Turning the Spotlight on the News Media

MORE ON THIS WEEK'S
BROKEN NEWS

Liz Farry, Executive Producer for our Broadcast News Operations, sounds off on a number of items from laziness to reporter emotion contributing to the BROKEN NEWS situation at the mine disaster. You can link here to her weblog. I think Liz does a solid job puncing holes in Anderson Cooper's defense of how the CNN and the media handled the situation which you can read at the Milwaukee Journal.

Ian Durham (a West Virginia native, Westmisnter '05 grad and sports reporter for The Review in East Liverpool, OH) is highly critical of the sensationalism and hype. He sent me the following e-mail offering his take on the media frenzy at this mine disaster: Personally, I think the way the media is covering the mining disaster in is a joke. Sure, 13 miners trapped in a mine explosion/collapse is very gripping as far as a human interest story (so is a three-year-old stuck in a well), but it has been blown way out of proportion.

How can it be possible for such a blatant falsified rumor to be spread worldwide? I heard that 12 of the miners were alive and saved on the radio coming home from work at about 1:00am Tuesday night. Wednesday morning, I turned on CNN and saw the "Oops! Sorry, 12 of them died and the 13th that we thought was the only one that died is actually alive, but clinging to life."

It's sad that professional media would stoop to reporting completely false information gathered from unidentified and unreliable sources. As a media consumer, I want to know the truth. I don't care if I have to wait a few more hours for it. It's not ethical to report information such as this.Also, I believe the continuing coverage of every second of the surviving miner's existence and the publishing of the death note one of the deceased miners wrote is wrong. Sure, the public should be updated as to the 13th miner's condition, but the media is constantly outside the hospitals at which this poor man is fighting for his life. The other miner that wrote the note to ease his family's pain is a heart-felt story, but it's a PERSONAL story.

These two things, if any, are extreme breaches of privacy simply done to gather ratings.I'm sure we'll all see this in a made-for-TV-movie in a few months, anyways.

Communication & Ethical Breakdown

Broken News
Rushing to Be First Means Getting It Wrong at WV Mine Disaster

What happened to attribution, confirmation, using trusted & reliable sources?

You can put the blame it on the wolf pack mentality/media circus that took over in Upsher County, West Virginia, but the miscommunication of 12 trapped coal miners found alive when indeed only one survived is a telling symptom of the breakdown in ethical journalism in the wake of live, cable-driven coverage of such events. The media frenzy clearly demonstrates what can go wrong when emotions rule reporters, producers and editors.

In the heat of the moment of trying to break news and serve the master of “immediacy,” CNN’s Anderson Cooper and other broadcast outlets were just as culpable of adding to the pain. Most of the journalists failed to seriously question the “unofficial” information they were putting on live broadcasts. They failed to approach the rejoicing cautiously.

Journalists failed to nail down official confirmation. They failed to seek out the facts through multiple, trusted sources. Instead the professional journalists were lead around by emotional reaction from locals residents reconstructing their reality from what they heard passed around from second and third hand sources.

According to Editor & Publisher, "It's one of the most disturbing and disgraceful media performances of this type in recent years," as newspapers published headlines of “12 Alive” it clearly demonstrated how dedication to truth and fact finding was shoved aside for breaking a story based on hearsay.

"Journalists -- whether working in the field or in the newsroom -- should be professionally skeptical. Journalists should push constantly the "what if?" button. "What if that information isn't true?" "What if the source is wrong?" That professional skepticism is part of a vigorous checks and balances process that debunks rumors, reveals false assumptions and clarifies misconceptions. Ideally, professional skepticism produces high-quality, believable reports," writes Poynter Institute's Bob Steel.

While newspapers could quickly repair the headline and coverage snafus online, USA Today and other papers sent out second runs to replace their hardcopy mistakes. USA Today’s original story also veiled attribution to an unnamed source in the governor’s office is suspect of fabrication as West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin refuted the attribution to Matt Lauer who was bigfooting the story for the Today show.

Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz agrees that the media botched the story. He faults the journalists getting caught up as part of the story.

