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STACY
HARRIS' MEDIA
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- All of the News
& Views That Shoptalk, Jim Romenesko, FAIR and the
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Note: This column is updated on an irregular basis, depending upon reader support through advertiser links. It is NOT intended to be all inclusive.
When WYNTON MARSALIS recalled in a "package report" airing on the January 16, 2012 edition of CBS This Morning that. as a second-grader in April, 1968, he learned that MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. had been assassinated when he was "sent home from school early that day" none of the program hosts (CHARLIE ROSE, GAYLE KING and ERICA HILL) pointed out that the program's segment producer(s) failed to catch the fact that Marsalis' recollection is erroneous: King was shot a 6:01 p.m. Central time and was pronounced dead a little over an hour later (7:05 p.m.).
When CHARLIE COLLINS' January 12, 2012 death was noted two days later in the The TENNESSEAN's January 14, 2012 print edition, courtesy of an above-the-fold obituary with PETER COOPER's byline, the final paragraph noted that "Funeral and survivor details are not yet available."
But right below the fold was a photo of the Grand Ole Opry star and death notice that listed Collins' survivors, funeral and burial details!
The copy desk caper occurred following DEMETRIA KALODIMOS' voice-over announcement of Collins' death on the January 13, 2012 edition of WSMV's 10 p.m. newscast.
Kalodimos' announcement came as video ran, not of Collins, but of PETE KIRBY (a/k/a BASHFUL BROTHER OSWALD) who died nearly a decade before! Demetria made matters worse when she noted that both musicians not only played in ROY ACUFF's band but teamed to form the comedy duo Oz and Charlie, pronouncing Oz incorrectly as "ooze."
During the January 6, 2012 edition of the CBS Evening News ANTHONY MASON reported on the dire prospects of those who, having been laid off, have found new jobs. "In manufacturing, for example, if you've lost your job and been rehired, typically you're taking a 19% pay cut, which, on average, means over the next 25 years you'll lose about $112,000 in income."
How does this square with ANNE THOMPSON's report on the January 6, 2012 edition of NBC NIGHTLY NEWS that Boston College's Center for Retirement Research calculates that if a worker postpones retirement and applies for Social Security at age 70, the retiree's Social Security benefit will be 75% higher "than it is at 62"?
If the Center's figures are correct then JEAN CHATZKY's report on the same evening's program, suggesting that the Social Security "payout goes up 8% for every year that you delay taking it" is incorrect.
When BRIAN WILLIAMS reported on the January 4, 2012 edition of NBC NIGHTLY NEWS that the reopened investigation of NATALIE WOOD's November, 1981 death failed to produce any new leads, Williams quoted a Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's spokesperson who "blamed a book for the publicity blitz."
Williams failed to explain that the publicity blitz that pressured the department to reopen the cold case occurred some 20 years after Woods case; one year after the November 2010 publication of the book in question.
STORME WARREN had Headline Country: Year in Review viewers scratching their heads when he suggested, during the December 28, 2011 telecast, regarding plans for TIM McGRAW-KENNY CHESNEY musical collaboration, that fans "Look for a potential duet."
STEVE HARTMAN mispronounced "forte" during the December 26, 2011 edition of CBS' The Early Show.
****
SCOTT ARNOLD mispronounced "Bonaparte" during the December 17, 2011 edition of WTVF-TV's 6 p.m. newscast.
HOLLY THOMPSON told viewers of WSMV-TV's Channel 4 News at Noon's December 16, 2011 edition about the arrest of a woman who was charged with embezzlement. Thompson identified the woman, mentioned other details, such of the amount of the bond, but failed to mention the name of the victimized jewelry store or its owner!
The Tennessean's CINDY WATTS correctly identified CHARLIE MONK as the "self-proclaimed Mayor of Music Row," in the newspaper's December 12, 2011 edition. However, in so doing Watts failed to mention that Monk curiously continues to ignore the fact that, historically, the honorary title belongs to CHARLIE LAMB.
STEPHANIE SY told viewers of the December 2, 2011
edition of ABC's Nightline
that in the sports
world "There aren't many famous men who advertise their virginity, save
for TIM TEBO who's been called the only virgin in the
NFL."
In reality, Sy might have cited Tebo as this generation of professional athletes' A.C. GREENE, presuming she's even heard of the retired NBA basketball star.
BOB MUELLER referred to BILLY McKNIGHT as BILLY KNIGHT during the December 1, 2011 edition of WKRN-TV's 10 p.m. newscast.
