Professional discussion of coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings

In Milwaukee, the front page of JSOnline is asking for people to come forward who know Va.Tech students? Seems somewhat odd to me, but I can't put my finger on why that is. Thoughts? Or, and I just looking for an argument that is not there?

www.jsonline.com

 

My local paper is doing the same thing. It's newsgathering, I don't have a particular problem about it.

 

Is it just me or do all these students that are being interviewed seem incredibly, I don't want to say happy or calm -- but you'd never know by some of the things they are saying that they survived a very traumatic event. It just seems strange I would have thought theyd be a bit more shaken.

 

We're a lot closer to Virginia Tech, but there's a similar message on our home page. I think it's just a natural instinct to localize the story.

 

I was noticing that, too. It is odd to see victims of trauma almost smile on TV, like the Piatt guy. It's not unusual so it must be some sort of combination of being traumatized and being polite, as is human nature. I bet the adrenaline is still rushing and the entire situation hasn't really sunk in yet. They're still in survival mode.

 

If I were covering this story and had names of students likely to be in the vicinity of the shootings, I'd hit MySpace and Facebook to see if they're revealing any insider information on the person who did this.

 

Good idea. This is a huge story with national media coming from everywhere. Got to track down every lead and possibility. People are out there talking about it right now. There is no time to let stuff soak in.

 

A local tv station just released the name of "the first victim" ... Ryan Clark from Lakeside HS in Augusta, Ga. ... was getting ready to graduate.

 

How do reporters cover something of this magnitude?
This has some helpful advice. Worth reading for any journalist, because you never know when you'll be put in this kind of situation. Hopefully never.

http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=121505

 

Probably a combination of shock that it happened and euphoria that they're alive. On a much smaller scale, this was how I felt last week after my accident.

 

MSNBC is calling its coverage "Massacre at Virginia Tech"

Is that a little too much or am I being an over-sensative pussy?

 

I cringe at that, but then again, you cringe at the crime itself on a much higher plain.

Unfortunately, it is appropriate.