| Viewing Single Post From: Blog and Media Roundup - Friday, July 3, 2009 | |
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| abb | Jul 3 2009, 03:49 AM |
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http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/durham/4-1177900.cfm NAACP complains about news coverage BY JOHN MCCANN : The Herald-Sun jmccann@heraldsun.com Jul 3, 2009 Bookmark and Share DURHAM -- Local TV news directors acknowledged the significance of monitoring the state NAACP's push for the passage of the Racial Justice Act but didn't apologize for their stations last week not having cameras present at the civil rights organization's downtown news conference about the matter. The Racial Just Act is a bill in the state legislature that would allow those facing the death penalty to challenge their convictions on the basis of race. The idea is to address the disproportionate number of black men on death row. But at the news conference in front of the Durham County Judicial Building, state NAACP President William Barber had another skewed figure in mind -- the disproportionate number of TV cameras on hand to document the progress of the Racial Justice Act compared to all those lenses three years ago at those same courthouse steps trained on defendants and their lawyers when the Duke lacrosse situation was commanding so much attention. At the news conference, Barber pointed out that seemingly everybody that day was focused on S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford's rendezvous with the woman in Argentina. But the Racial Justice Act should have trumped that in terms of importance, Barber said. So the media's response -- or lack thereof -- made a statement about the concern for wrongfully convicted black people in this city, in this county, in this country, he contended. Asked this week about Barber's assessment regarding the press conference, local TV news directors respectfully disagreed. "I don't think this is a conversation about importance," NBC 17 News Director Nannette Hobson said. The news conference was reported on NBC 17 and details of it appeared on the TV station's Web site, she said. "We wish we could send a camera everywhere." Journalists never have been able to get to every event harkened by news releases. Members of the media these days would argue they're even more strapped to respond. Barber doesn't buy that. Neither does lawyer Al McSurely and others who were at the NAACP's news conference. Journalists cover what they deem important, and the Racial Justice Act obviously didn't rise to that level for them, NAACP supporters suggested. WRAL-TV News Director Rick Gall said other stories pulled at his crews that day, but the Racial Justice Act is something his journalists have covered and will continue to cover. ABC 11 News Director Rob Elmore said his journalists, too, have reported on the Racial Justice Act using both video and sound bites -- not just quick reads by news anchors. This particular piece of legislation is significant, and ABC 11 journalists will stay on top of its progress in the General Assembly, Elmore said. News 14 Carolina News Director Rick Willis said his team started covering the Racial Justice Act in August 2008. There's been more coverage this year, and Barber has been among those interviewed, Willis said. Barber even was invited to appear on a News 14 Carolina political show, Willis said. There was no shortage of news when the local NAACP held its news conference, so News 14 Carolina journalists just had to pick their spots, Willis said. "You have to make your decisions," Willis said. As for the Duke lacrosse scandal being the media darling the Racial Justice Act isn't, Hobson said, "You can't weigh one news day against another." |
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| Blog and Media Roundup - Friday, July 3, 2009 · DUKE LACROSSE - Liestoppers | |
3:05 PM Nov 29