BILL O'REILLY misspoke, referring to "ROGER WILLIAMS" (rather than ROGER MILLER) as the "Dang Me guy" during the December 1, 2011 edition of The O'Reilly Factor.
60 Minutes anchor LESLEY STAHL appeared grammar-challenged when, moderating a discussion at New York City's Symphony Space (taped on October 18, 2011) that aired on C-SPAN's Book TV November 26, 2011, Stahl announced "I happened to have wrote down ..."
Reliable Sources anchor HOWARD KURTZ mispronounced SHARON BIALEK's surname during the November 13, 2011 edition of the program.
The Tennessean's ERIN QUINN (or her copy editor) misspelled RICK BOLSOM's surname in an article published in the newspaper's October 30, 2011 edition, while the newspaper's managing editor, MEG DOWNEY has yet to reply to email requests for written clarification, that would assure that Downey is not misquoted, re: statements made during an October 20, 2011 phone conversation during which Downey was asked why the The Tennessean refuses to allow the subject of a defamatory, and otherwise factually inaccurate wire story, published in the newspaper the opportunity to respond, and to accurately state Downey's position on why an unaddressed violation of the U.S. and Tennessee constitutions, that now threatens to clog appellate courts in both Tennessee and the rest of the country, does not warrant The Tennessean's coverage.
Neither Moderator DAVID GREGORY nor Meet the Press' guest panelists corrected Gregory's mentor, TOM BROKAW during the October 30, 2011 edition of Meet the Press when Brokaw, likely launching his (late) former fellow NBC News anchor EDWIN NEWMAN in some serious grave-spinning after Brokaw, having earlier in the program referred to PAT ROBERTSON as "Pat Roberts," apparently guessed that "faux passers" is the plural of a common French phrase, faux pas. Faux pas refers to one or more instances of the same slip, blunder, or false step as applicable.
JONATHAN MARTIN mispronounced JONATHAN MEADOR's surname during the October 29, 2011edition of WSMV-TV's 9 a.m. newscast.
The same evening, Martin and ALAN FRIO repeated the error while Frio additionally erred by referring to "Harding Pike" as being in "South Nashville" during the 6 p.m. edition of the station's newscast. Later in the evening Frio once again mispronounced Meador's name during Channel 4's 10 p.m. newscast as did SCOTT ARNOLD and BRENT FRAZIER during the October 29, 2011 edition of WTVF-TV's 10 p.m. newscast, ERIN HOLT during WKRN-TV's respective late night newscast of the same evening and, once again, Martin on WSMV-TV's 6 a.m. October 30, 2011 newscast.
Not to be outdone, CARA KUMARI also mispronounced Jonathan's surname during the 6 p.m. edition of WSMV-TV's 6 p.m. October 31, 2011 newscast.
During a segment of the October 28, 2011 edition of ABC's The View, ELISABETH HASSELBECK mispronounced the late movie star DEBORAH KERR's surname. Not only was there no correction, segment guest HAL RUBENSTEIN repeated Hasselbeck's error.
JENNIFER JOHNSON couldn't bring herself to utter the word "vibrator" as she referenced a news item about a Transportation Security Administration employee leaving an inappropriate note for the traveler, in whose bag the inspector found the sex toy, on the October 25, 2011 edition of WSMV-TV's 5 p.m. newscast. Johnson spoke of an "adult personal item" teasing (no pun intended) co anchor TOM RANDLES by adding "I wonder what it was." Randles replied "It wasn't something for a five year-old. We know that."
Grammar-challenged AMANDA HARA referred to "less people" on the October 20, 2011 edition of WTVF's 5 p.m. newscast.
CARLEY GORDON mispronounced THOM SCHYLER's surname as "Schuler" (the correct pronunciation is "Skyler") during the October 16, 2011 edition of WSMV's 6 a.m. newscast. The same evening, ALAN FRIO repeated the error on the 10 p.m. edition of the station's newscast.
BARBARA WALTERS erred during the October 11, 2011 edition of ABC's The View when she referred to her first cousin ARLENE's daughter as Walters' second cousin. NANCY SHEVELL is Barbara's first cousin once-removed.
In preparation for her report airing on the October 11, 2011 edition of NBC's Today, JENNA WOLFE interviewed SARAH BROKAW. Wolfe identified Brokaw as a "therapist and author," but failed to disclose that Sarah is also TOM BROKAW's daughter. The latter is relevant because the "retired" NBC news anchor continues to serve as a "special correspondent" for the peacock network.
