***Writer's note: I will only be working at KAKE-TV on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the rest of the summer. Make sure to check in on those days to see any news posts. Thanks!***
It was an average house. There was a satelite dish on the roof. There was a bicycle in the front yard. It was a white house on a busy, residential street in a cozy neighborhood.
Driving by, most people wouldn't think anything of it on any other day. Except, today, there was a police vehicle keeping watch in the driveway.
And, today, I got the chance to accompany a reporter-photographer team to McPherson for an update on a homicide story.
Like others, I believed that the crime had taken place where the victim's body had been found, but as we discovered, the scene of the crime was probably this average-looking white house.
We talked to several neighbors. Some of them were "too close" to the story and didn't want to talk to us or be seen on camera. As we drove a block over, I made a comment to the photographer: "Perhaps these people will be more willing to talk to us since they're more distanced from the story."
The man who did agree to be on-camera, as well as the other ones who didn't, was surprised by what had happened, and the fact that it had probably taken place in the next house over seemed strange and unexpected.
"It is a nice neighborhood... These types of things never happen here... They seemed like a nice family... I'm so surprised... I never thought this would happen..."
On the long drive back to the station, I began to think about it myself: "Really, how well do you know your neighbors?"
As we passed the Kansas wheatfields and other, slower vehicles, I remembered the episode of The Twilight Zone, "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street."
In the episode, an alien spaceship (which the residents initally believe to be an asteroid) lands near the town and disrupts all of the electricity, radio, and any type of communication or transportation the residents of Maple Street have. Then, the residents all begin obsessing over each other's strange habits, which could indicate abnormality, and thus, an allegiance with the invading aliens.
As I thought about it, I realized that I don't know my neighbors that well. They aren't my family's best friends, but we see them -- see what goes on, who comes and goes -- at least during waking hours.
Of course, like us, our neighbors probably have strange habits (like the neighbors on Maple Street). But, when things go wrong, it could be an opportunity for our survival instincts to kick in and start pointing fingers at each other.
So, when things go wrong -- when there are crime scenes down the street or when the electricity goes out or when aliens start manipulating our technology -- neighbors should be the ones we look to and rely on.
But, then again, perhaps we shouldn't rely on them too much. I guess it all depends on how well you know your neighbors.
And, as far as I could see, for these McPherson people, the news about their neighbor came as quite a shock.
*****
Click here to see the package of our McPherson homicide story.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
"It's just people helping people..."
In hard times, people will either stick together or tear each other apart.
And, as far as I can tell, Midwest people pride themselves on sticking together through those tough times.
There's some truth to it, I believe, especially since we're all part of "Tornado Alley." As news about the tragedy in Joplin continues to pour in, Kansans and Wichitans continue to pour out their love, support, prayers, and money to the devastated community.
"It's just people helping people," as one lady said today while she was making a donation to the Red Cross for the tornado victims.
In a strange, but not unlikely, coincidence, both of the stories I followed today were about the Wichita community's efforts to help Joplin victims: the first was about a fundraiser at local Applebee's; the other, a local doctor who went to Joplin to volunteer.
As one of the photographers and I were talking and filming people at Applebee's, two people dropped checks into the Red Cross donation box. One lady decided to talk to us and commented on how Midwest people have to stick together and help each other out.
Later in the afternoon, I went with a reporter and another photographer to interview a doctor who had gone to Joplin only hours after the tornado.
He told us he had visited Haiti right after the earthquake, and said that there was a significant different in how well-equipped Joplin was to handle this disaster in comparison.
His story was amazing. He said he couldn't believe all of the devastation. He just wanted to help the people at Memorial Hall, which had been converted into a make-shift medical facility.
After the reporter asked him all of the questions, she asked me if I wanted to ask him any.
There was one question in particular I was eager to ask him:
"Oh my God," he said and then paused for a moment.
"It was just... surreal."
