The Informed Reporter
Chances are if you watched cable news this past weekend or in the weekdays following the loss of Columbia, you saw Miles O'Brien - one of the most well-informed, educated news anchors in the field of NASA and aeronautics handling the channel's coverage of the tragedy.
Watching O'Brien, I kept expecting him to eventually leave and make room for a more recognizable anchor from the stable of CNN's cache of talent, but he never did. Every time I turned on CNN, O'Brien was there - day and night - in what must have been an exhausting experience to say the least.
The confidence instilled in O'Brien's capabilities, despite his (at times) less polished delivery, was a coup for news watchers (like myself) who clamor for more substance, more experience, more knowledge out of the people who deliver and edit news.
O'Brien's presence reminded me, in an off-beat way, of the news circles surrounding the recent Microsoft SQL security worm. While most publications and mass media outlets merely wrote about the worm's existence, others (like Slashdot, Dave at Scripting News) jumped on the story immediately, and within no time had not only re-distributed the news, but offered solutions to fix the problem.
In the case of O'Brien, he was able to illustrate - unscripted - how the Shuttle was constructed, what could have caused the breakup, and if there was any way possible for the crew to eject - without having to solely rely on outside guests. O'Brien knew his stuff, and the audience was the beneficiary.
My point is simply this - having informed, educated, well-researched individuals in editorial control of a late-breaking event is crucial to not only fully understanding the personal repercussions of the story, but to get to the bottom of the issue - quickly, with content you can truly use.
From O'Brien to weblogs, that's one point for the specialized techies, one less for the one-size-fits-all Jennings, Rathers, and Brokaws of the biz.
Comments
Well, having O'Brien anchor that story wasn't exactly by design. Their lead anchor, Aaron Brown, was "caught in a golf tournament". Read the news stories about the news coverage: Google News search
Posted by: josh berezin at February 5, 2003 5:48 PM
Be it by design or happy accident, I absolutely noted O'Brien's deep subject matter expertise and the integrity with which he presented it -- no shock-value used or needed. Just damn fine reporting.
I'd love to see more of that.
Posted by: Shawn at February 5, 2003 5:52 PM
> one-size-fits-all...
Don't forget Brian Williams, who covered the entire day for NBC.
Posted by: Fargoboy at February 5, 2003 6:45 PM
Wasn't the engineer on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" also named Miles O'Brien?
Or am I imagining things?
Posted by: Grubi at February 5, 2003 7:17 PM
I agree, Todd. Those in the positions of disseminating information should be among the brightest and most well informed, both in their specific subject area, as well as in general.
To root a system of information distribution such as CNN, MSNBC et al. in sharp looking talking heads makes it inherently weak. Informing the public of news events requires more than just mere coffee klatch speculation, but also careful examination and some expertise.
And that is why most major news outlets are completely repulsive. Sometimes I feel as if I’m listening to a group of ill-informed gossipers report the news.
Posted by: Ryan at February 5, 2003 7:58 PM
O'Brian was transporter chief on ST:TNG - He jumped of to ST:DS9 and becam chief engineer there.
Posted by: Robert at February 5, 2003 9:42 PM
We should definitely tip our hats respectfully to the late John Holloman, O'Brien's predecessor at CNN. He coveered NASA for several years prior to his passing and did so with the same breadth and depth of knowledge.
Posted by: Boz at February 6, 2003 8:55 AM
For every talking head and TelePrompTer reading pretty boy there are a dozen or more people who never get credit for their work. And O’Brien filled Holloman's shoes well.
The beat reporter is sometimes the forgotten member of a news team. Sure, there are glamour beat assignments: politics, and the courts in large markets. Largely though beat writers go unnoticed. These are the reporters who cultivate sources, spend time after hours with insiders and immerse themselves into the job.
Don't forget the production assistants who do fact checking, screening information from the public, and seek out the amateur video tapes everyone watches. Not only on the national level, but in local news gathering.
The technicians and camera men are all but forgotten as well. They keep the ship on course in the "needed it five minutes ago" world of TV journalism. If it weren't for them it'd be awful radio.
Posted by: Jon at February 6, 2003 3:21 PM
