We celebrated George Washington’s Birthday this past weekend. You remember George, the “Father of our Country” – the man, who as a boy chopped down his father’s cherry tree and when confronted about it, admitted to it, saying: “I cannot tell a lie”?
You know, “lie” is an interesting word and one you should think about before you toss it out without thinking.
I got an email recently from an angry viewer, complaining about our coverage of that commuter plane crash in Buffalo, New York. We made an error in reporting the death toll. We reported it as 49 killed. It was an innocent mistake, caused because someone used information from a script sent earlier in the day that hat wasn‘t discovered until after the damage had been done. Complicating things, the crash occurred in the viewer’s hometown, so he had a personal connection. He was understandably upset. This is part of what his letter said, “The total killed should be 50, not the 49 that you falsely reported. This is not the first time I have noticed an error in your reporting, but this is the first time you lied about something that occurred in my hometown of this magnitude.”
I want to respond to his letter and clear-up a few things.
First, I’m not a machine: I’m a human being and occasionally I make mistakes. And while I can tell by the tone of the letter that it was written in anger, I take exception to the use of the word, “lie”. The dictionary defines “lie” as “a false statement or piece of information deliberately presented as being true: a falsehood. Anything meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.”
I don’t tell lies.
Occasionally the facts may get mixed up and the wrong information inadvertently gets reported, but I know of no instance in which it is done maliciously or intentionally.
I subscribe to the guidelines for professional journalists as set out in the Radio and Television News Directors Association’s (RTNDA) Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. It speaks to issues such as public trust, truth, fairness, integrity, independence, and accountability. Its preamble states: “Professional electronic journalists should operate as trustees of the public, seek the truth, report it fairly and with integrity and independence, and stand accountable for their actions.”
That’s not easy to do.
Today, there is very little “black and white”: only shades of gray.
It’s not easy being the messenger. On average, 18% to 20% of people are dissatisfied no matter what you do! Forget the fact that they are trying to put their personal spin on it. My personal favorite criticism is about us reporting too much negative news, especially about the economy. Those critics would have us either bend the facts or even better, kill the story altogether. The fact of the matter is that we report a lot more “good” news than “bad” news. You just tend to remember the “bad” news.
Seeking the truth and reporting it fairly means having the courage and commitment to tell both sides: not just your side. That is something I worry a lot about in these days of pre-packaged news stories and tailored talking heads.
That is what makes the RTNDA Code of Ethics so important – not just for me, but for you, too.
By the way, in the case of the Buffalo resident, I sent a letter admitting our mistake, apologizing for it, and correcting it as soon as the error was discovered.
Isn’t that the way George would have handled it?
Downing Bolls
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Here's To The Magicians
Ben Blank passed away on Tuesday, February 3rd, in Teaneck, New Jersey.
He was 87 years old.
You may not know the name, but you certainly have benefitted from his gift to television. You see, back in 1957, Ben was with CBS News. We didn’t have all the “bells and whistles” back then. In fact, most evening newscasts from the networks lasted only 15 minutes. Nearly all the pictures seen on TV were on film and in some cases, several days old. The idea of beaming pictures live across the world by satellite was unheard of. For one thing, satellites didn't even exist. But all of that was about to change.
Americans awoke one morning to the shocking news that the Soviet Union had launched a satellite into space. It was called Sputnik 1. It was tiny as satellites go, but its impact was huge, especially here in the United States. The Soviet Union was our Cold War enemy. Spy scandals and espionage were the tricks of the trade. Now, Americans feared the dire consequences of being second in a race for the conquest of space. Remember, there were no pictures of the launch, no images of Sputnik circling the earth. So, as CBS began trying to figure how to tell this story, they turned to Ben Blank. He took a turntable, a globe, a length of coat hanger wire, and a golf ball and put them all together to illustrate what Sputnik was doing over our heads – this amazing little satellite, circling the globe every 90 minutes or so. It was important for people to know about that and understand that. In doing so, Ben also became the innovator of using graphics and models on TV to help illustrate the day’s news. He made it possible for Americans to understand what was going on around them.
Walter Cronkite said this of Ben Blank: “He was, indeed, a pioneer of television graphics at a time when his artistry and genius were all we had to demonstrate a complicated story.”