He said that the thing he remembers most about his time there was all the local doctors who, despite their personal losses, were still smiling and working through the long hours to help their patients.
"I was surprised by how quiet it was when we first got there," he said.
So, he emphasized how important it was to donate time, money, and supplies to all of the Midwest tornado victims.
It made me smile, as I still remembered those lady's words in my mind: "Just people helping people."
*****
Click here to see the package of Dr. Aaron Davis' story.
And, as far as I can tell, Midwest people pride themselves on sticking together through those tough times.
There's some truth to it, I believe, especially since we're all part of "Tornado Alley." As news about the tragedy in Joplin continues to pour in, Kansans and Wichitans continue to pour out their love, support, prayers, and money to the devastated community.
"It's just people helping people," as one lady said today while she was making a donation to the Red Cross for the tornado victims.
In a strange, but not unlikely, coincidence, both of the stories I followed today were about the Wichita community's efforts to help Joplin victims: the first was about a fundraiser at local Applebee's; the other, a local doctor who went to Joplin to volunteer.
As one of the photographers and I were talking and filming people at Applebee's, two people dropped checks into the Red Cross donation box. One lady decided to talk to us and commented on how Midwest people have to stick together and help each other out.
Later in the afternoon, I went with a reporter and another photographer to interview a doctor who had gone to Joplin only hours after the tornado.
He told us he had visited Haiti right after the earthquake, and said that there was a significant different in how well-equipped Joplin was to handle this disaster in comparison.
His story was amazing. He said he couldn't believe all of the devastation. He just wanted to help the people at Memorial Hall, which had been converted into a make-shift medical facility.
After the reporter asked him all of the questions, she asked me if I wanted to ask him any.
There was one question in particular I was eager to ask him:
"What was going through your mind as you were driving away from Joplin, and you could see it in your rear-view mirror?"
"Oh my God," he said and then paused for a moment.
"It was just... surreal."
He said that the thing he remembers most about his time there was all the local doctors who, despite their personal losses, were still smiling and working through the long hours to help their patients.
"I was surprised by how quiet it was when we first got there," he said.
So, he emphasized how important it was to donate time, money, and supplies to all of the Midwest tornado victims.
It made me smile, as I still remembered those lady's words in my mind: "Just people helping people."
*****
Click here to see the package of Dr. Aaron Davis' story.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
"Gatekeeping is like..."
My first semester in college, my (crazy) journalism professor said many memorable things. And, as funny and seemingly unimportant as they might be, I still remember many of the things he said simply because they were relevant.
For instance, he said, "Gatekeeping is like getting pregnant."
And, as I worked through my second day at KAKE-TV, I saw that philosophy in practice.
The whole idea behind "gatekeeping" is that the editors, managers, reporters, etc., have to decide which stories get covered and which stories get the most priority.
Ultimately, despite this vast field of ideas, only a few get through the gate. (Now, perhaps, you understand the correlation my professor suggested.)
In the first hour of the day, we covered several of the potential stories for the evening's broadcasts -- many of which involved local damage from the previous night's storm. We bounced around a few ideas -- some were pushed aside, some were given priority. The big stories of the day involved the local storms, and rightfully so.
In the afternoon -- after driving around in more bipolar Kansas weather -- I was giving the task of uploading stories from The Associated Press on to the KAKE website.
Many of the stories, I felt, were interesting and relevant. As most of them were international stories, I felt that I was learning a lot even as I uploaded the stories.
There was a charter plane crash in India that killed 10 people. Budapest named Elvis Presley an honorary citizen. Police discovered a bar in Mexican jail that was serving inmates alcohol. There were riots and protests in Georgia. The Paraguayan president had been cured of his cancer.
There were so many stories! And after a while, the words on the screen began to bleed into one another.
One of the reporters saw me working and jokingly told me, "Don't look so serious."
Yet, even as fast as I was able to upload a story, the AP kept sending in more and more stories. The AP also had stories sent in during the afternoon that hadn't been uploaded yet. Some of them were important -- others, it seemed, were not.
