SHOW AND TELL!

   SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST., 2019
                SHOW AND TELL!

    I am about to be a whistle blower of
sorts. But it's time you knew!
    There was a day when television
reporters stood in front of a scene
associated with a news story and told you
what happened there, sharing as many
facts as they had available .
     Then, somewhere, someplace, a
consultant showed up and told the
bosses the viewers would like it more
if reporters moved  around and, where
possible,  help up props tied to the
story.
      They also insisted it was better to
get people's reactions than statements
from "officials."
       Show the fire trucks behind you
then walk towards the neighbor's house
to show how the siding melted from
the heat. Get the Fire Chief later. First
get other neighbors who saw the flames
and felt the heat.
       Maybe the next day you can revel
a faulty, uncleaned furnace caused the
blaze and suggest everybody get their
furnace cleaned. Maybe a second
fire will wait until you've reported.
        And make sure you're Live on the
scene all the time. Even of it's night,
the fire engines are gone, and the ruins
behind you are black from burning.
          On Friday I saw two network
reporters doing stories on flooding
in Texas. Both were standing in water.
Luckily there weren't any open manholes
near where they stood or walked.
          I'm still wondering if any
viewers decided to was OK to walk
in the flood waters too?
          I once heard a local newsman
report the Susquehanna River was
so low "you could walk across it."
Fortunately, for him, he didn't
demonstrate!
           I wonder if we all might
benefit from a little less "show biz"
and a little more of "Dragnet's"
"Just the facts mam."
          Hope all your NEWS is
good.