Professional discussion of coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings

Brian Williams is an absolute pro. I just thought I'd see what Couric had since she went all the way down there, and it was pretty good (although she doesn't look so good on my 42-inch HDTV).

 

I was tuned in to CNN to hear Paula Zahn misrepresent what the school president said about text messaging to warn students.

He talked about the fact that the school is in talks with a firm to be able to send out mass text messages in such situations but they don't have it up and running yet. Apparently they looked into it in response to the shooting there last year. Later in the news conference he notes the problem that the cell phone system can get overloaded in the wake of such a tragedy, with students calling parents and vice versa.

Paula tells the nation, with a shake of the head, that prez and the school didn't send out mass text messages because of the possibility of the system being overloaded.

Not what he said at all but hey, why let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

 

Somebody asked the FBI guy if it was a terrorist attack and he said there was no immediate evidence. Is it a stupid answer or a stupid question?

 

Have any of the networks had the classic shot in times like these of the not-so-good-looking guy "comforting" the hot girl because he knows it's the one time he'll be able to get away with it?

 

Satchel,

No disrespect intended here, but how is that even remotely relevant? Come on, show a little decency.

 

Not surprisingly, Paula Zaun was pathetic, trying to put words into students' mouths about shutting down campus and whatnot. And I agree on Brian Williams. As soon as he arrived in Blacksburg, the rest of the networks began losing this story.

Let's just hope NBC doesn't also send Ann Curry there.

 

I think the numbers game networks played all day was kind of silly. Don't you think it really draws away from the general tragedy when they're constantly trying to build confirmed deaths as if 21 isn't bad enough? I know their job is to get the facts, but it seemed like that was their only priority for much of the day. I'm trying to figure out what the fuck is wrong with the world, and they're feverishly trying to increase the body count.

And can someone tell me how long it took for CNN to get a damned reporter on the ground? Did CNN move its headquarters to India? And where the hell is that skinny kid with the gray hair? Richie Rich? He's the only guy I can stand to watch on that channel these days.

And, gee, I realize that I'm venting. These things really affect me, and I guess I've hit the anger stage now. But I just have to say that if I see that damn cell phone video one more time, I'll never again flip to CNN.

 

Coming in late, so probably missed the discussion on the press conference, the first one, with the administrators and the head cop.

But that was hilarious. Someone's cell phone went off at one point. Administrators looking like deer in headlights, PR VP stopping press conference even after saying all questions would be answered, cop guy kept giving non-answers, self-important journalists yelling questions with some damn righteous indignation (the one lady was absolutely screeching) . . . . some things about this era of instant news are great.

Other things, like getting an initial CNN Breaking News e-mail that said the tally was one dead, one injured . . .not so great.

 

About the fifth time I saw cell-phone-video-kid interviewed on CNN, I realized it was time to get up from my TV and do something else.

 

Hilarious isn't a word I'd use to describe anything that happened in Blacksburg today.

 

The Dateline NBC special was excellent. Brian Williams has long been my favorite nighttime news anchor, and he cemented that today in my mind. He's tremendous.

 

No need for the high horse of "I don't think it's funny; people DIED today!!!". In the context of the national media, national coverage, the seriousness of the situation, that press conference was like the Keystone Kops. Who doesn't turn off their cell phone, especially for a PC like that? Who screams and yells at one of the subjects during a live, nationally televised PC?

And because no one died at the press conference, I can find humor in these things. Because this was a time that did not call for the usual idiotic behavior we can see at press conferences.