FTA-TV Bushfire Coverage!

[tess]

We have all the Media pouncing on the survivors of the bushfires. Talk back radio are almost pleading for people to ring and "share" their experiences as a cathartic way of relieving your stress.

The breaky shows are all in Whittlesea jockeying for the best position as are all the news services.

I am aware I'm part of the problem because I'm a viewer/listener adding to this media event but it's twisting my innards.

Is there a better way or am I just ..... what?

 

[MrMeaner]

It's the way that they give coverage. I watched a little of the channel 7 and all of the ABC coverage yesterday. From what I saw, channel 7 went for the human interest stories and neglected any updates about the position of the fire front. The ABC was far far more informative. Whilst it also gave first-person accounts, it also gave vital information about the fires' progress.

On Saturday, I was glued to 774 for updates.

 

[ExTasDeeMan]

As soon as serial Pest like Kochie get's involved, flick to the Gaybc or SBS.

The media has given dignified coverage thus far in my opinion, as soon as they start sensationalising, i'm off.

 

[krusden]

Kochie in a bush hat and a pretend serious face was enough for me to switch to ABC2 again and watch their coverage.

 

[thegrach]

It's the way that they give coverage. I watched a little of the channel 7 and all of the ABC coverage yesterday. From what I saw, channel 7 went for the human interest stories and neglected any updates about the position of the fire front. The ABC was far far more informative. Whilst it also gave first-person accounts, it also gave vital information about the fires' progress.

On Saturday, I was glued to 774 for updates.

9 & 10 were the same as Seven. I would think that while lives/property were under threat the most important info would be to relay where the fires were and what direction they were headed, etc.. Of course there will be a lot of stories, but there are still thousands of people in danger from this.

 

[bradrowe#32]

post deleted

Woah, way to completely miss the point!

I'm sick of those journalists that have to make themselves the story. It's terribly poor taste for them to talk about how they were affected etc. when others are going through real pain.

 

[krusden]

Woah, way to completely miss the point!

I'm sick of those journalists that have to make themselves the story. It's terribly poor taste for them to talk about how they were affected etc. when others are going through real pain.

I think the only real emotion was seen last night when tony jones and peter hitchener broke the news of brian naylor's death. You could see they were emotionally involved over it and were struggling to keep it together. Also you could see ken sutcliffe was a mess doing the sport update.
Otherwise it's the journos who put a serious voice on and pretend to care.
Thank god for the abc - they do staright out "this is happening, here's the situation" dressed normally rather than "put on a drizabone and an akubra" and you understand the country people BS

 

[Contra Mundum]

I think the only real emotion was seen last night when tony jones and peter hitchener broke the news of brian naylor's death. You could see they were emotionally involved over it and were struggling to keep it together. Also you could see ken sutcliffe was a mess doing the sport update.
Otherwise it's the journos who put a serious voice on and pretend to care.
Thank god for the abc - they do staright out "this is happening, here's the situation" dressed normally rather than "put on a drizabone and an akubra" and you understand the country people BS

The radio coverage on the ABC was fantastic - kept informing and warning people, giving updates and letting people get stuff off their chests on air. Just makes you glad we have public sector broadcasting for stuff like this

 

[krusden]

The radio coverage on the ABC was fantastic - kept informing and warning people, giving updates and letting people get stuff off their chests on air. Just makes you glad we have public sector broadcasting for stuff like this

- at a time of crisis people need their battery powered radio to actually know what is going on.
The great thing about public sector broadcasting is that they can just ditch everything else and do blanket coverage on situations like this that people actually need.
Sends a shiver down my spine when you're listening and the bushfire warning message comes on. Even if it's nowhere near me.

 

[MrMeaner]

The radio coverage on the ABC was fantastic - kept informing and warning people, giving updates and letting people get stuff off their chests on air. Just makes you glad we have public sector broadcasting for stuff like this

Yep. We bought a transistor radio that day. It is now permanently tuned to 774. It was essential listening.

It was possible to hear in some of the presenters' voices that they were baffled by the sheer scale of the event. That seemed to humanise it even more.

 

[Contra Mundum]

Yep. We bought a transistor radio that day. It is now permanently tuned to 774. It was essential listening.

It was possible to hear in some of the presenters' voices that they were baffled by the sheer scale of the event. That seemed to humanise it even more.

