Plane problems…the new time filler…
CJR Daily’s Liz Cox Barrett examines yesterday’s overkill coverage on the Gulfstream with only one landing gear down (and makes the same car chase analogy I did). Barrett unfairly singles out FNC for scrutiny in my opinion since all three networks were covering it. Maybe Barrett only watched FNC and that’s why the article is so slanted. In any case I think it unfair to devote a whole article to just one network when all three were beating the story into the ground…
It was a mixed blessing for cable news yesterday when a corporate jet in Oregon developed landing gear troubles soon after takeoff. The upside: dramatic live coverage sure to draw viewers — almost like a police chase in the sky! The downside: lots of airtime to fill.
And no matter how many talking heads news producers call on — pilots, former employees of the National Transportation Safety Board, airport officials in Oregon, even a Gulf Stream 5 expert, all of whom Fox News interviewed yesterday afternoon — chances are they will still be grappling for ways to fill the air (not to mention the screen, as the caption must be constantly refreshed to convey ongoing urgency).
What to do? Here is what Fox News did.
First, reassure viewers that the people on board the plane aren’t that important. Juliet Huddy of “Dayside” reported that passengers included “senior executives, but, you know, it’s not like the president and vice president.” Huddy later summarized the situation this way: “[S]even people onboard, four senior Nike executives, three crew people. Phil Knight, the chairman of Nike is not onboard. There are no athletes or anything like that onboard” — or, as noted in the on-screen caption, “FAA Spokesman: There are no sports stars aboard plane.”
Why would somebody single out fox news on the plane story when everyone covered it?(well, we know the answer to that, but let’s continue anyway). For anyone to use Dayside as an example of the network’s entire news coverage of the event is absurd.
Comment by Lakiesha — November 23, 2005 @ 9:07 am
Poor Lakiesha….I just knew that this post would get that response. I almost feel sorry for the fnc fans. Boo hoo, everybody keeps picking on us.
Comment by Anon — November 23, 2005 @ 11:18 am
Juliet and Mike were so great on the weekend F & F sparring with each other. Maybe they both better disprove the saying that “going back again is never the same”. “News in a fun way” was never the “Dayside” concept, IMHO.
Comment by Roger C. — November 23, 2005 @ 11:29 am
FOX News made a statement on the air that they aren’t important people because they’re not sports athletes? That doesn’t strike you fox fans as a little arrogant? Oh, and as it turns out the Nike president WAS on the plane. So not only were they making arrogant statements and conclusions, but they were making those statements on false information.
This article singles out FOX News for a very good reason.
Comment by Nobody — November 23, 2005 @ 10:46 pm
they did all cover this story. Of course this website wouldnt just point out only fox though would they?
Comment by your anus — November 24, 2005 @ 5:08 am
FNC was not the only channel reporting “no sports athletes on the plane”. As a matter of fact, all of them were! And CNBC/MSNBC were the first to say exactly who was on the plane and that the landing gear was down.
Comment by Terance — November 24, 2005 @ 8:16 am
they’ll prolly tell ya they were first on scene if you ask also. Love it how what they don’t tell you is what really counts. True on this occasion.
Comment by your anus — November 24, 2005 @ 7:38 pm