NBC News' TRACIE POTTS' October 10, 2011 report on the 2012 election's Republican presidential candidates focused on the candidates' reaction to what Potts termed "MITT ROMNEY's Mormon religion." Curiously, when Potts put the question to JON HUNTSMAN neither alluded to the fact that Huntsman is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, let alone what impact that fact, or the fact of two members of the Church are seeking the GOP's presidential nomination, has or will have on the race.
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ABC News Correspondent JONATHAN KARL erred when he reported during the October 5, 2011 edition of Good Morning America that 867-5309 was "the only hit song ever written about a phone number. Two decades before the TOMMY TUTONE chart-buster, THE MARVELETTES hit with Beechwood 4-5789 (in 1962), while WILSON PICKETT covered The Marvelettes' smash with 634-5789 in 1966. (There have been several other, though less popular, phone number song recordings.)
****
LARRY FLOWERS, reporting a story for WSMV's September 30, 2011 6:30 p.m. newscast referred to "order of protections." I is believed that Flowers meant "orders of protection."
CHRIS BUNDGAARD told viewers of WKRN-TV's September 29, 2011 6 p.m. newscast that JOHN SEBASTIAN "sang classics like 'Welcome Back, Kotter.' The television show's theme song's actual title was Welcome Back.
KACY HAGERTY mispronounced Nashville's Deaderick Street during the September 22, 2011 edition of WSMV-TV's More at Midday.
JONATHAN MARTIN mispronounced KARA KENNEDY (ALLEN)'s first name during the September 18, 2011 edition of WSMV-TV's 6 a.m. newscast. CHARLES OSGOOD made the same mistake during the September 18, 2011 edition of CBS' Sunday Morning.
ANNE HOLT alerted viewers during the September 12, 2011 edition of Channel 2 News at 4:30 p.m. to a DIANE SAWYER interview "expected to air Monday, November 14th at 10 p.m."
Holt must have been reading from a network news release. Nashville is in the Central Time Zone where the program will air at 9 p.m.
Strange things are afoot at The Tennessean. Amid parent company Gannett-generated system-wide local-level layoffs, the newspaper announced that readers could "win a spot as a newspaper columnist." Reading the fine print, the opportunity was a commitment to run the "winner"'s weekly column for eight weeks.
Applicants were to submit two original, and not previously published, 500-word columns and a "one paragraph biography that also tells why you want to write the column."
Following the July 22, 2011 deadline for submissions, an anonymous panel was to narrow the contestants to 10 finalists, with the finalists' submissions being published in the newspaper's print and online editions beginning August 9, 2011. "We will ask readers to vote online or by regular mail for their favorites."
Professional columnists were not excluded from writing the "audition" columns and, after receiving reassurance that the venture was not solely a popularity contest (e.g., Editorial Page Editor DWIGHT LEWIS and Editorial Writer TED RAYBURN were ultimately in charge of the selection process), I entered the competition only to learn on August 9, 2011 that no entrant's column had been published that day.
When I inquired about this lapse, sans any published explanation, I was relieved that, unlike a similarly-announced venture that invited reader's editorial participation, this one had not been quietly abandoned. Rather, publication of the first finalist's entry would begin with The Tennessean's August 16, 2011 edition.
Still, there was no public explanation of either the delay nor the fact that it was not to be the work of 10 finalists that would be published, as apparently only eight finalists were ultimately selected. As photographs of the finalists began to run, and no photograph had been requested of me, I realized I was not a finalist.
As the identities of all eight finalists became known, I thought it strange that six of the eight were men! So much for gender parity, assuming, with women being the majority, in 2011 this should even be necessary.
The voting process ended in August with one of the males emerging as the popular vote winner, with no information provided as to the purity of the polling process.
With a publication date of September 6, 2011 for the "winner"'s first column, attention had been diverted with the news breaking everywhere during the previous month, EXCEPT in The Tennessean's print edition, that Executive Editor MARK SILVERMAN was leaving the newspaper.
When BRIAN WILLIAMS sought to inform viewers of the August 31, 2011 edition of NBC NIGHTLY NEWS that the network would carry the September 7, 2011 Republican 2012 Presidential Candidates' Debate, Williams did so with an uncharacteristic (and uncorrected) slip of the tongue: "We- NBC News- is televising....."