“Dish It To Downing” this week is dedicated to people like Ben Blank: the unsung heroes of television. I like to call them, The Magicians, for they work the magic that makes much of what we do understandable to the general public. I think a lot of people tend to simplify what goes on every night on their TV sets. I’m sort of the front man, the guy who gets to sit in front of the camera and read. As such, people make a lot of suppositions about me: that we are always up on current events and understand the most detailed concepts. While I do enjoy current events and trying to keep history in perspective, I don’t do it all myself. There is a group of people behind the scenes that work that magic every night. They make it possible to tell complicated stories in a more understandable fashion. A lot of the people that make a contribution to the evening newscast get little or no credit for doing so. That’s unfair. They are the ones who make the music play when it’s suppose to, make the pictures appear on your screen when we tell them to, and keep us from sitting there looking like a bunch of idiots. You never see their names appear on the screen because we don’t run credits anymore. Some time ago, viewers demanded more news, so we don’t roll the credits at the end of the show anymore.
The technology used in a newscast every night is truly awe-inspiring. We use full screen graphics, animations, zooming maps, and a host of other visual elements to try to help you understand the day’s news. But we couldn’t use a one of them without the creativity of these magicians. How good are they? They are so good that many times, you can’t tell the difference between what the networks are doing and what our local artists are doing. When you think about it, isn’t that the ultimate compliment to them?
So, to the makers of that magic, thank you for all that you do.
Downing Bolls
He was 87 years old.
You may not know the name, but you certainly have benefitted from his gift to television. You see, back in 1957, Ben was with CBS News. We didn’t have all the “bells and whistles” back then. In fact, most evening newscasts from the networks lasted only 15 minutes. Nearly all the pictures seen on TV were on film and in some cases, several days old. The idea of beaming pictures live across the world by satellite was unheard of. For one thing, satellites didn't even exist. But all of that was about to change.
Americans awoke one morning to the shocking news that the Soviet Union had launched a satellite into space. It was called Sputnik 1. It was tiny as satellites go, but its impact was huge, especially here in the United States. The Soviet Union was our Cold War enemy. Spy scandals and espionage were the tricks of the trade. Now, Americans feared the dire consequences of being second in a race for the conquest of space. Remember, there were no pictures of the launch, no images of Sputnik circling the earth. So, as CBS began trying to figure how to tell this story, they turned to Ben Blank. He took a turntable, a globe, a length of coat hanger wire, and a golf ball and put them all together to illustrate what Sputnik was doing over our heads – this amazing little satellite, circling the globe every 90 minutes or so. It was important for people to know about that and understand that. In doing so, Ben also became the innovator of using graphics and models on TV to help illustrate the day’s news. He made it possible for Americans to understand what was going on around them.
Walter Cronkite said this of Ben Blank: “He was, indeed, a pioneer of television graphics at a time when his artistry and genius were all we had to demonstrate a complicated story.”
“Dish It To Downing” this week is dedicated to people like Ben Blank: the unsung heroes of television. I like to call them, The Magicians, for they work the magic that makes much of what we do understandable to the general public. I think a lot of people tend to simplify what goes on every night on their TV sets. I’m sort of the front man, the guy who gets to sit in front of the camera and read. As such, people make a lot of suppositions about me: that we are always up on current events and understand the most detailed concepts. While I do enjoy current events and trying to keep history in perspective, I don’t do it all myself. There is a group of people behind the scenes that work that magic every night. They make it possible to tell complicated stories in a more understandable fashion. A lot of the people that make a contribution to the evening newscast get little or no credit for doing so. That’s unfair. They are the ones who make the music play when it’s suppose to, make the pictures appear on your screen when we tell them to, and keep us from sitting there looking like a bunch of idiots. You never see their names appear on the screen because we don’t run credits anymore. Some time ago, viewers demanded more news, so we don’t roll the credits at the end of the show anymore.
The technology used in a newscast every night is truly awe-inspiring. We use full screen graphics, animations, zooming maps, and a host of other visual elements to try to help you understand the day’s news. But we couldn’t use a one of them without the creativity of these magicians. How good are they? They are so good that many times, you can’t tell the difference between what the networks are doing and what our local artists are doing. When you think about it, isn’t that the ultimate compliment to them?