"You don't broadcast or publish until it's absolutely nailed down, or at least you hedge the report six ways to Sunday. This was, quite simply, a media debacle, born of news organizations' feverish need to breathlessly report each development 30 seconds ahead of their competitors," writes Kurtz.

Journalists need to revisit the guidelines for the truth and attribution and take a critical look at their role in all that went wrong. While they've been eager to shine a spotlight on someone to blame as they question mine officials about how this communication breakdown occurred , they've conveniently forgotten to shine that same light on their own behavior.

Reaction & criticism from the WC community:

• Titan Radio News Director Amanda Hauger addressed the situation in her BC Capstone Blog.
• Westminster Economics & Business Instructor Walt Dunlavey (he taught the Communication Law class last semester) responded to my posting with the following in an e-mail: "TV news shows, particularly cable TV news shows, are nothing but super market tabloids...one step shy of Jerry Springer."

New Sheriff in Town at News Talk 1020/KDKA

Congratulations to my buddy Marshall Adams as News/Talk 1020 KDKA in Pittsburgh has named him the new news director. Marshall leaves WBT-AM in Charlotte, NC. He's been a good friend over the years since we worked together at WPXI-TV. During the recent semester he reviewed Titan Radio newscasts for the BC 311/Broadcast Journalism students. Last year he hosted a Westminster intern at WBT.

Below is the news release KD sent out this week:

PITTSBURGH: January 3, 2006 – News/Talk 1020 KDKA radio announces the addition of Marshall Adams to the position of news director effective January 23, 2006.

Adams comes to News/Talk 1020 KDKA from WBT-AM in Charlotte, NC where he served as news director for the last four years. He is a former assignment editor at WPXI-TV and airborne traffic reporter at Metro Networks, both in Pittsburgh.

Keith Clark, VP Programming/CBS Radio Pittsburgh said, “News/Talk 1020 KDKA is the station Pittsburgh turns to for news and information. When we decided to hire a news director, we looked for someone who understood KDKA radio’s history of delivering award winning news coverage and could bring a fresh approach to that effort. Marshall’s experience as an anchor, reporter, editor and director covered all the bases. The news department Marshall ran at WBT-AM in Charlotte is world class and that is the benchmark here at News/Talk 1020 KDKA as we break new ground in local news reporting.”

A Harrison City native, Adams attended Penn-Trafford High School and Clarion University. He is looking forward to the opportunity to return home and work for KDKA radio. "I grew up in Westmoreland County, and my first impressions of radio news came from KDKA. I look forward to the honor and challenge of building on KDKA's rich heritage and making the news sound even better. I'm very proud to have the chance to lead and learn from the most talented anchors, reporters and editors in the industry."

Michael Young, News/Talk 1020 KDKA SVP-General Manager says, “This is a very exciting appointment for the KDKA News Department, and for the station’s overall on-air product. Marshall’s experience with major-market News/Talk stations combined with his roots in Western Pennsylvania make him the ideal choice to lead KDKA’s news coverage.”

Adams also was an anchor, reporter and editor at KTRH-AM in Houston and assisted with the station’s coverage of the Enron bankruptcy and the Andrea Yates child killings. Under his leadership, WBT-AM has won a number of news awards including AP “Best Newscast” and “Best Spot Coverage” plus the RTNDA’s prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award in 2003. He also has a close working relationship with CBS Radio News. KDKA is owned by CBS Radio and is a CBS Radio News affiliate.

Best Television Shows of the Year

My Top TiVo Picks!

Everyone's issuing a 2005 Best List and so many people are doing it with feature films (like they're leading into the Oscars- LOL). Who has the time & cash to see all those films? I was lucky to get to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the drive-in over the summer. I'm telling you the day is coming when feature films will be released on DVD and on VOD the same day the hit the theater.

With TV's still free (we'll there's the cable bill, but my TiVo's free and clear because it's paid for and I have the lifetime subscription).

I put together my own 2005 Best TV Show list based on what's currently ranked on my TiVo Season Pass list.

A season pass is a feature on TiVo that lets me tell the device to record all episodes of that show without me having to figure out when the shows air, what channel, etc.

