Wednesday, July 23, 2008

It's Okay, I Believe You

This morning my clock radio greeted me with its usual litany of disasters and portents of same. The highlight of this broadcast appeared to be the hurricane threatening to slam into or that had already slammed into the Gulf Coast of Texas. I believe either the name of the impending hurricane or the name of the reporter was Dolly.
Anyway the local news anchor person was interviewing a woman journalist, who just for now we'll call Dolly, who was outside in the high winds of the approaching hurricane. She was shouting to be heard and her shouts did not accomplish much along the lines of my being able to hear or understand her. Mainly what came across was stuff resembling, "...blowing (whosh, wham) category (crash) I don't know (whissssh)" and then hopefully only the connection was lost.
So here's my question.
Why must reporters for television and radio broadcast from within that about which they speak? I get it that they are describing winds or fires or floods. Must they be dressed for the disaster and out in it?
While the satire of the recent New Yorker cover escaped me, I think I can understand that if someone says trees are toppling they are probably toppling. I don't need to see the tree take the reporter with it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree with you more. Why I thought the winds were going to take the reporter with it and he would be broadcasting above and beyond his line of duty.