| Author | Message | ||
     Yvettep "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Yvettep Post Number: 653 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: |
Tonight--http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8828469/: The missing persons media coverage was a piece I had wanted to do for some time. This past February, I proposed it at a "Dateline" story meeting, and David Corvo, the executive producer of "Dateline," agreed to do it and was enthusiastic about it. I think from the beginning he knew that any examination of the way we do business— particularly vis-a-vis the coverage of Laci Peterson and other stories of that type— would involve some self-criticism. But my hat's off to David; he never hesitated, and that's why a fairly hard-hitting story about the national-news business is appearing on a network newsmagazine. Until I began to research this story, though, I had no idea how lopsided the numbers really were as pertains to missing Americans. Most aren't young, attractive, white women. In fact, most are men. About 30 percent are black, a much higher percentage of the missing than blacks are of the U.S. population. And they attract almost no coverage nationally. Why is that, I wondered. The answers aren't easy ones. With every dollar being squeezed and every budget scrutinized, there's clearly a temptation on the part of news managers to try to go where they think the audience is. And the hard truth is that stories like Laci Paterson spike the audience numbers. The highest-rated "Dateline" of last season was Matt Lauer's interview with Amber Frey. The second highest was the interview with Scott Peterson's half-sister. So why do we do it? Because it works. But every decision like that forces other decisions down the road. Whenever you cover something, you're making a tacit decision NOT to cover something else, because there's a finite amount of airtime [and money for news coverage]. When "Dateline" does six hours on Laci Peterson, that means a lot of other things don't get on the air. And stories like Tamika Huston's are among them. I think Neal was nothing short of courageous in his decision to sit down with me; there was very little upside for him. But he did it anyway. And he's followed that up just today, by asking producers and reporters to make use of a company-sponsored list of diversity-based sources, a list that will guarantee that when we do a story, we're not always talking to the usual suspects. Beyond that, asking tough questions of a close friend was one of my least favorite moments. But at the same time, I was proud to work for someone who encouraged me to ask them. "What's Missing?" airs on "Dateline NBC" Friday, 8 p.m./7 C. | ||
| Nels Newbie Poster Username: Nels Post Number: 18 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Remember, the Jewish-run mainstream media doesn't give a shit about anything but money. That's the problem with Hollywood and its associatives - it peddles "crap" that a very gullible and stupid public buys based on a highly deceptive and convoluted ratings methodology. If Amos & Andy reruns drew mega numbers in the ratings, you'd see black face, watermelons, fried chicken and big behinds on virtually every TV channel, and headlining every leading newspaper, magazine and entertainment web site in the country. Give it up, puhleeze! | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 1361 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
Nels: Amos & Andy was not cancelled because it was not a success in the ratings. It was cancelled due to pressure from groups like the NAACP. If they thought nobody would raise a stink it WOULD be on and I bet it would have giant ratings. | ||
| Nels Regular Poster Username: Nels Post Number: 27 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Chrishayden -- This, I already know - and A&A was not the intended subject of the reply I wrote. Amos & Andy was simply used as the messenger for a simple response in this thread. Like an example, you know... If things were kept in context, there'd be fewer misunderstandings, one would think. | ||
| Roxie AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Roxie Post Number: 79 Registered: 06-2005 Rating: N/A |
GASP! You mean I'm not the only one smelling the BS?! Where I live there have been THREE pregnant women murdered in the past two years by their husbands/boyfriends. Why no news coverage? Hint: The melanin-heavy epidermis might have had something to do with it. |
