A media critique... and then some!
Inside LA TV - Magers allegedly pokes fun at Diaz over a billboard update. An insider opinion on Jeff Soto. Check out Recent Issues 6-09-06 Friday's OTR
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ZARQAWI'S DEATH - ONLY KCBS/KCAL DOESN'T LEAD WITH IT AT NITE
The death of Al Zarqawi broke late Wednesday night, too late for the 11pm news. Of course it was THE news of the day on Thursday. It would seems to me that a story this big would have been the lead story all day and night. For example, on KABC's 11pm news on Thursday Night, they led with his death. Miriam Hernandez voiced a package on it.
That was followed by a local reaction story, which included a sound bite from the relative of someone who was killed by a Zarqawi bombing in Jordan, and a Muslim spokesman from the Council on American Islamic Relations.
KNBC led with a network package on Zarqawi. They follow with voice over sound bite with Patricia Akkad.
Even KCOP led with Zarqawi.
But not KCBS. They were marching to the beat a different drummer, known by the name of Clueless.
Here was their story order:
#1) A body found in San Bernardino could be that of a robbery/kidnapping victim.
#2) Police in Orange are looking for the killer of a man who was killed the day after his birthday.
#3) Police in Rialto shot a gang member after he fired at them first.
#4) A Laguna Beach man was the pilot of a small plane that crashed into a house the day before.
#5) Arcadia Police have identified a serial burglar suspect who is also a registered sex offender.
#6) Santa Monica Police now think the death of a 97-year old man from a car accident may be connected to the two women arrested for collecting life insurance payments in the hit-and-run deaths of two homeless men in LA.
#7) New red light cameras are coming to LA.
#8) Zarqawi is dead. A voice-over and sound bite with the president.
I certainly understand and support the philosophy of leading with a local story on a local newscast. Of course when we tune in to local news that is what we expect. But obviously there are stories, big stories, which are the exception to the rule.
The person in charge of the KCBS 11pm news is executive producer Jeff Soto. This is the second time in the last week that I have to wonder, what is this guy thinking?
AT 10PM KTTV AND KTLA LED WITH IT - NOT KCAL
The story topped the KTTV newscast with a network package. That was followed by a local reaction story by Tony Valdez. KTLA led with Zarqawi's death as Hal Fishman voiced a package. But for KCAL, it was just a #5 story, and it was only an anchor voice-over at that. Jeff Soto oversees that newscast too. Maybe we just need to get Laura Diaz to stop distracting him! Seriously, Soto obviously had a different idea on the importance of this story compared to all of the other newsrooms in town. Seems like a pretty serious lapse in news judgment to me.
SPEAKING OF A BAD CHOICE FOR A LEAD
I suppose the thinking in the KCBS/KCAL newsroom on
Friday night was "if it burns it leads." Unfortunately there
are too many people in the business who make way too much out of routine brush
fires.
The KCBS lead story was a 250 acre brush fire east of big bear which was 20 percent
contained. According to reporter Greg Mills, there were no injuries and
no damage, though there had been some voluntary evacuations earlier. (Another
station said they were animal evacuations). According to Mills "This
area is pretty remote. This area is eight miles east of
Yep, sounds like a lead story alright.
I think the best lead choice Friday Night was the story of the pit bulls attacking an 11-year old girl inside a bathroom at her school. KCBS played at #6, and KCAL's 10pm had it at #5. KTLA and KTTV had it at #2. It would have been their lead, but they, along with KCAL, led with the end of chase. By "end," I mean the SUV was stopped and the driver was getting out.
WHAT KIND OF EDITING WAS THIS?
I'm generally not impressed with very quick cut editing for news, feeling that it is more appropriate for MTV, and more of a distraction in a news story. And I thought it was especially inappropriate in the pit bull story by Suzie Suh. Here we have a girl in the hospital, and this is the beginning video.
Do you see what I mean? Plus the audio underneath all of that said that the girl is both in critical and serious condition. On the 10pm version, neither the anchor or Suh gave us her condition, though Suh said she was expected to recover as you heard. At 11pm, the anchor lead was changed to include her condition, which was serious. No matter how you slice it, audio which said the girl was critical should not have been used since that was inaccurate.
