The Tragedy Continues...
Everyone has had Sean Taylor as their lead or top story today (Tuesday). It's such a tragic one and it deserves the attention.
During my travels today, I was listening to local talk radio here in DC. There was discussion on why Sean's story was getting so much press, when we have shootings in the DC metro area on an almost regular basis.
I'll tell you there is no difference. Murder is tragic no matter how you look at it. It doesn't matter if the murder is of a public figure or a private citizen. Every murder, every life taken by violent means is horrific and unnecessary.
Yes, Sean Taylor's murder received more coverage than usual, even national coverage. He was a NFL football player and a public figure. He had connections in Florida, Washington and by virtue of being in the NFL, the entire sports world.
However, other murders were covered with just as much detail, if not more. Who knew Natalie Holloway or Chandra Levy before they were murdered? They were private citizens that only became public figures in death. I could cite more examples, but I think the viewpoint is made here.
At 9News, we are well aware there are other stories of the day. We dispatched our reporters to cover those stories. In fact, tonight's lead story at 11pm was about the death of a 2 year old boy. That wasn’t our original intent, but breaking news happens. Unfortunately, it seems to happen all the time now. At any rate, the boy’s death has not been classified officially as a homicide at this point, and no charges have been filed as of yet, but it is being investigated by the major crimes unit in Montgomery County.
It seems there's not a day that goes by that our newscast doesn't have at least one death to report.
While we strive to end our broadcast with a story on the lighter side, it sometimes still isn't enough to clear the memories away of the first block of news...and there's the challenge for local and national news organizations.
We certainly can not "sugar coat" the event's of the day. At the same time, we have to strive harder to find the positive happenings of the day and provide the best balance we can to present all pieces of the news puzzle.
As I close, I was going to write about the writer's strike out in the entertainment industry. However, to do so now, would seem kind of hollow. As such, maybe I can do that tomorrow.
During my travels today, I was listening to local talk radio here in DC. There was discussion on why Sean's story was getting so much press, when we have shootings in the DC metro area on an almost regular basis.
I'll tell you there is no difference. Murder is tragic no matter how you look at it. It doesn't matter if the murder is of a public figure or a private citizen. Every murder, every life taken by violent means is horrific and unnecessary.
Yes, Sean Taylor's murder received more coverage than usual, even national coverage. He was a NFL football player and a public figure. He had connections in Florida, Washington and by virtue of being in the NFL, the entire sports world.
However, other murders were covered with just as much detail, if not more. Who knew Natalie Holloway or Chandra Levy before they were murdered? They were private citizens that only became public figures in death. I could cite more examples, but I think the viewpoint is made here.
At 9News, we are well aware there are other stories of the day. We dispatched our reporters to cover those stories. In fact, tonight's lead story at 11pm was about the death of a 2 year old boy. That wasn’t our original intent, but breaking news happens. Unfortunately, it seems to happen all the time now. At any rate, the boy’s death has not been classified officially as a homicide at this point, and no charges have been filed as of yet, but it is being investigated by the major crimes unit in Montgomery County.
It seems there's not a day that goes by that our newscast doesn't have at least one death to report.
While we strive to end our broadcast with a story on the lighter side, it sometimes still isn't enough to clear the memories away of the first block of news...and there's the challenge for local and national news organizations.
We certainly can not "sugar coat" the event's of the day. At the same time, we have to strive harder to find the positive happenings of the day and provide the best balance we can to present all pieces of the news puzzle.
As I close, I was going to write about the writer's strike out in the entertainment industry. However, to do so now, would seem kind of hollow. As such, maybe I can do that tomorrow.
posted by Scott Rubens at
12:04 AM
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