Sometimes we need a super. Not a supervisor, or a super man – but some on screen labeling of what it is we’re seeing or hearing.
Case in point is this past Sunday’s Up Front program with Susannah Frame following the story about Senator Pat Roach’s dustup with GOP leadership.
Susannah took thirty seconds or so to wrap up the coverage and provide her commentary on the juvenile antics involving Roach taking place at the state house.
I am not going to bang on Frame (or others) for commenting. I’m all in favor of it.
Actually, you may be surprised to learn that I’m not a huge fan of value-neutral, he-said-she-said, zero sum journalism as it’s commonly practiced in modern TV news. There is no moral high ground attached to that style.
Actually, the idea of style books and “objectivity” have their roots in corporations working to insure the interchangeability of journalists and content rather from some long-standing moral or ethical tradition in the industry.
But I digress.
Frame’s commentary should still be labeled as such. Reporters and anchors who have invested time and energy in covering a beat and learning a community have a valid place from which to birth commentary – but again – I think it should be labeled as such.
On an unrelated KING note, they’re launching a new talk program at 333 Dexter with Margaret Larson. I think the launch of all local programming has to be viewed in relation to the changing nature of the affiliate/network relationship – so it’s interesting to see Belo spend on this – especially too in light of Fisher’s cancellation of NW Afternoon – which I always thought was a solid offering in lieu of super-expensive syndicated programming.
Again, local programming is the way to go and ultimately, the way TV stations are going to keep themselves from becoming punch-and-crunch repeaters with boxes, lights and a stick on top of a hill.
Kudos to KING/Belo for spending $250k on the Olympics. What would have been a no brainer twenty years ago really isn’t these days – but like I’ve said before in this space, we’re a little spoiled around here about what we get from our local TV stations.
