I know that TV is a different animal, but...

[RecentAZgrad]

...is it blatantly-cheering-and-clapping-during-a-newscast different?

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4201858&categoryid=2378529

 

[greenlantern]

It doesn't bother me since it was a station in Cleveland cheering for its NBA team. Now had it been them cheering for one local high school over another ...

 

[chilidog75]

I was in a room of eight people watching that game. We are nowhere close to Cleveland. Not one Cavs fan among us. And six of the eight people in the room jumped out of their chairs when he made that shot.
Of course, we weren't on live television. So there's a difference.
But can't really fault the reaction, since I had a similar one and had no rooting interest at all.
Isn't live TV magical?

 

[canucklehead]

You're either a professional you're not.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

That conveys exactly what it felt like to be a Cleveland sports fan Friday night. Gloom and doom to utter joy in the space of seconds. Terrific job by those newscasters.

 

[Double J]

You're either a professional you're not.

hahahahaha

 

[BTExpress]

If a political reporter applauds and whoops when Barack Obama enters the room, that's one thing. But good stories are good stories, and there's nothing really wrong with rooting for a good story.

If the Cavs had won a routine game by 19 points, there would not have been any cheering and clapping, because there would not have been much of a story.

Let's say there is a pilot whose plane's landing gear does not work. Nation is gripped as live shots are shown of the plane in the sky.

If pilot lands plane safely, is it wrong for any reporters present to cheer the event? If it is, then **** this "profession."

 

[ondeadline]

I imagine that anyone watching that newscast at that time cares nothing about the Cavaliers or they'd be watching the game. So I'm guessing that audience at the time was a bit put off by this.

 

[SF_Express]

I'm going against grumpy old curmudgeon newspaper type and say I thought it was fun -- and not only that, if people were watching the newscast, by god, they got some breaking news.

 

[imjustagirl]

I imagine that anyone watching that newscast at that time cares nothing about the Cavaliers or they'd be watching the game. So I'm guessing that audience at the time was a bit put off by this.

I can see that point, but it's not like they interrupted real news. That was, if I'm guessing right (I didn't have the volume up high at work) the little hubbub at the end where everyone small talks. So whether they're jibberjabbering or hooting about the Cavs, I don't see the harm.

 

[NightHawk112005]

During live television, you have a responsibility not to act like that. You're a professional journalist, and you're supposed to act like it.

 

[ondeadline]

I'm fine with it. I'm just saying that the viewer who is watching that newscast when the Cavaliers game is going on probably didn't like it because they don't care about it.

 

[buzzerbeater]

If they want to mention LeBron's shot as soon as it happens, fine. Cleveland is obviously very interested.
And there's nothing wrong with being happy about it on a Cleveland newscast.
But the way that guy went nuts was embarrassing. Or should have been.

 

[DanOregon]

Considering that most "cheering of the hometeam" is faked by people who are just passing through a market, it was cool to see genuine emotion.
You look at how local sports reports are usually shorter than a commercial break, and it makes me laugh seeing stations suddenly "care" about the local boys once the playoffs begin.

 

[SF_Express]

If they want to mention LeBron's shot as soon as it happens, fine. Cleveland is obviously very interested.
And there's nothing wrong with being happy about it on a Cleveland newscast.
But the way that guy went nuts was embarrassing. Or should have been.

I'm telling you with all sincerity I can't think of somebody more qualified to talk about such things than somebody named buzzerbeater.

 

[copperpot]

I watched it about five times and laughed every time. I thought it was great.

 

[Double J]

I did too. It was great.

 

[sirvaliantbrown]

Yeah, I loved it. If you're going to be unprofessional, at least be entertaining about it.

 

[sirvaliantbrown]

Also, "somebody hit the shot" was understatedly hilarious in its own right.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Jesus, some people have to lighten up.

They were reacting honestly to a monitor off-camera. It was a great moment. They're wrapping up in the last 20 seconds of a newscast.

I'm a local TV news producer, and I'd have no trouble at all seeing that reaction from the anchors as they say goodbye. That was really cool.