm not exactly sure where it's going to be specifically aired. They're trying to put it together." 

Wait, didn't she just say "all major networks?" Then, Amezcua said "I heard there's some plan in place that they're trying to get all the networks to air it simultaneously." Then sounding as if this was news to her, she responded "That would be interesting, yes that would be. We'll let you know." Embarrassing.

I know some folks say I criticize Burbano too much, just as some have said I've complained about Mike Boguslawski too much. Let me just say what I've said before, I take my stories where I find them.  

ANOTHER MISPLACED "ALLEGEDLY"

Whoever wrote this tease probably contributed the most ridiculous use of  "allegedly" we've talked about here.  So, for the sake of material for OTR, I guess I should say 'thank you.'  This tease, read by Dave Gonzales of KCAL, said that Jerry Falwell  was "under fire for comments he allegedly made" about the terrorist attacks. Hey, he made the comments on television. There was a tape of it for people to hear. There was absolutely NO "allegedly" about it. 

SPEAKING OF THOSE COMMENTS...

I saw Adrienne Alpert report that Pat Robertson has claimed he didn't understand what Falwell was saying, when he expressed his agreement. Anyone really believe that?

SO TRUE, PETER

During the coverage of the terrorist attacks, Peter Jennings said this after getting some info from one of their reporters:  "I appreciate your giving us the time. Of course that's what we pay him to do, in all fairness."   I guess Jennings must've realized he'd gone overboard in the "thank you" department.

WELL, DUH!

It's hard to believe that the following story was not only written at an LA station, but also read by their anchor. Someone should've said "hey this is stupid writing." Last week on KCOP, Lauren Sanchez read a story that someone had been taking flags from homes in Alta Loma and then burning them. She ended this brief story by reading "The Sheriff's Department saying an arsonist is to blame." The next time someone knocks off a bank, do you suppose we'll find out that a robber did it?

60 MINUTES SHEDDING SOME LIGHT

The way many see us in the Arab world was one of the stories last night on 60 Minutes. The hatred toward the US as well as Israel is certainly deeper than many of us would like to believe.  One man interviewed by Ed Bradley, who leads an Islamic political party which is banned in Egypt, actually suggested that maybe Serbs were responsible. Another man interviewed said a lot of Arabs actually think Israel did it.  Talk about blind hatred. I saw the same feeling expressed in an LA Times article by a man who runs an Islamic school in Pakistan, a school where they teach hatred of the US and Israel. What is extremely disappointing is that an LA Muslim leader, Salaam Al-Marayati, who's director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council actually told radio talk show host Warren Olney that Israel should be put on the suspect list. On the day of the attacks, he suggested Israel might attack the US to divert attention from their battles with the Palestinians. But later he back-peddled.  According to the LA Times, the next day on Olney's show he said "My point was to say if you're going to accuse political Islam, the Muslims will accuse the political Zionists, and both should not do that."

Of course if that was really his point, you have to wonder why he didn't say that in the first place. My guess is, his original comments reflected the philosophy of 'the best defense being a good offense.'  But really, for an American Islamic leader to suggest that Israel might attack the city with the largest Jewish population in the world, in the country of its strongest ally, is beyond absurd.  But it is obvious that he reflected a feeling that is real in the Arab and Muslim world.  And even with the evidence we've seen so far, the 60 Minutes piece suggested there are many Arabs who just don't believe Arabs were responsible for the attacks. And there are those who feel the United Stated deserved this, beyond those Palestinians we saw celebrating in the street.  As we go forward in this new war on terrorism, it is sobering to know the degree of the mistrust and hatred which exists. Good for 60 Minutes for taking a look at a harsh reality.

MOST READERS EXPECT MORE TERRORISM

Here are the results from last week's poll questions.

Do you expect to see another major terrorist attack in the US in the next six months?
			votes	percent
1.) Yes			75	62%
2.) No			46	38%

:  Would you support using ground troops in our new war on terrorism?
			votes	percent
1.) Yes			95	79%
2.) No			9	7%
3.) Undecided			17	14%

Who is LA's best female TV anchor?
			votes	percent
1.) Christine Divine - KTTV			19	15%
2.) Laura Diaz - KABC			13	10%
3.) Ann Martin - KCBS			8	6%
4.) Kelly Mack - KNBC			13	10%
5.) Colleen Williams - KNBC			35	27%
6.) Pat Harvey - KCAL			19	15%
7.) Jane Velez-Mitchell - KCAL			2	2%
8.) Kathy Vara -KABC			14	11%
9.) Linda Alvarez - KCBS			1	1%
10.) Patricia Del Rio - KTLA			6	5%

Williams, Harvey, and Divine will be our finalists. Please remember, one vote per reader.  I'm also asking all readers if you would support a battle against terrorism which goes beyond Afghanistan into other countries. I've fixed the poll links on the Letters and ILATV pages, so you should be able to access the poll from either of those pages now.

ONE GOOD THING

While the TV choppers were grounded, one good result was their inability to bring us worthless 'breaking news.' For example, the day before September 11th, KABC-TV took a live shot over a crew foreman who got his leg stuck in a truck. He was being lifted onto a gurney before getting into an ambulance. This DID NOT appear life-threatening.  After what happened on September 11th, you have to hope, as one reader suggested, that local news directors might re-evaluate what they consider breaking news. Those silly non-stories will seem more ridiculous than ever.

THAT STORY WASN'T EXACTLY A NEW ONE

Former KCOP reporter Christina Penza wrote to let me know that the story I told you about regarding Arab businesses in Huntington Park possibly funding terrorism was actually one that she and researcher Tim Harrell did last year. I did some checking, and I'm told KCOP did add some new interviews to original.  Interestingly, in the updated version, an FBI spokesman on camera refused to confirm or deny the existence of an investigation, which KCOP said was called "Operation Bell Tower." The FBI wouldn't comment on Penza's story either, but in her story she said "Federal sources tell us that after years of investigation, Operation Bell Tower is now over."  Based on the information in the story, you have to wonder why no arrests were ever made.

A CURIOUS TEASE LINE

In teasing a story about possible disease risks of those rescue workers in New York, KNBC weekend anchor Diane Diaz said "This is hard to talk about." After everything we've seen and heard about in the last couple of weeks, and after seeing the story, by Dr Bruce Hensel, I didn't hear anything that seemed hard to talk about....especially for a newscast.  

OTR SKED

I'm out of town for a couple of days, which is why I've uploaded early this week. Since I won't be back on until late Wednesday, the Wednesday OTR may be delayed until Wednesday Night, or Thursday. I've also uploaded letters today, since I won't be able to update the letters until I get back.

BROADCASTEZE

Crazy as it sounds, I haven't caught any broadcasteze violations lately. I'd like to think that the writing is getting better. Or maybe I haven't watched enough KTLA News at Ten lately.  No, they're not alone of course, but they're usually the most prone to 'flee on foot.'

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.