Professional discussion of coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings

Can't tell you how many times I covered a car wreck, shooting, whatever in the morning and then called the family a couple of hours later after I got the information from the coroner. I'd say someone talks 70 percent of the time. If you don't call the family's going to wonder why their son's, brother's, husband's death wasn't important enough for the newspaper. There's nothing inhumane about doing this job (added correctly.

 

At what point do small-town law enforcement agencies become bogged down in interview requests? I know they have information officers and do pressers, but between them each network, paper, blog and radio station is trying to get exclusive info. How well-equipped are small police forces to do their ongoing jobs while being peppered with questions?

 

JD. . .

I wouldn't have a problem contacting a parent about the safety of a child. It is all about how you ask the question -- hoe much compassion you show, etc. -- that will depend on the result you get. If you bulldog it and show little sense of understanding what the family might be going through, you will probably not get very good results.

If you show sympathy and understanding, you'll probably be greeted well. If it sounds like a bad time, ask them if they mind you calling again in a couple of hours. Make the offer to have their children tell their stories.

On a seperate note -- and I am usually not this touchy on things -- but considering what has happened, it is a poor choice of words to use the phrase, "pull the trigger". I foiund myself in an earlier post rewriting a sentence because I saw that I had written that the media would kill to get scoop on this.

Thanks.

 

So our boy Wolf just reported the campus WAS on lockdown after the first shooting.

Just an FYI

 

I know the calls have to be made. I have done them. My earlier post (in the wrong context, as it turned out) was about letting an appropriate amount of time pass if you're not on a tight deadline. Of course, nowadays that's all relative (no pun intended).

 

I hope this doesn't violate Johnny's intention for this thread, but I don't know where else to say this:

I really hope the coverage of this knocks the Imus inferno into proper perspective. There's news, and there's NEWS, and we cheapen the latter by piling onto the Anna-Nicoles and Crazed Astronauts as if they really merit our attention.

I rarely feel like I can't absorb any more news coverage, but I wonder if I'm alone in feeling so tired and overwhelmed by the current media cauldron.

 

In my experience, it depends on how small the department is. The little ones don't know how to take it and they just shut down ... maybe hand out a two sentence press release ... usually because the police chief insists on being the only contact and he will get tired of the calls.

The larger departments recognize the usefulness of press conferences and will usually ask that you rely on what you get there ... but obviously you don't. Preaching to the choir again: PCs are a good place to get the standard facts and they give television a chance to ask all their stupid questions but the key is to talk to as many investigators, deputies, officers, witnesses and victims as you can so that you have a good excuse to pull the sheriff aside and ask more questions based on what they told you.

 

Frankly, I hate watching on-the-scene TV interviews with victims' families. I recall a few months ago when the asshole reporter asked how it made mother feel that her son was gunned down on the way to school. Sure, there might be something that a family member adds to the story, but not much.

 

Honest question: Why do I keep reading these headlines that President Bush is "horrified" about the shootings? Is that really all he said? Did anyone see the press conference?

Add: Nevermind. He didn't even make a comment. It's his people saying that. Not sure why that's news.

 

There's a lot of s * * * being thrown at walls right now on FOX and CNN. This is the time where there's a vacuum of new information and when it's the only story there's nothing but time to fill with inane questions of people who don't have any answers?

Was the shooter Asian? Did he kill himself or was he shot? What was his motive? What kind of gun was it? How many confirmed deaths?

 

He was just on TV talking, apparently. But unless he has relevant information to pass along, who gives a shit what he has to say on the subject.