Brooke Writes Books... and Other Musings...

Now there's a joke! Integrity in journalism. I think that went out with Ike! (And no....I am not old enough to remember Ike...so don't even go there!)

I was watching the news for a bit this morning and remembered why I'd stopped watching it! Lousy reporting. It's all about the ratings... not even getting the scoop... just reporting anything.

I've always been bothered by the dumb questions reporters ask during an interview. One incident that sticks out in my mind to this day actually occurred in the 80's. There was horrible flooding in this area...people had to flee to their roofs because a levy had broken. They were rescued by helicopter. There was one gal, probably about 20 or so, who couldn't swim and she was understandably terrified. She was plucked from the rooftop with cameras rolling. When she got her feet on dry land, a warm towel around her, she was shaking, in shock, and babbling, "I thought I was gonna die! I thought I was gonna die." Some insensitive local reporter stuck a microphone in her face, and said: "Can you tell us how you felt?" Well...geez...man! The woman thought she was gonna die! How would he feel...if he couldn't swim...the water was rising... houses around her were washing away... "Oh...I was thinking I'd go to the mall after I got rescued..." I think that was the day, I gave up on local news.

This morning I heard about a commuter plane going down. So I flipped on TV to see if they had more details, and caught a press conference with the Kentucky coroner. Have to give the man points for patience! Dumb question number one: How does this compare with other plane crashes you've seen? His answer: This is my first one. Dumb question number two: Do you think the plane went off the wrong runway? His answer: I have no idea. I am the coroner. Next dumb question: Is there a passenger list? At this point, you could see the guy start to roll his eyes and catch himself just in time. His answer: I'm sure there is. I haven't seen it. It's probably at the airport. I have to go now...

Now I realize both these scenes were during times of high stress and there was loss of life in both. But reporters are supposed to be trained professionals... not three-year olds who have discovered the magic of asking questions...

So...I've renamed the various news networks.

ABC = Asinine Broadcasting Corporation
CBS: Crummy Broadcasting Service
CNN = Crappy News Network (since this was the network this morning...)
NBC = No-Brain Broadcasting Company
MSNBC = More Silly No-Brain Broadcasting Company

Now... I am leaving FOX up to you! Whaddya say? Any ideas... and no! using the F-word does not count! Sorry, no prizes..but the best answer might reappear in a later blog entry. Ain't that incentive enough?!!