Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Scott Lundgren" <s_l AT mindspring.com>]

This afternoon between 1:30 and 2pm I was watching WRAL's Isabel coverage.
As Elizabeth Gardner stood in the wind reporting about the conditions at the
beach, a member of the newsteam was clearly in the shot kneeling to her
right and clutching her leg. One could infer this was to keep her from
blowing away in the fierce winds. In the middle of her report 3 people in
rain gear walked behind her in the shot with seemingly no difficulty. One of
them put his hands up in a classic "shout-outs-to-my-peeps-I'm-on-TV" pose.
Neither of the people in the background looked like offensive lineman but
general lanky males.

I realize sensationalism crept into local news as the newsroom came under
pressure to be just as much a profit center. Besides applying market force
in the form of changing the channel, and generally displaying my disgust at
staging a shot in search of ratings, what can be done to discourage future
behavior ? If media is supposed to be policing government, who's policing
media?

- SL