Running toward danger*
As I was channel surfing the local stations watching the weather coverage last night, Fox8 had a crew in the field reporting back about the lightning strikes in the area. After a moment, anchor Neill McNeill in the studio told the reporter and photojournalist in the remote truck to power down so that they don't attract a strike.
I don't know if the crew did; I surfed on. But I bet they didn't.
I have been in Neill's position many times and told working journalists not to get themselves hurt in reporting a story. Pretty much been ignored every time. The drive to get the story is powerful. Reporters and photographers don't go to the scene not to report what they see.
Comments (3)
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It's ultimately our call in the field to decide when to not be live. The truck's mast in the up position is a big 'ol lightning rod but we can go live from lots of areas where the mast can be all the way down...and be live with no more danger of a lightning strike than anyone else standing out in the storm. But it's still our call to do the safe thing.
But you're right...we are always driving to the danger...I did it last night to cover the Tornado within minutes of it clearing the area...with another storm forming behind it the voices on the police and fire radios talking about more severe storms bearing down.
Posted on May 9, 2008 3:10 PM
Thanks, Chris. My reporters have always told me they aren't stupid and wouldn't do anything stupid. And so far they've been right.
I really wanted to make the point in the post that, aside from seeing Weather Channel folks standing outside in a hurricane, people don't know what journalists go through sometimes to get the story.
Posted on May 9, 2008 3:26 PM
Hi John, I just wanted to tell you this would be a good time for you to write to Mr. Obama and congratulate him on his win in North Carolina. You could complement him for being an "articulate" candidate, you know like with Skip. I'm sure Mr. Obama would like to hear from an old race baiter like you. It would show how progressive NC has become.
Yours very truly,
One Yellow Dog
Posted on May 9, 2008 9:03 PM