So, to the makers of that magic, thank you for all that you do.
Downing Bolls
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Winds of Change: Is TV Losing Its Importance?
Boy, you’ve got to love technology. When I was a kid growing up, I can remember a geography/social studies textbook called Far Away Lands and Their People. That’s not the case anymore. Take Tuesday’s tornado in Oklahoma City, for example. While that storm was still on the ground, live pictures were being beamed around the world. Think about that. Someone across the world was watching the same storm at the same moment as someone who lives in the path of the tornado. That doesn’t include the millions who watched it streaming live online.
In their book How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Everyday of Your Life, Pat Williams and Jim Denny say the difference between today and tomorrow is change (Walt Disney to my generation is what Thomas Edison was the my ancestors). To seize the future, we must do three things: embrace change, identify ideas and trends that produce change, and learn to effectively plan for change.
I come from a generation that created a lot of that change, yet seems reluctant to accept it. I cut my journalistic teeth on typewriters, carbon paper, and correction fluid. If you wanted the news, you had to wait until six or ten. Today, people get it as it happens. And they aren’t just disinterested bystanders, either. Blogs, emails, and video sharing allow them to become part of the news: sharing their stories, pictures, and feelings with the touch of a button. These are indeed fascinating times. Former FCC Chairman Newton Minnow once called TV “a vast wasteland”. I wonder what he’d say about it today? That maybe it’s losing its importance? During the recent inauguration of President Obama, news websites took an estimated 73-million hits during the swearing-in ceremony: 73 million people watching an event that lasted less than a minute!
Technology seems to be advancing faster than we can keep up with it. Former news producer-turned-media-guru Deborah Potter has just written an article entitled, “Mind the Gap”. It talks about how the lack of digital know-how at the top limits both newsrooms and classrooms. Potter sums it up very succinctly: “We’re online, but we’re not really plugged in.” At least, not like our kids are. Younger people are getting their news faster and in ways parents could never have imagined.
But is technology advancing too quickly? Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I’ll live long enough to learn everything. It’s like the dilemma I came across years ago concerning “information overload”. The writer was pointing out that it would take five days to read every news article in a typical Sunday metropolitan newspaper. In the meantime, you have several days worth of papers stacked up, waiting to be read.
I know a lot of people who are simply afraid of the technology. They still haven’t figured out how to program their VCR. It’s not always about fear, though. I don’t use a cell phone. It’s not that I’m afraid of it: I just enjoy the quiet time away from the noise and interruptions. And, I don’t text. It’s not that I can’t. I just think texting while driving a car or operating a power tool is a bad idea. And these advances in technology carry a price. It saddens me to think that my children will never know what it looks like when a TV station signs-off at night or begins each day with The National Anthem. They will never know the fascination of using a piece of aluminum foil stretched between the rabbit ears antenna to improve reception. But then again, they’ve never seen bad reception, either.
And so it is with mixed feelings that I look toward the future: I marvel at what lies ahead, but mourn the passing of those things we leave behind.
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?
Downing Bolls
In their book How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Everyday of Your Life, Pat Williams and Jim Denny say the difference between today and tomorrow is change (Walt Disney to my generation is what Thomas Edison was the my ancestors). To seize the future, we must do three things: embrace change, identify ideas and trends that produce change, and learn to effectively plan for change.
I come from a generation that created a lot of that change, yet seems reluctant to accept it. I cut my journalistic teeth on typewriters, carbon paper, and correction fluid. If you wanted the news, you had to wait until six or ten. Today, people get it as it happens. And they aren’t just disinterested bystanders, either. Blogs, emails, and video sharing allow them to become part of the news: sharing their stories, pictures, and feelings with the touch of a button. These are indeed fascinating times. Former FCC Chairman Newton Minnow once called TV “a vast wasteland”. I wonder what he’d say about it today? That maybe it’s losing its importance? During the recent inauguration of President Obama, news websites took an estimated 73-million hits during the swearing-in ceremony: 73 million people watching an event that lasted less than a minute!
