Professional discussion of coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings

Make someone call. I don't think the family would be upset, no matter what happened. I wouldn't be.

 

I'm really not trying to be a jerk, but there's another place for posts like these. This thread is about the coverage, which is why it's on the "Journalism topics only" board.

Thanks.

 

Something that really irked me then, and still does, was kids who were just trying to get their mugs on TV during that whole thing. I remember specifically one girl crowding against her friend (the friend was being interviewed) with a feined look of concern. She was trying her best to get into the shot and say something. Very callous.

 

On Fox right now, they're interviewing a kid from the campus newspaper and the paper's coverage. I had trouble covering a double murder a few years back, I can't fathom having covered something like this back when I was on the school paper.

 

Funny you should mention this. I often feel the same way about sports stories. Every game has to have a hero.

I think what bothers me most is the repeated video. I've seen the same fat cop running with a rifle on three different stations. If they can't show anything new, why show anything at all?

FOX is normally the worst at trying to make something seem like a breaking scoop. But I was watching CNN on this thing, and I felt like I didn't know what was happening.

I'm hearing reports of 32 deaths, but CNN is still reporting 22. I see no boots on the ground covering the story, and I'm left to watch a dang cell phone video. Sometimes, I think CNN is just three people at a news desk reading newspaper headlines from across the country. It takes those folks a week to pick up big stories when they don't happen in major media markets. I've had it with TV cable news.

 

Same reason they won't call victims families in car wrecks and fires.
They are NOT real reporters. They want to pretend: reguritate press releases and do the fluff stuff and feel-good pieces. But when the shit hits the fans, they are out.

It's not my job to make them call and the CE doesn't have me working on the stories. I have pushed and pushed,(sent e-mails to the ME, CE and EE) with the kids names and phone numbers) but it's not happening. They editors aren't pushing. Of course, they have other stories to worry about and its close to budget meeting time.

One reporter called Blacksburg once got a busy signal and hasn't tried again. That was two FUCKING HOURS AGO!
Now she and the other guy are calling the local colleges getting react from PR folks at Hillbilly Tech and Stumpjump U.

I'm so pissed off and frustrated I have a headache.

 

That's really a big problem to have.

(Preaching to the choir) It's not easy. No one wants to do it, but if you've done it enough times you learn how to do it without being any more of a nuisance than you have to. Plus, families want to have their loved ones remembered. They want their stories told ... not calling is a disservice.

 

And telling you how many people have viewed that video on their Web site.

 

It's not like it's 10 p.m. I can understand a reporter waiting until at least the news has set in. Who is going to give a thoughtful comment about losing a child when they haven't even had time to call all their relatives? They want their stories told, but timing can be everything in a case like this.

I don't know every paper's situation, and I don't know how long is long enough to wait, but I can understand a reporter after a morning shooting being hesitant to call too quickly. I've been there.

 

JD makes a very good point.

Just because we're reporters does not mean we leave our humanity card at the door.

 

JD, they don't even know if something happened. The students could be OK and may actually have a story to tell. If not, and the family doesn't want to talk, then say you completely understand and hang up.

 

Sorry. I read too quickly because I am busy putting out fires.

I was talking about cases where you know someone has died. I see that's not the same as what was being discussed. My mistake.