****
WTVF-TV anchor RHORI JOHNSTON offered one for an outtakes reel during Channel 5's August 24, 2011 6 p.m. newscast. Transitioning from a live report, regarding a fatal attempt of a pedestrian trying to cross the street at an intersection of seven-lane Fort Campbell Boulevard Boulevard, during which the reporter demonstrated the danger during a 14-second run. Perhaps suggesting to viewers that the dangerous demonstration, on the heels of a fatality, was a grandstanding stunt, continued rather insensitively, "On a more serious note..."
CMT Insider bills itself as a "weekly magazine show that explores... news" but it is not above blatant conflicts-of-interest and outright deception as evidenced on the August 20, 2011 edition of the program.
A "news" feature on the PISTOL ANNIES was followed by a commercial for the trio's debut CD, Hell on Heels. This was followed by a tease: "Next, country music legend GLEN CAMPBELL's first interview about his struggle with Alzheimer's."
If viewers
thought this mean that Campbell gave the program his first
post-diagnosis (which would not be Alzheimer's Disease anyway, because
unlike dementia, Alzheimer's can only diagnosed via an autopsy), they
thought wrong. That scoop goes to Rolling Stone. as CMT Insider somewhat acknowledged
when, returning from the commercial break, it was announced that
"Rolling Stone give CMT Insider
an exclusive first look at its September 1st issue, featuring an
article on ailing country legend Glen Campbell.
But the magazine's subscribers had already received September 1st issue before CMT's "exclusive first look" that proved to be neither and the content of the article was further rather softened and misrepresented by a reference in the article to Campbell's remembering "being insulted by FRANK SINATRA."
In reality, the reference (on Page 46 of the magazine's September 1, 2011 issue) is to Campbell's being "starstruck" when he played on Ol' Blue Eyes' Strangers in the Night session. Campbell recalls staring "at Sinatra so long [Sinatra] pulled the producer aside to complain... ''Who's the fag down there looking at me?'"
PATRICK DOYLE, the article's author, does not describe the singer as "being insulted." Rather, Doyle says "Campbell cackles" at that memory.
There are several things to be taken into account when addressing CHRISTINE O'DONNELL's walking out during an appearance on the August 17, 2011 edition of CNN's PIERS MORGAN Tonight. The first is that the program generally airs live-to-tape.
In the above-referenced instance, the opening of the telecast previewed what was to follow as Morgan announced that the walkout had occurred and invited viewers to watch how it unfolded.
Recounting what he regarded as O'Donnell's rebuff on the August 18, 2011 edition of the program, Morgan said "What I found extraordinary was her statement today. She gave a few reasons for why she'd done this and the main one seemed to be that I was obsessed with talking about sex. Well, you could see from the clip we just played, I wasn't talking about sex."
Of course, Morgan neglected on that
next-evening telecast to show the exchange with Christine O'Donnell of
the previous evening, occurring prior to the clip Morgan referenced,
during which the CNN program host very clearly tried to engage
O'Donnell in a discussion of homosexuality and masturbation.
.
The August 17, 2011 edition of WSMV-TV's 4:30 p.m. newscast featured reporter JOSH DEVINE 's report on SeeClickFix. Both Devine and the newscast's anchor, ALAN FRIO implied, by directing viewers to the Channel 4 Website, that somehow the station was the source of, and could somehow take credit for, this source of consumer convenience when, in reality, the station was engaging in self-promotion by simply providing a link to the site where viewers could post requests to fix potholes and the like.
As host of
the August 13, 2001 ABC
News special JACQUELINE KENNEDY: Her Words, Her Voice, DIANE SAWYER said that it was "stunning to learn"
of Kennedy's oral history. How could this be? The
existence of these recordings, along with the instructions for the
timing of their posthumous release, has been known since Jackie agreed
to participate in 1964.
Grammar-challenged HOLLY THOMPSON referred to "less and less people"
on the July 21, 2011 edition of Channel 4 News at Noon. Repeating
the error, Thompson incorrectly substituted "less" for "fewer" while
anchoring the August 8, 2011 edition WSMV-TV's Channel 4 News Today.
NBC's Today meteorologist AL ROKER erroneously referred to the "Grand Old Opry" on the July 18, 2011 edition of the program.
****
NBC's Today
Anchor NATALIE MORALES mispronounced the
name of NATALIE PORTMAN's daughter, ALEPH
on the July 7, 2011 edition
of the program. Fill-in host DAVID
GREGORY, who is Jewish, didn't correct Morales.
