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Randall E. King's avatar

This is not a new problem but now more pressing than ever when so many are questioning the basic assumptions of newsworthiness. I suspect no one inside that FOX newsroom ever wondered if the plane crash would lead. If it's "breaking" and a crash (with fatality) AND we have pictures it's a no-brainer (to them). Thats meat and potatoes to tv news - no matter how it affects the people watching. And to the World Cup party, it's top of the news simply because that's what the one late reporter was working on and so it's "new". These are all routines and assumptions that pass along without question except - finally - the viewers are questioning them and their answer is to click away, pick up the phone (if they ever put it down) or turn it off.

Kirk Varner's avatar

For the record, they did not have any pictures from the plane crash and it had happened over three hours earlier down in Rochester. That said, your points are correct.

Mary Lu Saylor's avatar

Insightful as always! And iPhones are relevant to the majority of the audience!