BudV's Blog

There is a truly deranged bird in my yard. Every night from dusk till dawn, this crazed avian sings at the top of its little lungs. It must be a Mockingbird since it sings a collection or four different calls over and over. It's just weird to hear a songbird vocalizing into the wee hours of the morning.

When I mentioned this in the newsroom Monday morning some of my colleagues said they had experienced the same thing. One person said the bird in her yard had added the "beep" produced by her alarm system when a door is open to his repertoire.

I am curious whether others have experiences with loquacious night birds.

   A story like the Virginia Tech murders inevitably sparks a debate about when news coverage crosses a line. That debate has started, and it's a healthy thing. Some VT students and parents have said they are upset by the broadcast of Cho Seung-Hui videotaped diatribe.  Others at VT have said that seeing and hearing the gunman's deranged ramblings helped them come to grips with the tragedy they have endured. Viewers are also weighing in on the issue.

  Here's an email exchange I had with a viewer today. As always the viewer gets the last word.

Subject: VA Tech

Name : Lori
Address 1:
Address 2:
City:
Zip code: 30017

Topic: Newscasts, Story Info

To Whom it May Concern:
Airing the photos, videos & 'manifesto' sent by Cho to NBC is totally irresponsible. Please stop. Why are you giving this deranged young man the stage he wanted? How many more like Cho are out there, being encouraged by the fame & immortality you've afforded him? Plus, beyond insensitive, it's down-right cruel to the family & friends of the 32 who were killed - not to mention the surviving victims - to be barraged with such images, particularly those showing Cho pointing weapons directly at the camera. Disclaimers, warning of the disturbing nature of the story, are not enough. Just stop. This applies to postings on your website, as well.

[My response]

Lori,
   The background, motivation, and mental aberrations of the mass murderer at Virginia Tech is an extremely important part of the overall story. Some Virginia Tech students have even said that knowing more about Cho Seung-Hui and knowing that his horrible deed was the result of one young man's plunge into the depths of mental dysfunction has made it easier for them to come to grips with the tragedy.    How anyone could possibly think that reporting the facts about the killer gives him "fame and immortality" is beyond my comprehension. (If you had said "infamy," I would agree.) Nothing is gained by sweeping the facts, unpleasant and disturbing though they may be, under the rug. A lack of information leads to rumor and misinformation. This is especially true in the age of the Internet when false information spreads like wildfire around the world in a matter of seconds.    We have reported on the students, professors and families impacted by the Virginia Tech tragedy on the air and on our web site. We will continue to do so. In addtion to our on-air reports, we have devoted an entire web page to the victims. We have also devoted a page to information about the perpetrator. It's all part of the same tragic narrative. We don't do our job by reporting only one-half of the story.

 [Lori responds]
 
Dear Mr. Veazey,
  I thank you for your personal response.
  My, aren't we defensive? 
  I don't take issue with the reporting of all the facts surrounding this entire case.  I do, however, believe this could have been accomplished without showing the photos, video and extensive excerpts from the 'manifesto.'  Reporting that a package was sent to NBC in NY, when that package was sent, details of what that package contained, and a summary of what was said and written should have been sufficient.
  As for the grammar lesson you so kindly provided in your reply:  You are, of course, correct in pointing out the difference between 'fame' and 'infamy.'   I should said, "How many more like Cho are out there, being encouraged by the perceived fame & immortality you've afforded him?"  My point was that there are, undoubtedly, many unbalanced individuals in this world who will, indeed, enshrine Cho as a hero - boosted by the wall-to-wall media coverage given to his final statements. 
  One last comment:  From all that I have heard & read, thus far, I believe the vast majority of the victims families, Virginia Tech students, and the viewing audience, in general, find the displaying of the photos & videos deplorable. 
  Please be aware that my complaint was not just with Fox News. I sent similar emails to ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN - as well as to all my local affiliates.
  Again, thank you for your reply...                                           L.
 
As I said, Lori gets the last word.  I respect her point of view and I suspect many of you agree with her. The usage of the video has been a subject of debate in newsrooms all over the country since it became available. It has certainly been a topic of intense discussion in the FOX 5 newsroom.  Decisions when and how to use such volatile and emotional material are not taken lightly. Feel free to tell me what you think.  --bv

Sometimes viewers get upset with us because they feel we're giving too much information. Here's an email interchange I had with an unhappy viewer today. Let me know what you think.

Subject: Salvia.....
Name : william -------
City: kennesaw
State: GA
Topic: Newscasts, Story Info
Comments:

why on earth would you publish information on Salvia ??? are you trying to educate the public on where and how to abuse this drug ???

what are you going to teach them next ??? how to make bombs ???

you have a responsibility to the public and I don't believe you are sending the right   

[My Response]

Hello William,   
 The problem of substance abuse or potential dangers associated with something that is already widely used by teenagers won't go away because we ignore it. Many parents aren't aware of the widespread use of Salvia by their children. Don't you think they ought to be?     We rerport on many problems that we wish didn't exist, but ignoring them won't make them disappear. The only part of your email with which I agree is, we are "trying to educate the public," not how to abuse the herb, but to be aware that it is being abused and that it is readily available. Armed with that knowlege, the public might want to take some action to curb the abuse and availability of Salvia. Armed with that knowledge parents might initiate a discussion with their children.     It is our "responsibility to the public" to bring issues and problems to their attention so that, if they choose, they can take action to address those issues or problems.

Bud Veazey, Assistant News Director
FOX5 Atlanta
bud.veazey@foxtv.com

Here's William's response to my response. Clearly he disagrees with my assessment. Once again, what do you think?

I disagree with you...in just a few moments of air time you have made many more people aware of Salvia than just the word of mouth from teenager to teenager.
Therefore, I do not feel this is responsible reporting of the news, instead, you are educating the people in regards to a so called legal narcotic.
Since you are now educators, do you think it is your responsibility to conduct a mini-series concerning the proper techniques of bomb making so little Johnie wont get hurt by the lack of correct information and end up blowing themselves up.
It is my belief you are the dangerous ones with your reckless ideas that you are doing something good in this; all you have done is send a message to those that like to get high..."hey, try this stuff, it is ok to fry your brain, or commit suicide as this is a legal product just waiting for you. They hide over the counter products behind the counter at the drug store to possibly slow the manufacturing process of meth; so here you are saying..."hey don't worry about it, here is something else that works just as good."
YOU are responsible for the upcoming proliferation of Salvia...may as well give it to your kids.

This morning as I was going through my mail I came upon an unbusinesslike looking square yellow envelope. Inside was a card from Susan, my wife of 30 years, with a nice mushy sentiment and signed "I love you."
On a day when my back hurts, we're scrambling to cover the Jonbenet story and trying figure out how to get a picture of Bill Campbell arriving at the prison gate in Miami next week that little was a real boost. It reminded me what's really important.

Hello,
I'm Bud Veazey, Assistant News Director of FOX5 News. If you have emailed FOX5 with comments, questions or complaints, you probably received a response me. I'll be using this blog from time to time to comment on emails I have received. I invite you to comment on my comments in this blog. At FOX5 Atlanta we welcome comments, questions, even complaints from our viewers and we try to respond to each individual. Your comments are always welcome at feedback5@foxtv.com.
We're proud of our new web site. We know it's a big improvement over the inadequate site we have maintained for several years. The new site represents a significant investment by our parent company in hardware, software and skilled people. We're eager to make myfoxatlanta.com a dynamic web site to which you will want to return every day. Let us know what you think about the site and let us know what you want to see here.
---
Bud Veazey, Assistant News Director
FOX5 Atlanta
bud.veazey@foxtv.com