Smile for the camera...

[susandennis]

I watch a fair amount of TV news. Back in the day (yep, here she goes again...) I was even on a fair amount of TV news. The FCC had this rule that local TV stations had to air a certain percentage of public service crap. To keep their license, they had to give free airtime to non profit agencies.

I worked for a non profit performing arts center as their marketing director. You are a producer or a reporter and you are staring down a big decision. You have an empty spot on your local news show.

Your choices are: a semi articulate young woman who will always jump when you call and be there ready to schpeel with 5 minutes notice and likely give you free tickets to a Judy Collins concert OR a whiney child with some godawful disease that tears your heart out and a mother who is a pain in the ass and a doctor who has the schedule from hell.

I got a lot of free air time. And I learned that the on air people are nice to know but the people behind the camera make the world go around. They know stuff that nobody in the world knows. Plus, they can make you look way cool and sharper than you are or they can make you look like the trailer trash people wouldn't have you.

So I am a perfect audience for the growing cadre of TV camera slingling bloggers. One of the best is The Lenslinger. He not only wields a mighty camera, he can write a fine set of words as well. And today he hit the nail on the head. If you watched ANY of the Katrina coverage, you must read his Top Ten Ways to Improve Hurricane Remotes.

Comments

Shepard Smith

[gordon92151.livejournal.com]

The best report I saw was Shepard Smith on Fox Sunday night before the hurricane made landfall. At that time it looked as if New Orleans would get battered even worse than it did. He looked like he had been drinking most of the day and sounded like he was really sorry he was there. He talked about the plight of the people who couldn't leave or who chose to stay because they really couldn't afford to miss work if this was a false alarm. Most of the time these commentators don't seem to have a clue about limited means.