Staging The News and Can Anybody Give Me An Idea What the Ratings Numbers Look Like in the Bluff City?

In Wednesday’s  Shoptalk, the newspaper in Orlando takes to task the TV stations in that Florida city for staging  the news.  Here’s an excerpt: All the stations in town picked up on the story about a 9-year-old boy who called 911 when his mother fell unconscious on the floor. But when area stations showed the “first meeting” between the Alex Swee and 911 dispatcher Matt Nicotra — it was actually staged for two local stations who showed up late.According to the Orlando Sentinel, “crews from WESH-Channel 2 and WFTV-Channel 9 were on time to film the exchange of hugs when Alex and his mom met Nicotra for the first time. But WOFL-Channel 35 showed up late and asked the three to do it all over again so they could tape it. Then in the middle of the second ‘first’ meeting, a WKMG-Channel 6 crew arrived and asked the three, ‘Can you do it one more time?’ “

When I first got into the news business back in the day when I was brimming over with youthful enthusiasm and idealism, I was determined I would never, ever stage anything for a news story.  I had read a policy guideline from ABC News about what reporters and videographers could and could not do and if it was good enough for ABC News, it was good enough for me.  Then the realities of covering local TV news became evident.  Due to scheduling problems, crews would arrive late or have to leave early.  Later, when those in charge decided that reporters should be turning multiple packages, one news director told me to get the people to re-enact when necessary, get what we needed and move on.  It was at that point I realized that news had evolved from an important public service to a business.
As more newscasts were created to generate more dollars, more product was needed to fill those newscasts.  Quality was good if you could get it but quantity was the bottom line.  Some might argue about what constitutes staging.  Others don’t care especially if doing some so-called staging speeds up the story so they can grab lunch before the desk calls them again to see if they can cover the daily fire or auto accident.  When you watch news, one can generally tell if something has been staged.  Not always, but generally speaking you can.  Is it a bad thing?  Not to me, not anymore.  I’ve been there and dealt with what the field crews have to deal with and if it means having something to fill a slot in a newscast and not having those at the office bitching and moaning at you, that’s the way it is.  In the newsroom, they generally don’t care how you got the pictures as long as you got them and that nobody is going to sue you for getting the the video.  Heck, for all I know they may have “staging” classes in college along with the other things they teach those aspiring to be on TV.  In the meantime, just go back to the office down the hallway, wait five seconds, walk out again and walk toward the camera and go past it and please, don’t look at the camera as you go by.

I think I’ve become something of a leper.  I used to have folks contacting me with updates on the ratings numbers from the Memphis market.  I’d get the breakdown of how things have been looking and made it a point to never reveal any sources.  By now, I fully expected to hear how close the book was for WHBQ, WMC and WREG, especially in the morning battles and those in the evening.  So far, Zip, Nada, Nothing.  I know we’re still a few weeks out before the official numbers are released but if anyone has anything to share, please do.  I know the numbers between WMC and WREG were really tight back in February and some at AN5 thought they might retake the lead this book, especially with new managers in place.  We’ll see.

And one additional note.  I got a question in  the previous post about some reporters leaving WREG.  I haven’t heard anything.  Anyone got the scoop on that?

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