The Media...The Use and Abuse...

As I grew up the news came into my home via a radio, newspaper, magazine, or newsreels at the movie theater. Later on we were able to afford to buy a television set. It was small and black and white. The news when we got it was not this instantaneous gratifacation type thing.

A few days ago in Rochester, New Hampshire someone took hostages at the Clinton campaign office. I will be the first to admit that this was a horrendous thing to happen to anyone. And, I truly felt sorry for the people in the situation and wished them no harm.

From the moment it became knowledge, the local television station was on the scene! This was maybe 1:30 in the afternoon...from that time on...most channels were glued to this situation. Now I don't know about you but there was nothing interesting about

1) looking at a patrol car which was blocking a street;
2) looking down an empty street;
3) watching microphones being set up for someone to tell us what is going on.

And, no matter what local or news channel you tuned to - it was the same scene. And this, in my humble opinion, mockery of covering the new continued for five hours! (I was not glued to the tv, in case, you are wondering...but, I was channel surfing a lot during that time looking for something else to watch including the evening news!)

Leland Whatever-the-f***-his-last-name-is got just what he wanted! Hell, he even told his son "to watch the news".

Duh...

Are we as journalists (yes, I can call myself that as I've made my living writing for newspapers, magazines, and even books) so hard up for newsworthy events that we have to give these idiots what they want? How long are we going to allow people like that to use and abuse not only the media but the people who wish to hear the news in a quick concise evening broadcast?

I always knew there was a reason that I never wanted to write "hard news" and why I always wrote the fluff pieces...things that were interesting - but didn't have that "life and death" urgency or need to be published "right now".

I didn't want to be one of the ones used and abused by the Leland Whatever-the-f***-his-last-name-is of the world.