Summary: KC Star political
columnist Steve Kraske unloaded on KCTV-5 in his Sunday column (1/7) criticizing
how the local CBS affiliate covers the news of the day. On 1/14 he prints
a response from KCTV5 justifying why they run the stories they do.
We have been criticized for saying the
Star complaining about negative news from another media outlet is the "pot
calling the kettle black." A quick look at the Star's front page
photo showing blood flowing and its Web site (1/17)
lists the following as headlines under "Breaking News:"
Posted on Sun, Jan. 07, 2007
ON POLITICS
There’s more to this city than blood and bullets
By STEVE KRASKE,
The Kansas City Star
I should be basking in the glow of a fresh new year. But I’m cranky:
•Tell me I’m not the only one being driven bonkers by the crime and grime
dominating the news each night on Kansas City’s local news stations.
C’mon. Tell me I’m not alone.
There it is, night after night at 5, 6 and 10 — so much mayhem that I don’t
recognize the city I drive around in day after day.
On Wednesday night at 10, the chronicle of blood and gore and rampant crime on
KCTV, Channel 5, went like this:
1. Firefighter hurt in house fire.
2. Helicopter down in Douglas County.
3. Breaking news! Police need your help tracking down burglary suspects.
4. Vigil for Olathe teen killed in car accident.
5. Federal indictment against Kansas City Councilwoman Sandra McFadden-Weaver.
6. Elderly woman awakens to find masked man in her bedroom.
7. Shots fired into Kansas City, Kan., home.
8. Lawrence man convicted of killing 5-month-old baby.
9. Murder charges filed in Wyandotte County.
10. Louisburg, Kan., teacher killed in car accident.
Look, KCTV can defend any one of these stories. And some of my electronic
colleagues are still doing great work. But the issue is different.
Lots of other stuff besides crime is going on around this town. Cultural stuff.
Political stuff. Governmental stuff.
Yeah, OK. Yawn.
But the unrelenting focus on all things criminal amounts to a smear job of the
city a lot of us call home. Kansas City is a lot more than blood and bullets.
The TV execs are going with the stories that supposedly “sell.” And they are the
stories that any inexperienced (read: inexpensive) reporter can tell.
But I’m guessing that visitors to our town look at our news and wonder why
they’ve put their lives in danger by visiting this Gotham on the Plains.
Tell me I’m not alone...
In his 10/14
column Kraske highlights a response by KCTV5:
...Naturally, Regent
Ducas, the news director at KCTV, defends his station. On Friday, he said this:
•“Safety and security concerns are on the top of the minds of a majority of news
viewers.”
•“We’ve branded ourselves … as a live, late-breaking, investigative news
service. That’s what we’re going to deliver every night.”
•“There’s a significant television audience who appreciate and want that style
of news and will watch us over the competition. I don’t think there’s anything
wrong with that.”
Told that the Kansas City I’m seeing portrayed on TV isn’t the Kansas City I
know, Ducas said that “tens of thousands of Kansas Citians on a nightly basis do
worry about bullets flying into their house. It’s there, man. It’s not like
we’re making this up.”
Asked why Channel 5 doesn’t forsake crime and grime altogether for a newscast
heavier on government, politics and culture, Ducas said, “According to our
research, it would fail miserably.”
As to his final point, he may be right. But I still don’t like it. If you don’t,
you have three options: Call the stations, don’t watch or talk to an
advertiser...