Even though multiple reporters, editors, and content managers had passed these stories around, some of them would still never make it to our website, because of one simple reason: TIME.
Ultimately, time is the greatest gatekeeper of them all. Is there enough time to upload these stories? To edit them? To write them? Sometimes the clock doesn't allow all of the news to get out.
But, on the other hand, time also constricts things with what is going on at the moment. Yesterday, coverage of the severe weather bumped several stories from the evening news broadcasts. Time was not on our side in that situation either. What is going on right NOW? What are people concerned with at this MOMENT?
Time is definitely the greatest gatekeeper. Often, it's why audiences never get to hear or see those really great stories -- because there's not enough time.
But, when there is the time -- to write the story, to photograph the story, to edit the story, to publish or broadcast the story, to post the story online -- it makes it all worthwhile.
Even if that only time is on "Good Morning Kansas."
For instance, he said, "Gatekeeping is like getting pregnant."
And, as I worked through my second day at KAKE-TV, I saw that philosophy in practice.
The whole idea behind "gatekeeping" is that the editors, managers, reporters, etc., have to decide which stories get covered and which stories get the most priority.
Ultimately, despite this vast field of ideas, only a few get through the gate. (Now, perhaps, you understand the correlation my professor suggested.)
In the first hour of the day, we covered several of the potential stories for the evening's broadcasts -- many of which involved local damage from the previous night's storm. We bounced around a few ideas -- some were pushed aside, some were given priority. The big stories of the day involved the local storms, and rightfully so.
In the afternoon -- after driving around in more bipolar Kansas weather -- I was giving the task of uploading stories from The Associated Press on to the KAKE website.
Many of the stories, I felt, were interesting and relevant. As most of them were international stories, I felt that I was learning a lot even as I uploaded the stories.
There was a charter plane crash in India that killed 10 people. Budapest named Elvis Presley an honorary citizen. Police discovered a bar in Mexican jail that was serving inmates alcohol. There were riots and protests in Georgia. The Paraguayan president had been cured of his cancer.
There were so many stories! And after a while, the words on the screen began to bleed into one another.
One of the reporters saw me working and jokingly told me, "Don't look so serious."
Yet, even as fast as I was able to upload a story, the AP kept sending in more and more stories. The AP also had stories sent in during the afternoon that hadn't been uploaded yet. Some of them were important -- others, it seemed, were not.
Even though multiple reporters, editors, and content managers had passed these stories around, some of them would still never make it to our website, because of one simple reason: TIME.
Ultimately, time is the greatest gatekeeper of them all. Is there enough time to upload these stories? To edit them? To write them? Sometimes the clock doesn't allow all of the news to get out.
But, on the other hand, time also constricts things with what is going on at the moment. Yesterday, coverage of the severe weather bumped several stories from the evening news broadcasts. Time was not on our side in that situation either. What is going on right NOW? What are people concerned with at this MOMENT?
Time is definitely the greatest gatekeeper. Often, it's why audiences never get to hear or see those really great stories -- because there's not enough time.
But, when there is the time -- to write the story, to photograph the story, to edit the story, to publish or broadcast the story, to post the story online -- it makes it all worthwhile.
Even if that only time is on "Good Morning Kansas."
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
ICT 4 JLN
Today was anything but a slow news day.
City council meetings were forgotten. Sports events were no longer interesting.
Today, all eyes were on the weather.
As one anchor said, it was a "breaking news" kind of day.
And it was an incredible day to begin an internship with a Wichita news station, KAKE-TV.
Even as I walked into the newsroom at 11:00 a.m., 'tornado' was the buzzword of the day. Several stories were about the Joplin tornado -- everything from national coverage to local stories.
My main focus of the day was a story about local individuals and businesses who were organizing relief efforts for the Joplin tornado victims.
