Deathwatch
The big three news channels are all glued to a live shot of a small airplane in Atlanta that’s having landing gear problems. Right now, the view is just a white spot against a blue sky. Exciting television to be sure, but what’s going to happen if the people behind the scenes get the fiery crash that they’re hoping for? Elation? Dread? Regret?
A few years ago, local stations in Los Angeles interrupted after-school childrens programming to go with a live shot of a car chase and its eventual standoff with police. As the cameras zoomed in on the man who was in frantic negotiations with the police, children throughout the city who just wanted to watch Saved By The Bell were instead subjected to the site of a stranger picking up a shotgun and blowing his head off. The media quickly apologized, but what the hell were they expecting to see?
If this airplane turns into the fireball that producers secretly hope it will be, I’m sure we’ll see similar backpedaling as newsmen try to justify their low-brow voyeurism with canned responses about the “public interest”. If the plane lands safely, however, the media’s comeuppance will be delayed. I just hope it won’t take the death of a few strangers to make the media realize that they’re wasting everyone’s time with their prurient desire to show a disaster on live TV.
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Did you hear the “This American Life” story about the car chase that lasted several hours wherein the guy fleeing the cops drove in a perfectly lawful manner, staying under the speed limit using his turn signals, et cetera? The news covered it throughout, even well after the police had STOPPED CHASING THE SUSPECT. In other words, they showed “breaking news” footage of a guy driving.
Eventually he ran out of gas. I’m totally not kidding. Here’s a link to the story:
http://207.70.82.73/ra/248.ram
(If the link doesn’t work, visit thislife.org and search for episode 248, “Like it or Not”.)
Comment by briantologist — November 17, 2005 @ 10:31 am
Anyone got a link to the LA shotgun whacking? That sounds awesome.
Comment by steve — November 17, 2005 @ 1:19 pm
I hear what you’re saying Greg, and I agree, but I’m not really sure what the media is supposed to do. Yeah, LA car chases—blatant voyeurism and a NASCAR-like hope for a crash or excitement—and not particularly worthy of the coverage.
But the planes? I remember tinking the same thing about the JetBlue incident a few months ago, and coming to the conclusion that if the capability exists to show news as it unfolds, perhaps they are obligated to? A plane crash is surely major news. If you are able to cover a potential crash ahead of time, and don’t because the ending is uncertain, is that better?
Comment by Mr Furious — November 22, 2005 @ 11:01 am