There's a news cliche I've heard since I began in the news business. "If it leads it bleeds." Basically it could mean a couple things. One is that if a story just "broke", that is, if the story just happened, then that's one way of seeing it. The other is, you can't go wrong with crime stories.
Almost everyone connects to crime stories. Just scan all the crime dramas on television through the years, and you'll find a lot of top-ten rated shows. Of course, those are fictional, and the business we're in is not. It sometimes seems that way, but there are enough people inside and out, watching what we're putting out there.
Are people desensitized when it comes to watching crime stories on the news? I guess it depends what the crime is, where it happened, and to whom it was against. There a number of shootings which never get reported. Maybe they're gang-related, or the media just hasn't gotten word. That's why calling in or sending in tips always helps.
Our producers have faced the question about which story should lead the news, and when it comes to a night of crime--shootings, stabbings, etc., we kind of shake our heads and wonder how in the heck do we present the story. Do we just become your daily police blotter, or can we provide some context to help us all better understand what's behind it.
Everybody has an opinion. Some say not enough cops patrolling. Others say gangs are out of control. Viewers may think there are too many parents out there not parenting correctly. Still others might blame the educational system. Then there's gun control issues. Oh, and let's not forget the weather.
Unfortunately when we face what was a night of violence, or in today's case, a weekend of violence, it's difficult at 3 a.m. to put context on what clearly seems to be out of the ordinary. WGN-TV by 6 a.m. was reporting a total of 63 people shot, one stabbed, and from those grim numbers, ten homicides. It was a night of constant phone calling and keeping up with the developments. In the end, rightly or wrongly we felt those numbers spoke for themselves.
In a larger context, I would be remiss if I didn't reprint an excerpt from a Chicago Police Department press release on crime stats. Here it is:
"Chicago Police released preliminary crime statistics today for the month of June, announcing a 12.7 percent decrease in homicides and 10.4 percent drop in total crime Citywide compared to this time last year. The Department has shown a consistent decline in the number of reported index crimes throughout 2009 with the support of dedicated officers and several crime reduction strategies."
We'll have to see how July shakes out.
Now several accusations can be made by people thinking they have the answers. It's our job to seek those answers and opinions and present them so the person watching can make their own judgment. We need to talk to the police, the people directly affected, community activists--any person invested in throwing a wrench at crime.
Numbers thrown at you on the tv screen can seem startling, but what does it do beyond shocking people? Of course they should shock, but without a clear approach to figuring out just what those numbers mean, we might miss the bigger story. TV News alone can't provide an entire perspective. What we can do is search out those who have something to do with helping. That includes all of us. It doesn't have to be in your back yard to affect you.
Facts and figures are not flesh and blood. And there was too much of the latter this weekend.
Almost everyone connects to crime stories. Just scan all the crime dramas on television through the years, and you'll find a lot of top-ten rated shows. Of course, those are fictional, and the business we're in is not. It sometimes seems that way, but there are enough people inside and out, watching what we're putting out there.
Are people desensitized when it comes to watching crime stories on the news? I guess it depends what the crime is, where it happened, and to whom it was against. There a number of shootings which never get reported. Maybe they're gang-related, or the media just hasn't gotten word. That's why calling in or sending in tips always helps.
Our producers have faced the question about which story should lead the news, and when it comes to a night of crime--shootings, stabbings, etc., we kind of shake our heads and wonder how in the heck do we present the story. Do we just become your daily police blotter, or can we provide some context to help us all better understand what's behind it.
Everybody has an opinion. Some say not enough cops patrolling. Others say gangs are out of control. Viewers may think there are too many parents out there not parenting correctly. Still others might blame the educational system. Then there's gun control issues. Oh, and let's not forget the weather.
Unfortunately when we face what was a night of violence, or in today's case, a weekend of violence, it's difficult at 3 a.m. to put context on what clearly seems to be out of the ordinary. WGN-TV by 6 a.m. was reporting a total of 63 people shot, one stabbed, and from those grim numbers, ten homicides. It was a night of constant phone calling and keeping up with the developments. In the end, rightly or wrongly we felt those numbers spoke for themselves.
In a larger context, I would be remiss if I didn't reprint an excerpt from a Chicago Police Department press release on crime stats. Here it is:
"Chicago Police released preliminary crime statistics today for the month of June, announcing a 12.7 percent decrease in homicides and 10.4 percent drop in total crime Citywide compared to this time last year. The Department has shown a consistent decline in the number of reported index crimes throughout 2009 with the support of dedicated officers and several crime reduction strategies."
We'll have to see how July shakes out.
Now several accusations can be made by people thinking they have the answers. It's our job to seek those answers and opinions and present them so the person watching can make their own judgment. We need to talk to the police, the people directly affected, community activists--any person invested in throwing a wrench at crime.
Numbers thrown at you on the tv screen can seem startling, but what does it do beyond shocking people? Of course they should shock, but without a clear approach to figuring out just what those numbers mean, we might miss the bigger story. TV News alone can't provide an entire perspective. What we can do is search out those who have something to do with helping. That includes all of us. It doesn't have to be in your back yard to affect you.
Facts and figures are not flesh and blood. And there was too much of the latter this weekend.
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