And to add a little irritation to it all, Chambers referred to Suzie Suh as "Suz." And you can bet that if she called herself Suz, he would call her Suzie, just like he sometimes calls Ann Martin "Annie." It is like Chambers has a compulsion to screw with people's names to create some sort of fake familiarity.
DOUG MCINTYRE OFFERS REWARD
Last Tuesday I wrote about the attack on radio reporter Sandy Wells. I advocated a news conference by local journalism organizations to bring more attention to the issue, which would include a reward. I asked "Why aren't the LA Press Club, the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California and the LA chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists raising some hell about what happened?"
So far I've been unable to get any of those groups to go along with either. However I did get this email on Friday from KABC morning talk show host Doug McIntyre who is offering a reward in another aspect of the story.
Dear Ron,
"You are SO right on. This morning I personally offered a one thousand
dollar reward for the arrest and conviction of anyone making threats against
the school-- we are talking about little kids for God's sake. But the lack of
leadership from the news community is sickening."
AFTRA GETTING INVOLVED, BUT WHAT WILL IT
ACCOMPLISH?
As you may recall, last Friday RTNA President Steve Kindred commented on my suggestions. In his response he said in part, "I'm also firing off a letter to AFTRA, which receives huge dues money to protect our interests and safety, and which is not a non profit organization like RTNA, to learn if the union has made any inquiry into this matter."
Maybe Steve's letter had some influence. My thanks to those who passed along the following AFTRA news release to me. Please read it, and then I'll give you my thoughts on it.
ATTACK ON AFTRA MEMBER PROMPTS CALL TO POLICE CHIEF FOR SAFETY OF LOS ANGELES NEWS PEOPLE
Los Angeles, June 8, 2006—In response to the brutal attack of a local radio news reporter while covering a story, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) today called upon Los Angeles Police Department Chief William Bratton to work with AFTRA members to help provide safety and security for journalists.
The request to Bratton was prompted by the attack of Sandy Wells, a radio reporter and AFTRA member, while waiting to cover a news assignment on a public street across from the Academia Semillas del Pueblo Charter School in East Los Angeles on the morning of June 1.
“The people of Los Angeles depend upon reporters to provide the news they need to be informed citizens,” said Lawrence Mayberry, AFTRA Los Angeles Local Director of Broadcast. “But when reporters are attacked, the public’s right to know is threatened.”
“The safety and security of newspeople is essential to covering and investigating stories. AFTRA members deplore the efforts of any person or entity to thwart the newsgathering process by violence or threat of violence,” Mayberry said.
“Sandy Wells is a great journalist and valued long-time member of AFTRA,” Mayberry said. “It definitely appears that he was targeted for this act of violence because of his role as newsperson.”
Mayberry continued, “To our knowledge the perpetrators of the attack have not been apprehended. We know that the Police Department is doing all in its power to apprehend and bring the perpetrators of this attack to justice. AFTRA members are willing to do whatever we can to help accomplish this task.”
In a letter to Bratton, Mayberry asked to meet with the chief or designated representatives to discuss ways that AFTRA members can work together with the police department and employers to coordinate protections for newspeople.
In supporting AFTRA member Sandy Wells, Mayberry explained, “Radio and television newspeople, as well as other TV and radio personalities, throughout the Los Angeles market have a strong voice at work through AFTRA. Members work together to protect and improve working conditions, with particular concern for safety, especially when job assignments require members to cover stories in public locations.”
At first I thought it was a positive development to see AFTRA involved. But as I really read the letter, it occurred to me that maybe AFTRA just felt it had to at least look like it was doing something. Because frankly, I don't see what the letter accomplishes. First it loses credibility right at the start, by calling the attack on Wells "brutal." Wells was manhandled while the attacker demanded his audio tape, and a car nearly hit him, which is why the police are looking for the guy. But "brutal?" Not even close, thankfully.
Other than trying to catch the bad guy, I don't know what AFTRA expects the LAPD to do. Provide personal body guard service for reporters? I have run into rude cops in the field from time to time, and in that sense, I could see AFTRA speaking up. But this has absolutely nothing to do with that.