Even Red Simons was incredible this morning. Just brilliant radio - even if it was like some surreal nightmare as the numbers kept mounting in horrible lots of twenty as they gained access to another burned out town. I feel really weird today

 

[MrMeaner]

Even Red Simons was incredible this morning. Just brilliant radio - even if it was like some surreal nightmare as the numbers kept mounting in horrible lots of twenty as they gained access to another burned out town. I feel really weird today

I live about 20km from Kinglake. There are reminders everywhere. A lot of people living in that community take my train, go to my local church (at which my fiancee is an occasional attendee - I'm not), have coffee at the Were Street Food Store. We went to the Food Store yesterday, the mood was very subdued. Then when we went to the local Safeway last night, when we went past the local CFA station, there were firefighters unloading bags and bags of supplies from the back of a station wagon.

 

[Contra Mundum]

I live about 20km from Kinglake. There are reminders everywhere. A lot of people living in that community take my train, go to my local church (at which my fiancee is an occasional attendee - I'm not), have coffee at the Were Street Food Store. We went to the Food Store yesterday, the mood was very subdued. Then when we went to the local Safeway last night, when we went past the local CFA station, there were firefighters unloading bags and bags of supplies from the back of a station wagon.

Jesus Christ Kinglake was the seventh circle of hell!

 

[dmc333]

I love the fact Sunrise Mel didn't put her makeup on this morning, as a nod to the gravity of the situation.

Interviewing distraught and emotional people almost becomes a dark comedy. Some of the work on Sunrise this morning was on the reminiscent of this bloke -

The journalists can't relate, they keep dropping cliches and clangers. There's misunderstandings because the victims can't focus properly.

At such a time the TV really needs to stick to giving out information and **** right off out of the 'human interest' angle.

 

[FRUMPY]

It bugs me that people like Carl Stephonivic (Spell?) and others need to be at the site of the fires. Cant they report from the studio and get normal reporters who go out every day to do that stuff.

Plus when they cross to the reporters, they stand there in the CFA uniforms looking like a nob and you know they have driven around for 30 mins trying to find a little fire they can stand in front of to get a good effect.

 

[stmookeyj]

Well if it was CNN they would be re-hashing everything every 5 minutes or so, so in that regard it's hardly a surprise. But commercial networks always seem to think that the human interest story will be a better ratings puller as opposed to just hard news.

Mind you, I was a little surprised that Hitch and TJ somehow managed to hold back the tears at least in front of the camera knowing that they were as close as anyone to Brian. I'm not sure if they'll recover from it personally, at least for a while.

 

[Contra Mundum]

It bugs me that people like Carl Stephonivic (Spell?) and others need to be at the site of the fires. Cant they report from the studio and get normal reporters who go out every day to do that stuff.

Plus when they cross to the reporters, they stand there in the CFA uniforms looking like a nob and you know they have driven around for 30 mins trying to find a little fire they can stand in front of to get a good effect.

Karl Stefanovic is a robot - incapable of showing genuine emotion

 

[sammm]

774 radio relates the facts, and other things. 3aw is doing missing person/human interests and occasional facts. My boyfriend lives in kilmore, and someone on 3aw mentioned the estate he was living in, and i was sh..t scared. I tuned to 774, and they just gave the facts regarding kilmore east and kilmore. Now rarely listening into 3aw.

 

[scooterb]

They cut to Brumby's speech when Brad Haddin was on 99*. Surely it could have waited until he got it.

 

[Bombers_Forever]

Seriously, is there any reporter/media identity who isn't down there? It is Beaconsfield all over again - reporters pretending they know something. Amazing how little they know when there is no autocue. Do you really need all of them down there? Are they helping? No.

But yes, I am getting sick of the way they are approaching the people and the questions they ask. Yes we want to hear thier stories but you can tell a lot don't want to talk.

 

[scooterb]

They're just attempting to tug some heart strings. 90% of the viewers who actually stick around and watch all the telecast are probably women.

Surely some of those little running messages along the bottom of the screen are sufficient. They were cutting shows left, right and centre last night.

 

[Cap]

thank god, I thought I was the only person, the coverage is borderline disgraceful

i've heard "how does that make you feel" way too many time as well as "words cannot describe it" - yes they can, they have described terrible actions for hundreds of years.

Journalists in Australia are ****ing piss weak

 

[Jafa]

This is Beaconsfield all over again and I really don't mean to be crass but it even includes the similarity with the death of a media personality.

The media's having a field day and some of it is really quite sickening.

 

[Jabso]

Channel 7's news presenter is the worst, always uses a fake sad tone of voice.

 

[PHX]

Ergh, Channel 9 branded firefighters uniforms for those standing in clear safety.

That's ****ing disgraceful.