Suspicious package!
Is it a bomb? We don't know! At least it's a "suspicious package," and that merits a BREAKING NEWS segment on WNEP. Don't worry, it turns out the "bomb" was just some boxes glued together. Remember when "breaking news" meant "something really big just happened, and we have to tell you about it now?" Here's some free advice to WNEP: save the fancy graphics and music until you know whether it's an actual bomb or not.
posted by Howard Beale at 3:48 PM
9 Comments:
Doesn't the fact that several roads (and not just back streets and alleys) were closed because of the threat of a bomb warrant breaking news?
Road closures are not "breaking news." Important? Sure. Everyone wants to know if their commute will get screwed up. But that's not "breaking news," if you ask me.
It's "wag the dog" news.
"Jeez, it must be news, 16 said it was!!"
They will use any reason they can to get their helicopter up in the air.
Used to be that bomb threats never were reported, but then again how ever expected someone to fly planes into buildings in NY. Given the world we live in, it is news, even if it wasn't a bomb.
Isn't that the point? You have a helicopter. Use it. It was obvious they couldn't get close on the ground.
>>>Given the world we live in, it is news, even if it wasn't a bomb.<<<
I politely disagree.
Unless the object appears to be a clear danger in a notable spot (shopping mall, airport, etc.), it can wait till the 6:00 and run without a B-roll, unless a visual is really necessary. You don't need to encourage the people who do these things in order to get their 90 seconds of air. If the bomb squad determines that it is, indeed, dangerous, then you break in.
We can make too much of too little and make ourselves look a little foolish in the end.
Whoever planted this "suspicious package" made it look just like a bomb. Learning that, it seems like a pretty good use of Breaking News to me. What if it had exploded at 2 or 3? Should 16 tell viewers at 5, "oh, by the way, we knew about this at noon but were afraid to be sensational."
What if it had exploded at 2 or 3? Should 16 tell viewers at 5, "oh, by the way, we knew about this at noon but were afraid to be sensational."
No. If it explodes, and there is a threat to life, break into programming, and say there will be more information at 5 p.m.
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