This letter from Lawrence Mayberry strikes me as posturing from which nothing will result. I stick with my original suggestion. Hold a news conference and set up a reward fund. Now that might take more work than writing what appears to be a useless letter to the police chief, but it would certainly send a message that needs to be sent to the public, as well as maybe help catch the bad guy.
DAMON ANDREWS STILL LAME
I don't watch much sports on local newscasts. On the occasions I had seen Damon Andrews in the past year, I had the sense that was not as corny as he was when he started at KTLA. However, a story that I saw him do last week tells me that this guy is still not ready for a major market (which just may be a prerequisite to be hired at KTLA these days). Not with this act.
This involved the Tampa Bay Devil Rays drafting a college ballplayer with the last name of Longoria.
According to Andrews:
"Were the Tampa Bay Devil Rays desperate when they took,
Ivan, or excuse me "E-von" Longoria.
Well Could be Evan, anyway….he’s the third overall pick.
He’s a third baseman from
KABC'S TURN
Now it is time to grade the KABC anchors. As always, I ask you to only vote for those whose anchoring you are familiar with. And only vote once, please. Just click on the appropriate link and the hit "send." The poll will close Thursday at 6pm.
Phillip Palmer
Kathy Vara
Jovana Lara
Marc Brown
Michelle Tuzee
David Ono
Ellen Leyva
Micah Ohlman
Leslie Sykes
John Gregory
Leslie Miller
WHY NOT USE HER NAME?
You'll recall the recent story of the Palm Desert teenage girl who is the daughter of Prince Albert of Monaco. What I thought was strange was that when KABC's Leslie Miller did the story, they blocked out her face and wouldn't give her name; a different policy than other local stations.
Leslie Miller said "we’re not revealing her identity because she is a minor."
The only rationale I can imagine is trying to protect her privacy. If she were a sex abuse victim for example, I could understand that. But what is the point here? Do you think the kids at her school haven't heard about it? And is it so terrible to be identified as the daughter of a prince?
In fact, Miller said "It is the stuff
of fairy tales and
Further, she showed a picture of this girl's mother.
It would be my guess -- and it is only a guess -- that the decision to not use this girl's name came from above Miller.
NOW I GET IT
Last week I heard Mr. KABC going on and on about how cute the Pitt/Jolie baby is. He kept telling listeners to go this web site and see this exceptionally good looking baby. It got to be so much that I finally turned off the radio. Marc Germain has never seemed celebrity obsessed. And so I emailed him, and told that it just didn't sound like him. He asked me if I had gone to his web site to see the picture. When he asked me that, I sensed something was up.
REDUNDANCY ANYONE?
KCAL's Harold Greene said
"Armed gunmen robbed three restaurants in
JUST THINKING
I wonder if the current flap over Ann Coulter could turn out to be a Pat Robertson moment for her. You know, when Robertson blamed 9/11 of America's tolerance and acceptance of gay people? Coulter may well sell a lot of books, but I wonder if it will be worth it for her?
While there is something to be said about a culture of victimology in this country, Coulter needlessly crossed a line by suggesting that some of the 9/11 widows - whom she happens to disagree with politically - are enjoying their husbands death. There is no excuse for such a crass and heartless comment. And calling them "broads," that was real nice touch. Yet you can be sure then when she wrote it she knew it would create a stir, and she would sell some more books because of it. She just loves to be provocative. And while this right wing Michael Moore has never been the political right's most credible spokesperson, this latest controversy should push her much farther into the bomb thrower direction. You really have to be a knee jerk "all conservatives are right all the time" sort of person to defend her.
She has now hurt those she allies herself with. She is about to become an icon of right wing intolerance and meanness. While I expect there are some talk shows which will always welcome her, and she'll continue writing, whatever credibility she had before has been seriously diminished. Sooner or later, she'll realize it...but it will probably be too late. And when she finds her career has faltered, will she rightly blame herself? Of course not. It's those damn liberals.
MISPRONUNCIATION
Who: Paul Magers and Michelle Tuzee
Where: KCBS and KABC
What: Both pronounced Zarqawi as Zacari. The good news is, his name shouldn't be coming up too much anymore.
I invite all you to write in and tell your fellow readers a little about yourself. What you do for a living, why you are interested in TV news and anything else you'd like to include about yourself. You can email to
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