No, not the people running the show, but my colleagues in the media covering it.
I’ve reported on
14 conventions and this was not good…starting with the mainstream
decision not to do major coverage in prime time.
NBC trumpeted
“unsurpassed coverage”---all squeezed into one hour at 10pm, as did
CBS/ABC. So on the first day, with the floor fight over rules change,
there was no over the air coverage then. (It was, I am told on
“streaming”===NOT the same.) Nor did they summarize this fight in the
UN-coverage at 10.
CBS’s sage, Bob Schieffer (24th convention) was promoted once, and NEVER got on. He was brought on too late 2 other times and his good remarks were cut short.
But the really bad
coverage belonged to PBS (trying to co-operate with NPR and not
succeeding.) My basic watching was C-SPAN, because they focus on the
podium and speakers and PBS, because I like Shields and Brooks.
Judy and Gwen were
totally lost first night It has been four years since their last
convention, but…these are supposed to be pros. This type of coverage is
not their long suit.
Sitting next to
each other they complained they couldn’t hear each other because the
noise from the floor. This is NOT new. And might have been helped by the
right audio mix, but it wasn’t...even a day or so later. And it took til
the final night to get the right headsets on guests---but not on Gwen
and Judy. Was that because of hair and make-up issues?
And one of the NPR experts mis-identified a major senator.
As to the 3 major
cable networks, I have come up with a rule. The amount of wisdom and
important information offered is in inverse proportion to the number of
panelists. CNN loves 6-8 panelists. Good info gets lost.
Good to see Brian Williams back on MSNBC, which had similar panelists problems.
Well, the practice and rehearsal is over. Let’s hope coverage of the Dems' convention goes better.
After all, as Editor Jason Robards once opined on the Watergate coverage..”Only the future of the Republic is at stake!”
I'm just sayin'...
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