The Newsroom

FOX news, courageous reporting.

(August 2005)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
GM
nodnirG kraM
Pointless sensationalistic crap.

We all know what force a hurricaine holds. We all know how dangerous they can be. That's why we don't stand in the middle of one with a load of electrical equipment.

The meaning of courage does not overlap with the meaning of stupidity. It's one or the other. In this case it's stupidity.
SC
SirCalgary
Inspector Sands posted:
itsrobert posted:

I must agree with you, marksi. Being the best at reporting a story is one thing, but saving your own life is another. There's absolutely no need to have a reporter in that situation, it's plain lunacy.


One of the channels streaming, WLOX (an ABC affiliate in a city east of New Orleans) had t heir assignments editor on air talking about safety and how they would never send a crew out into the storm. Although in the end the roof of the newsroom started to blow off and they had to move everyone to another part opf the building. It's now stopped streaming completely, hopefully everyone's ok


Yeah, someone who was watching their webstream said the weatherman who was at the station ended programming by saying, "I'm the last one here, we're evacuating" then walked off and the they faded to black. The station has been using coverage from nearby sister stations.
NG
noggin Founding member
Inspector Sands posted:
Uncle Bruce posted:

they might be linking back via terrestrial - was watching some of the live feeds last night and most of them were using that method rather than satellite.


Even less safe I'd have thought, a terrestrial mast wouldn't last long in 135 mph winds


Yep - looked to be terrestrial, and in breach of most accepted safe-working guidelines. Most live trucks have an anemometer on the roof to judge wind-speed and if it goes over a certain level the mast must be lowered - for the safety of the truck operator AND others.

The link was breaking up into sparklies - a common problem when a microwave system is not properly staying 'on pan' and the signal is dropping out - a sure sign it was being buffeted by gusts of wind... If Fox were using a terrestrial truck in those conditions it was incredibly irresponsible.
UB
Uncle Bruce
I saw several using them - not just Fox. I suspected at one point they were operating with the mast down because of the wind ... but I suppose that depends on whether they had line of sight to the receiver or not. Irresponsible, yes. Terrestrial link, they were definitely using it.
KE
Kennedy6969
nodnirG kraM posted:
Pointless sensationalistic crap.

We all know what force a hurricaine holds. We all know how dangerous they can be. That's why we don't stand in the middle of one with a load of electrical equipment.

The meaning of courage does not overlap with the meaning of stupidity. It's one or the other. In this case it's stupidity.


I can't get over how many people on this forum can be so interested in news and yet know absolutely noting about journalism or news history. US TV has been covering hurricanes this way for over 40 years (it's how Dan Rather got his big break). These guys are in the TV news business so while we apparently are supposed to know exactly how strong a hurricane is (I don't because I've never been in one and as far as I know ever hurrican is different) it is up to TV news to show us. If TV news didn't show us everything we know (or are supposed to know) then there would be a lot of blank space instead of TV news.
MA
Matrix
Sorry, I'm still getting over the title of this thread, "Fox News - Couragous Reporting" ; let alone whether or not nodnirG kraM knows anything about news.... (Looks back and forth)
NG
noggin Founding member
Kennedy6969 posted:
nodnirG kraM posted:
Pointless sensationalistic crap.

We all know what force a hurricaine holds. We all know how dangerous they can be. That's why we don't stand in the middle of one with a load of electrical equipment.

The meaning of courage does not overlap with the meaning of stupidity. It's one or the other. In this case it's stupidity.


I can't get over how many people on this forum can be so interested in news and yet know absolutely noting about journalism or news history. US TV has been covering hurricanes this way for over 40 years (it's how Dan Rather got his big break). These guys are in the TV news business so while we apparently are supposed to know exactly how strong a hurricane is (I don't because I've never been in one and as far as I know ever hurrican is different) it is up to TV news to show us. If TV news didn't show us everything we know (or are supposed to know) then there would be a lot of blank space instead of TV news.


I think the issue that some of us - who do have decent TV journalism knowledge as well as decent health and safety training - have with this form of reporting is that it is in breach of most UK accepted safe working practises. Operating a terrestrial mast in those wind conditions would be deemed unacceptable (even illegal possibly) in the UK - end of story. (Doing it in the past doesn't set a precedent for unsafe working.)
TR
TROGGLES
I wonder when an American corporation buys ITV we can look forward to this sort of stuff from ITN?
NG
noggin Founding member
TROGGLES posted:
I wonder when an American corporation buys ITV we can look forward to this sort of stuff from ITN?


I doubt it - just as Sky is very different to Fox (though they share the same parent company)

1. The UK TV audience is not the same as the US - we prefer our reporting a bit less sensationalist and a bit more considered.

2. The HSE would pull them to bits...

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