My top favorite television shows as of 12.28.05 (in order of their season pass ranking on my Tivo)
1. Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi)
2. Arrested Development (Fox)
3. Medium (NBC)
4. Lost (ABC)
5. Scrubs (NBC)
6. My Name is Earl (NBC)
7. The Shield (FX)
8. Rescue Me (FX)
9. Boston Legal (ABC)
10. The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

Shows that were close:

Entourage (HBO), Everybody Hates Chris (UPN), The Comeback (HBO)

Suggested Links:
Most "TiVoed" Shows of the Week- Click Here!

Nielsen Top 20 Rated TV Shows of Last Week!

Battlestar Galactica on TV & the Web

Space Opera Targets Audience in Cyberspace
“Battlestar” Hits with Fans & Critics

Now that Santa has dropped off new video iPods to the masses you can expect more and more networks to take a page from Sci Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica. In addition to selling episodes on iTunes (and marketing the first season on DVD so quickly), the show’s producers broke ground when they started regular commentary podcasts about episodes featuring Galactica EP Ronald Moore (a move mimicked later by the Lost crew).

Now Galactica is breaking with old media again in providing Sci Fi Channel's half-hour Inside: Battlestar Galactica special FREE on iTunes. The special was clearly produced for the television audience as it has obvious transitions for commercial breaks (it begins airing on TV on January 2). However, the network has broken with tradition by pitching the special free on the ‘net as a way to set up the January 6 premiere of Galactica.

Meanwhile, Time magazine has named the show its top pick of television for 2005. Fans like myself recognized from the beginning that this show was so beyond the original, 70s comic book Battlestar. This Galactica is far darker with a gritty, grown up approach to the genre supported by excellent writing and storytelling weaved with wonderful plots, subplots and twists. This show builds a mythology in a far more rewarding way than any other show but as equally suspenseful as Lost. Its stories are timely, powerful, provocative and well worth your your time.

“Galactica is a ripping sci-fi allegory of the war on terror, complete with religious fundamentalists (here, genocidal robots called Cylons), sleeper cells, civil-liberties crackdowns and even a prisoner-torture scandal.”

- Time Online Edition

Now half way through its sophomore season where so many shows tend to drag, the writing is just as perfect. The characters have evolved in unexpected directions and the storyline remains dynamic and edgy.

I was truly ticked off at Sci Fi when it cancelled by prized Farscape a few years ago, but with Galactica (which the Sci Fi Channel slyly field tested first as a mini-series remake before launching as a series) all is forgiven with the network.

Galactica is one of the networks highest-rated shows and clearly its best-reviewed. It clealry has a viable future on the Internet and on TV (I wish the same could be said for my number two favorite show Arrested Development).

Galactica’s innovations with iPod long before ABC and NBC scrambled to provide pay per episodes of mainstream shows illustrates a commitment the producers have made to maintaining and keeping one of the best dramatic series on television and the web. It’s clearly a sign that science fiction niche audience has developed beyond the Star Trek generation thanks to new media.

An afterthought--
Don't be alarmed by my contrast of Lost with Galactica. I'm a fan of Lost. I'm just often frustrated because the show refuses to give up its mysteries and what is presented is often unsatisfying but at the same time compelling. It's the same thing that grabbed me and made me a fan of Alias but the final two seasons have left me cheated with shoddy resolutions and storylines as was the case in the final seasons of The X-Files).

Lost has excellent writing and ambiguous stories. The show also features one of the truly most diverse casts on television today (which goes to show you can address diversity on television effectively and counter cultural stereotypes). Lost has also continued to evolve in its second season as a bigger and better show. It deserves recognition as one of the best shows currently on TV-- however, I think the people at Time may suffer from Lost burnout.

Six Ideas for New Media Opportunties in the New Year

Bringing MORE New Media &
Online Journalism into my classes…

I want my students to study, explore and create more content for new media under the umbrella of online news. I want them to prepare for the future market and understand how these changes will affect local television and radio stations and the local audience as well as redefine the roles of reporters, photographers and editors/producers. Here’s a list of some of the ideas I have for bringing more new media material and online journalism into my spring courses:

1: Take a road trip to a local newspaper. Tour and discuss the role of audio and video in the newspaper’s future endeavors. Discuss how new media will reshape the role of reporter, photographer and online producer.

