Some of you may have caught the wall to wall TV coverage
this afternoon about the shooter in Santa Monica. Whatever happened to waiting
until you have the facts before telling the true story! Ask 10 students at the
college what they saw, and all ten will give you a different story and
descriptions of the shooter, or shooters. First it was a guy shooting at a bus,
then it was a guy getting off a bus and shooting into a car, then they were
shooting up the school library, and then tied it to a house fire that killed 2
people near the bus shooting. And of course tie it in with the possible
connection between these incidents and the fact that the President was 2 miles
away from the scene for a fundraiser, and you now have a possible terrorust
plot! Unfortunarely, it's the nature of the beast...the beast being technology
and it's "Instant News" appeal. TV reporters...pretend that you're
still a newpaper reporter that takes notes and covers the story for the next
morning's newpaper. By then, you have the facts (or at least the facts the
Police will divulge) and can do a story that makes perfect sense. Way back in
Jr. High Journalism I was taught the way to do a news story was the basic 5
things people wanted to know...Who, what, when, where and why! Todays coverage,
much like the Christopher Dorner coverage a few months ago, was nothing but
pure speculation. Get the facts...write
the story and give it to the anchors on the 5, 6 or 10:00 news. Then...I'll pat
you on the backs for a job well done!
I'm Cory Baker, and that's what's in my head tonight!