One West Wichita man, who is originally from Joplin, wanted to go down and help his 10 siblings who were still living there. Initially, he wanted to just put whatever he could in a small trailer attached to his truck, but now his wife and several other people are helping him with "Wichita Helping Joplin."
He was overwhelmed by how much the Wichita community has supported the Joplin relief efforts, but was even more thankful that all of his family members were okay.
Even as we were interviewing him, he said, "This is probably going to get a little emotional."
As we came back to the station, all eyes were beginning to turn toward a different storm -- one that was looming across the southern horizon.
One of the anchors told me that today felt like the day a tornado hit Andover in May 1991. He hoped that nothing would happen, but said that, if it did, I would be in right in the middle of a big news story.
Even so, I thought, I wouldn't want that to happen. How would I feel if I had to report on parts of Wichita getting blown away in a tornado or big storm? How would I feel if we were the next Joplin?
All throughout the day, my thoughts turned to Joplin: the children who had just gotten out for the school year, the hospital employees who were there helping their patients, the journalists who were covering the story but still struggling with their own personal losses.
So, tonight, as I watch the 10:00 news, I feel lucky. Even though our story didn't air today, I hope that they will air it tomorrow. But, even in they don't, I know that there are people in my community who are making a difference for those who need it most.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those in Joplin, Mo.; Reading, Kan.; and all of those who were effected by today's tornadoes and storms in Oklahoma and Kansas.
Stay strong and be safe.
*****
Want to help those in Joplin? Here are several websites of organizations/drives where you can find more information:
"Wichita Helping Joplin" on Facebook
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_src=RSG000000000&s_subsrc=RCO_BigRedButton
Salvation Army
http://unitedwayplains.org/
KAKE-TV/Dillon's
City council meetings were forgotten. Sports events were no longer interesting.
Today, all eyes were on the weather.
As one anchor said, it was a "breaking news" kind of day.
And it was an incredible day to begin an internship with a Wichita news station, KAKE-TV.
Even as I walked into the newsroom at 11:00 a.m., 'tornado' was the buzzword of the day. Several stories were about the Joplin tornado -- everything from national coverage to local stories.
My main focus of the day was a story about local individuals and businesses who were organizing relief efforts for the Joplin tornado victims.
One West Wichita man, who is originally from Joplin, wanted to go down and help his 10 siblings who were still living there. Initially, he wanted to just put whatever he could in a small trailer attached to his truck, but now his wife and several other people are helping him with "Wichita Helping Joplin."
He was overwhelmed by how much the Wichita community has supported the Joplin relief efforts, but was even more thankful that all of his family members were okay.
Even as we were interviewing him, he said, "This is probably going to get a little emotional."
As we came back to the station, all eyes were beginning to turn toward a different storm -- one that was looming across the southern horizon.
One of the anchors told me that today felt like the day a tornado hit Andover in May 1991. He hoped that nothing would happen, but said that, if it did, I would be in right in the middle of a big news story.
Even so, I thought, I wouldn't want that to happen. How would I feel if I had to report on parts of Wichita getting blown away in a tornado or big storm? How would I feel if we were the next Joplin?
All throughout the day, my thoughts turned to Joplin: the children who had just gotten out for the school year, the hospital employees who were there helping their patients, the journalists who were covering the story but still struggling with their own personal losses.
So, tonight, as I watch the 10:00 news, I feel lucky. Even though our story didn't air today, I hope that they will air it tomorrow. But, even in they don't, I know that there are people in my community who are making a difference for those who need it most.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those in Joplin, Mo.; Reading, Kan.; and all of those who were effected by today's tornadoes and storms in Oklahoma and Kansas.
Stay strong and be safe.
*****
Want to help those in Joplin? Here are several websites of organizations/drives where you can find more information:
"Wichita Helping Joplin" on Facebook
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_src=RSG000000000&s_subsrc=RCO_BigRedButton
Salvation Army
http://unitedwayplains.org/
KAKE-TV/Dillon's
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)