Technology seems to be advancing faster than we can keep up with it. Former news producer-turned-media-guru Deborah Potter has just written an article entitled, “Mind the Gap”. It talks about how the lack of digital know-how at the top limits both newsrooms and classrooms. Potter sums it up very succinctly: “We’re online, but we’re not really plugged in.” At least, not like our kids are. Younger people are getting their news faster and in ways parents could never have imagined.
But is technology advancing too quickly? Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I’ll live long enough to learn everything. It’s like the dilemma I came across years ago concerning “information overload”. The writer was pointing out that it would take five days to read every news article in a typical Sunday metropolitan newspaper. In the meantime, you have several days worth of papers stacked up, waiting to be read.
I know a lot of people who are simply afraid of the technology. They still haven’t figured out how to program their VCR. It’s not always about fear, though. I don’t use a cell phone. It’s not that I’m afraid of it: I just enjoy the quiet time away from the noise and interruptions. And, I don’t text. It’s not that I can’t. I just think texting while driving a car or operating a power tool is a bad idea. And these advances in technology carry a price. It saddens me to think that my children will never know what it looks like when a TV station signs-off at night or begins each day with The National Anthem. They will never know the fascination of using a piece of aluminum foil stretched between the rabbit ears antenna to improve reception. But then again, they’ve never seen bad reception, either.
And so it is with mixed feelings that I look toward the future: I marvel at what lies ahead, but mourn the passing of those things we leave behind.
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?
Downing Bolls
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Television: It's a Partnership
It was May 2005. A thunderstorm rumbled into Abilene from the west bringing with it heavy rain, hail, and strong winds. Repeatedly, KRBC Meteorologist Crain Carnesi broke into programming to alert the public to a dangerous storm. At Merkel, storm spotters reported seeing a funnel cloud illuminated only by the flashes of lightning. Dyess sounded its warning sirens. In the newsroom, our phones was ringing with angry viewers on the line, demanding that we stop interrupting their favorite show.
The next day, someone came to the station with video of what he said was the tornado over Abilene. We examined the tape and confirmed that a large, dark funnel cloud had crossed the western side of our city and it was a miracle that it had not touched down.
Severe weather season arrives next month and an email from Sue during the recent ice storm prompted me to respond to her frustration with program interruptions. "I appreciate your excitement about the weather," she wrote, "however it is the most irritating morning when I'm not able to watch the Today show! This is the second time you have preempted this program for WEATHER! You are losing me as a viewer the times you do this! I refuse to watch the same information given over and over and over and over and over again. Please find something better to do with your staff and put the Today show back on."
Let me begin by saying that the last thing we want to do is to interrupt your TV show. Really. For one thing, many of you pick-up the telephone and I get to take your angry calls: hundreds of them. If you're wondering if anyone is listening, the answer is: yes. The reason why we cut in so often is that the viewingt audience constantly changes. You may have been watching, but new viewers are constantly tuning in and we need to inform them, as well. In the morning, it's estimated that the viewing audience changes every 10 minutes!
Market research shows us that you are interested in the weather. So much so that stations spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to upgrade their technology in an effort to keep you safe. While you may not care for the constant interruptions, focus groups tell us just the opposite. When the weather is bad, you want to know about it right then.
Why do we interrupt your shows when the weather doesn't affect us?
You should know that local TV stations have a responsibility to viewers to keep them informed. We have a 16-county area to protect. That's why we'll sometimes break into your favorite show to tell you about a storm that's not even close to hitting Abilene.
There was a time that local stations signed off after telling viewers to turn to the local Emergency Broadcast System station. Then, someone figured out that if the EBS station got knocked off the air, there was no way to inform the public. Keeping as many stations on the air as possible was a much better way to reach the greatest number of people.
The technology has vastly improved, too. It wasn't that long ago that our weathermen (usually just station announcers) used old airplane radars to scan a storm. The only thing you could see was a large white cloud on the dark screen. If a tornado had been reported, about the only thing we could show you the hook echo on radar, but the information might be minutes old. Now, we have trained meteorologists that monitor developing weather systems, providing advance warning of tornadoes before they touch down and do any damage.
Finally, since the City of Abilene doesn't use a siren system to warn of approaching weather, it's critically important to let you know what's coming and what you should do.