2: Invite speakers to class including web designers and webmasters to join the ongoing discussions. Ask these experts to discuss old media versus new media. Discuss the implications of online news, RSS , Flash, podcasting, VOD, interactive web events, etc.

3. Assign research papers on the future of local television news reporters, photographers and producers and create these papers in multimedia formats incorporating images, audio and video elements.

4. Contribute regularly to Titan Radio News and The County Line while also incorporating content in a timely manner to our web pages and create a unique, original web program or podcast.

5. Study the BEA’s multimedia festival, its categories and previous winners.

6. Research what the Associated Press is doing with traditional and new media members and look at ways it suggests we adapted and update our newsroom.

So what do you think? Anyone have any thoughts, suggestions? I’m open and eager to bring new ideas and new projects to my students.

Realizing the Big Capstone Payoff

This week Jason Mackey (06 BC) blogged about his journey through the BC Capstone experience characterizing it as an opportunity that served as a giant wake-up call.

"Capstone helped me to realize what I REALLY wanted to do in broadcasting."

That's the best compliment and I encourage you to visit Jason's weblog for more about this journey he's on as he heads into a winter break internship at WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.

Jason's senior project went in multiple directions exploring on-air efforts, producing Coach's Corner and the Titan Radio Sports Minutes as well as sports promotion/information. His off-campus assessment efforts also went well beyond what was required and I am extremely proud of his efforts.

Visit his weblog and you'll learn how investing time, hard work and passion can create a much bigger payoff than you would ever expect.

Other recent Capstone Weblog entries you should check out:

Melissa DePaul (December graduate)
"The whole point of our capstone project is to accomplish something that you do not have or want to do before you graduate. But as we did that we also had to network with professionals in our field through papers and tape assessments. That was very beneficial because now we established a connection with someone who might be able to help once we graduate."

Heather Storm
"I've sent out my demos and resume like crazy, which earned me two interviews for on-air positions...I feel like I'm in a great position to hopefully get something for weekends in the spring semester. All semester long, I've met a ton of great contacts."

Amanda Hauger
"I concluded that I need a strong broadcast news resume CD next semester...I also want to have a strong features television package. I also want to get published at Views & Voices Magazine. I think this internship will really benefit me and allow me to gain valuable experience."

ON THE ROAD to Spin Off a Special on WCN

Looking to what's ahead for 2006:
WCN's County Line (the area's only news magazine) features a franchise segment "ON THE ROAD" and we plan to create a spin off special in the coming months.

Producers/hosts Luke Garrett ('06 BC) & Stevi Nelson ('07 BC) hope to anchor the best segments of the past year in a 30 minute special. You can check out samples of the segment on www.titanradio.net on click on their picture above and watch.

Luke and Stevi hope to create the special as part of the Broadcast Communications Festival in late April and hold a special screening.

Anchors Away on The County Line

The County Line will see some on air changes when it returns after the winter break. The show will feature three anchor teams rotating week to week:

• Elizabeth Farry & Mike Wolenski
• Steve Brink & Shannon McClain
• Kathryn Larson & Pam Marlowe

The BC 312 (Broadcast Journalism II) students will also serve as reporters/photographers/producers of packages as well as take over producing/hosting duties of the live, in-studio interview segment and producing/anchoring 89 on TCL's news update.


Other ideas we're exploring: Mini-live remote TCL'S during Titan basketball games. What do you think?

Christmas on Titan Radio & Now a Local Paper's Putting the Same Idea into Practice

LISTEN NOW!
The holidays are in full swing at Titan Radio.
Christmas music 24/7 through New Year's Day!
While Titan Radio can go from the car to the desktop PC in a click of the mouse, look at how the local newspaper's trying to get in on the act as well.


The New Castle News also features what they call a radio station with holiday music 24/7. If newspapers are doing desktop radio, then radio and TV stations should be very worried.

TCL Wraps Up for the Semester

The County Line wrapped up the fall semester season last week. Our student staff has demonstrated excellent teamwork this semester. The staff has also done an outstanding job sharing the producing duties and working in the field as shooters and reporters.

Keep up the great work!

www.flickr.com