A critical look at the Wichita TV news

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

A Day Full of News

A lot of news the past few days. With the missing El Dorado girl, and now today with the resignation of City Administrator George Kolb. I'll first open it up to your comments and your feelings of the coverage and then I'll respond later. -Hal.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't help but wonder about the value of broadcasting the fact that emily sander has an internet porn site. Yes...I know that its interesting as hell - when I heard it I couldn't believe it - but how and who (besides managers checking their ratings) does it help. It certainly doesn't make the familys life any easier and lets not forget she's the victim here....why are we making her look bad. I just think that you don't have to report everything. This young girl is now the "missing porn star" and I don't think that's fair

Anonymous said...

You're 10 p.m. producer. What do you lead with:

City manager resigning? Or missing girl has a porn site/candlelight vigil?

On a side note, does watching her poor grandfather break anyone else's heart?

Anonymous said...

It is not our job to judge anyone. We simply present the facts. The fact that she was part of an adult website will likely be relevant in her disappearance. To not report it would be irresponsible.

Anonymous said...

But you don't have to say porn and you don't have to make that the primary focus of your story. Doing your job doesn't excuse you from being a human being (overly dramatic but you get the point)

Anonymous said...

There's no difference in reporting that Jodi Sanderholm was a dance troupe star and this case, in which the victim was an "adult model."

Anonymous said...

Of course you go with the news that she was a wannabe porn star. My god Hal, it's sweeps. Use the website pix of her with her "parts" pixeled out. I could see an entire series on "secret pornstars in your neighborhood." I'm sorry for the families loss but you don't think this is relevant to the investigation? You don't think it was important to look at the history of Sean Taylor, the slain Washington Redskin.
Besides the promos and headlines will be so much sexier!!!

WichitaMedia said...

The news turned more tragic Today, (not sure of who broke it first) but KWCH was the only to have the presser live, which was odd since KAKE had a 4PM newscast at that time. I think the news broke in the afternoon so I am sure it was a scramble for all involved. KAKE, once again showed why Natasha Trelfa is their best spot news reporter. She handled the breaking news on scene quite well. KSN I think was the only one with the Grandfather interview Tonight, although he had been on all of the other stations throughout the past few days. Am I the only one who thinks it is weird looking at side-by-side shots of Anita Cochran and new KSN reporter Jennifer Pruitt on TV?(Someone e-mailed me that she had been with the station before, but now is a fill-in for Dana Hertneky who now is on maternity leave.) Its like looking at twins or sisters and Jennifer spends way too much time talking on camera. She should just let her story do the talking and talk less before and after the story. -Hal

Anonymous said...

From tvspy.com: KERA MASHEK joins KSNW in Wichita, Kansas to re-start a bureau in western Kansas and serve as the station's reporter for the Great Bend/Salina area. Kera leaves a reporting position at KHQA-TV 7 News in Quincy, IL.

Anonymous said...

It speaks volumes for the media, both television and print, that the disappearance of the 91-year-old man got significantly less play than the sander disappearance.

why is that? both are equally important, yet the tv stations and the paper are sending the message than emily matters more than the elderly man.

i have a problem with that.

Anonymous said...

Jennifer Pruitt looks like Anita did 20 years ago... and Jennifer is 35!

Anonymous said...

Let me see if I've got this straight: If you die tragically - and there's no doubt of that here - then some of the darker sides of your life - sides that may or may not be part of the story - shouldn't be reported?

Anonymous said...

There was no foul play in the missing 91-year-old man case. That was the difference.

Anonymous said...

About time KSN got a bureau reporter or 2 again.. They used to be the best and have reporters at all the satellite stations then just stopped.. It probably lost some viewers forever to KWCH and KAKE but maybe a few will go back to KSN with that

Anonymous said...

So foul play makes a life lost more valuable?

That's nonsense. The elderly man's disappearance was mishandled badly by the Wichita media.

Period.

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding me? An old guy wanders off and winds up dead...sad as it might be is not in the same realm as an 18-year-old with her whole life ahead of her beaten to death, her body thrown in a field and a nationwide search for her suspected killer and his pregnant girlfiend...possibly hostage.

The reason some of you are upset is because Emily Sander appeared on a few adult websites and you are judging her. You are saying by your comments that her life was not as valuable. That is BS. She was young and what she did was her choice. It certainly didn't mean she deserved what happened to her.

Both stories are sad but one is a major crime. I didn't see any of you bashing the coverage of Jodi Sanderholm or Chelsea Brooks or Kelsey Smith. It seems you are the ones judging this poor girl when you should really be judging yourselves.

Anonymous said...

When is KSAS going to get their own news department and become a real Fox affilliate. Many other markets this size now have Fox affilliates producing their own newscasts with their own staff..

Anonymous said...

Take a bow, night is over, this..
masquerade is... getting older.
Lights are low, curtains down.
There's no one here.

Anonymous said...

Looks like KSN had another technical flare up tonight at 10? When will they learn and get rid of it.

Anonymous said...

When management decides to pull the plug on ignite.

Anonymous said...

They like all the stations owned by that "investment" company are not stuck with Ignite and like many stations that have it nationwide, it seems to be more trouble than its worth.

Anonymous said...

I am amazed that there has not been much coverage about the pregnant girlfriend of this guy they are looking for. Shouldn't there be some concern there as well?

All we have heard really is a story when her parents put out a plea. To me her life is just as important as his... how do we know her life was not in danger as well?