Is there a better way to do this? Every year we talk about ways to make it better for the viewer. How can we keep interruptions to a minimum, but keep you updated on developing weather? We've tried everything from running the information on the bottom of your screen to putting little icons up in the corner of the screen. No matter what we do, though, someone complains. It doesn't keep us from looking, however. The first step in the communication process is talking and listening and I am always glad to hear what our viewers think. We will continue to look for ways to keep you informed, so, feel free to share your ideas with us, too.
This much I can tell you: failing to warn you is not an option. When a tornado touches down, it is too late to try to figure out what you are going to do, which is why we urge viewers every year to plan ahead, then stick to that plan when the time comes.
So, Sue - While I completely understand your frustration, please bear with us and understand that we have a big job to do and we are trying to do it the best we can. The Today show airs 260 days out of the year. Breaking into it two or three times is a pretty small price to pay for staying safe.
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?
Downing Bolls
The next day, someone came to the station with video of what he said was the tornado over Abilene. We examined the tape and confirmed that a large, dark funnel cloud had crossed the western side of our city and it was a miracle that it had not touched down.
Severe weather season arrives next month and an email from Sue during the recent ice storm prompted me to respond to her frustration with program interruptions. "I appreciate your excitement about the weather," she wrote, "however it is the most irritating morning when I'm not able to watch the Today show! This is the second time you have preempted this program for WEATHER! You are losing me as a viewer the times you do this! I refuse to watch the same information given over and over and over and over and over again. Please find something better to do with your staff and put the Today show back on."
Let me begin by saying that the last thing we want to do is to interrupt your TV show. Really. For one thing, many of you pick-up the telephone and I get to take your angry calls: hundreds of them. If you're wondering if anyone is listening, the answer is: yes. The reason why we cut in so often is that the viewingt audience constantly changes. You may have been watching, but new viewers are constantly tuning in and we need to inform them, as well. In the morning, it's estimated that the viewing audience changes every 10 minutes!
Market research shows us that you are interested in the weather. So much so that stations spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to upgrade their technology in an effort to keep you safe. While you may not care for the constant interruptions, focus groups tell us just the opposite. When the weather is bad, you want to know about it right then.
Why do we interrupt your shows when the weather doesn't affect us?
You should know that local TV stations have a responsibility to viewers to keep them informed. We have a 16-county area to protect. That's why we'll sometimes break into your favorite show to tell you about a storm that's not even close to hitting Abilene.
There was a time that local stations signed off after telling viewers to turn to the local Emergency Broadcast System station. Then, someone figured out that if the EBS station got knocked off the air, there was no way to inform the public. Keeping as many stations on the air as possible was a much better way to reach the greatest number of people.
The technology has vastly improved, too. It wasn't that long ago that our weathermen (usually just station announcers) used old airplane radars to scan a storm. The only thing you could see was a large white cloud on the dark screen. If a tornado had been reported, about the only thing we could show you the hook echo on radar, but the information might be minutes old. Now, we have trained meteorologists that monitor developing weather systems, providing advance warning of tornadoes before they touch down and do any damage.
Finally, since the City of Abilene doesn't use a siren system to warn of approaching weather, it's critically important to let you know what's coming and what you should do.
Is there a better way to do this? Every year we talk about ways to make it better for the viewer. How can we keep interruptions to a minimum, but keep you updated on developing weather? We've tried everything from running the information on the bottom of your screen to putting little icons up in the corner of the screen. No matter what we do, though, someone complains. It doesn't keep us from looking, however. The first step in the communication process is talking and listening and I am always glad to hear what our viewers think. We will continue to look for ways to keep you informed, so, feel free to share your ideas with us, too.
This much I can tell you: failing to warn you is not an option. When a tornado touches down, it is too late to try to figure out what you are going to do, which is why we urge viewers every year to plan ahead, then stick to that plan when the time comes.
So, Sue - While I completely understand your frustration, please bear with us and understand that we have a big job to do and we are trying to do it the best we can. The Today show airs 260 days out of the year. Breaking into it two or three times is a pretty small price to pay for staying safe.
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?
Downing Bolls
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