Caption Police
It’s old news that shrinking audiences and dwindling budgets make it harder for local news operations to cover their communities with depth and nuance. The rapid comings and goings of newsroom talent inevitably leave us with reporters and producers who know far too little about the city they cover.
But c’mon, NewsChannel5, surely it’s not setting the bar too high to expect a major local news operation to know the name of the building where the city’s political business happens. Yes, Nashville does have a City Hall, but unless I’m mistaken, Metro Council meetings are still happening with no band and no cover.
Comments
Call me dense, but I can't for the life of me understand why Barry has his panties in a wad.
Posted 04/14/2008 at 10:08:03 AMSeems to me that improper reporting, even in the form of captions, is an okay reason to get one's knickers in a twist. We just spent a bunch of money on the METROPOLITAN COURTHOUSE renovation -- our council meets there -- how about not perpetuating ignorance about local government? The next newcomer that looks up the address for City Hall to go listen to our council meeting will end up way too early at a music venue with locked doors because Channel 5 "said" that meetings are held at Metro City Hall. It seems our local news station could get it right.
Posted 04/14/2008 at 03:56:14 PMMaybe it's because the reporters fancy themselves as really being Clark Kent. Metropolis had a City Hall...why shouldn't MetroNashville?
Posted 04/14/2008 at 05:09:17 PMYou might be right, Greg. But I'd sooner think it's because their—both corporate and personal— principal objective is on-screen prettiness. I'll just bet that potential “depth and nuance” in a prospective new local television news maven's on air presentation is way the hell down toward the bottom of the corporate list of prerequisite requirements. Who cares, really, if what is seen is correct as long as it looks good.
Lets face it: perceptive, factually accurate reportage intoned by a talking head with a wart on the end of his nose doesn't portend well in an ever-present contest for ratings.
Go for them dollars, boys.
Posted 04/15/2008 at 07:25:37 AMStop making fun of Joe Piscopo.
Posted 04/15/2008 at 02:09:21 PMThe building is called City Hall as well as the Davidson County Courthouse. Both names appear on the exterior above the entrance on the Union Street side. It goes back to the day when the City had a Council (City Hall) and Mayor and the County had a Court and Judge (Courthouse).
Posted 04/15/2008 at 02:19:18 PM