Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 10:16 am
Check this story on the Texas hurricane. In the first paragraph they refer to "deadly tarantulas". Tarantulas aren't deadly. They have a venom that can act like a bee sting, but that's about all.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9251MP81&show_article=1
Some on this forum may remember the time we had a tarantula in the KCYX studios. Someone carried it into the control room when Steve Kenyon was on the board. He jumped up and ran out and refused to return until the tarantula was removed.
Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 11:30 am
I remember the trantula from the Brady Bunch episode when they went to Hawaii.
Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 11:14 pm
I once heard a former Eugene news anchor describe (off the air) the typical job of a TV reporter:
"You go out on a story you know nothing about, get a quote you don't quite understand, then stand up there and pretend like you know what you're talking about."
Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 5:55 pm
The O had a front page article on Saturday about the proposed 'paper and plastic bag tax' that was nothing more than summation of message board comments. Yes, this was on the front page.
Would've been something like a reporter writing a front page article using nothing but pdxradio posts as their source.
Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 9:45 pm
The O had a front page article on Saturday about the proposed 'paper and plastic bag tax' that was nothing more than summation of message board comments.
But it was actual and informative news -- something topical to readers. Many a post/thread here at PDXradio.com has resulted in material that eventually made its way on the air or in newspapers. Margie Boule for one. A smart reporter would make this site one of several dozen to check daily.
Monday, July 28, 2008 - 1:26 pm
I hope that if a reporter uses message board comments in a story, (s)he does some work to independently verify the truthfulness of those comments.
Monday, July 28, 2008 - 10:48 pm
...or presents them with enough clarity that people know they are comments that add context.
Works both ways!
Facts, in a vacuum, with no story context, "what people are saying" kinds of things is pretty boring actually. Getting those comments, phones, message boards, e-mail, street remotes, you name it, isn't a bad thing --as long as it's clear.
Can't miss "bob seen it happpen", but it might be possible to see a message board quote for some kind of authority it may well not be.
