In Washington DC a fire at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House sent the press corp running for their cameras and microphones. I happened to be home and had the gleeful pleasure of flipping from news channel to news channel to see how each reviewed the incident. Here are my final standings:
1) Best eye candy - FOX NEWS: They had a close-up that showed the flames inside the office and seemed to be working the hardest to get the "best" pictures.
2) Worst initial response - MSNBC: Wide angles only, No specific facts, and the 1st channel to provide a history lesson of the building when the real story is the FIRE!
3) Most Factual - CNN: While MSNBC and FOX NEWS lamented the damage to the EEOB and had on-air "talent" making wild a** guesses as to the cause of the fire, CNN was smart enough to call DCFD and get an On-Air interview with the FD's Public Information Officer who was more than happy to tell CNN everything he knew (reported electrical fire, no injuries, full evacuation of building, 2 alarm call with apparatus being deployed on all sides of the location).
So, this little exercise in Journalism 101 leaves me with following observations. First, it is accepted by emergency response groups worldwide that during a time of crisis or emergency an organization shows its true colors and during that time will revert to their most basic principles of operation. It is true for law enforcement and fire departments just as it is true for the news media. Therefore, this incident shows me:
1- If I want great images and lots of eye candy with little substance I will watch FOX NEWS
2- If I want a history lesson and a round table discussion of the nuances of Washington DC architecture instead of fire coverage I will watch MSNBC
3- If I want good images that show the problem/issue/event coupled with factual information from a reliable source I will watch CNN.
How's that for Fair and Balanced!
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