****
Grammatically-challenged JACKIE MERETSKY referred to "mother-in-laws" on the July 3, 2011 edition of Good Morning America.
****
WSMV-TV refused to interrupt its June 29, 2011 Wimbledon telecast to air NBC's network news coverage of a presidential news conference, though a streamer advised viewers the morning's event, carried by Nashville's ABC and NBC news affiliates, could be seen on MSNBC.
JOSH DEVINE paused during his reporting of a story on the June 29, 2011 edition of WSMV-TV's 6 a.m. newscast, finally confessing to viewers that "There's no other way to say it" as he spoke of a condominium's plan to deal with animal waste pickup. Calling the action that sparked the plan a moment when a pet "went #2," Devine needn't have sweated the small stuff (no pun intended) had he realized there was another way to describe the dog's activity: "defecating."
WZTV Entertainment Reporter STACY McCLOUD stunned KITTY WELLS fans by referring to DOLLY PARTON as "the Queen of Country Music" on the June 28, 2011 edition of Fox 17 News. McCloud repeated the characterization in the second part of her two-part interview with Parton when it aired the following evening.
It was a grammatically-challenged RHIANNON ALLY who referred to an author on the June 24, 2011 edition of Better by indicating "She has wrote..."
****
When WNPT-TV repeated the first of its three-part 2009 series titled Nashville: The 20th Century in Photography on June 17, 2011, it did not edit Writer JUSTIN HARVEY's script. Thus, viewers once again heard Narrator BILL TURNER's redundant reference to Nashville's erstwhile Vine Street Temple as a "Jewish synagogue." (The same PBS affiliate chooses to tape delay THE CHARLIE ROSE SHOW, causing time-sensitive topics to appear as dated as "yesterday's news." New segments of the program initially air on PBS stations beginning at 11 p.m. Eastern Time. PBS' contract with Rose did include any requirement that that program conflict with other Nashville's 10 p.m [Central Time] newscasts, and as a result a Monday evening program will not air in Music City until the next day, once at mid-morning and then again at 6 p.m.)
Viewers of the June 12, 2011 edition of Today heard RICHARD LUI refer to BARRY GIBB's son Gibb named after MICHAEL JACKSON as "MICHAEL GIBBS."
****
Reliable
Sources anchor HOWARD KURTZ was still grasping at
comfortable terms to use when describing the nature of the most
explicit photo of embattled Congressman ANTHONY WEINER to viewers of
Kurtz' June 12, 2011 "live" telecast. Howie finally opted for
referencing full frontal nudity as a view of the Congressman "below the
waist."
****
****
His Royal Highness, the Prince, has
made such statements over the course of several decades- long before
both DeVine's birth and the coining of the phrase "politically correct!"
DEMETRIA KALODIMOS teased the reporting of "country singe" WILLIE NELSON's striking a "plea deal to keep him out f jail" during WSMV-TV's June 9, 2011 newscast, but failed to mention that the plea bargain was hardly "news" since it had been first reported within minutes of the agreement being reached- two days earlier!
****
Fox 17 Anchor ERIKA SHAFFER mispronounced the word "evangelist" during the June 5, 2011 edition of Fox 17's 9 p.m. newscast.
Kurtz' response?: "OK, as I was saying, Gawker does have a different way of talking about those things. It's not a word that I would use on the air." (Glad you qualified that, Howie!)
Ten minutes elapsed and then Kurtz added, before going to the program's first commercial, "I do want to apologize for that one term that was used. I think that 'penis' is a much more adult term, at least for cable television.
Morningline host NICK
BERES brought everything but his pom-poms when he interviewed
STEVE
MOORE, interrupting the last 15 minutes of the hour-long
"Open
Phones Thursday" (June 2, 2011) weekly edition to justify receiving
media credentials. (Most controversial organizations are
represented on the program by opposing viewpoints, though Morrningline
always gives the CMA a pass.)
"I know that it's bigger and better than ever before," Beres chirped to
Moore in advance of the gathering that sent hundreds of dehydrated fans
for treatment by paramedics (some fans were even
hospitalized) in 90 degree heat where the price
of bottled water began at $2 a pop before
competition- if not human compassion- made the prices more reasonable.
"We
want to be there."
After Moore gave his unpaid advertisement for the event, Beres said "We
have some fans who want to call in and ask questions."
Only then did Nick give out the phone number, as both he and Steve
tried
to ignore with each slowly passing minute, as they ran out of things to
promote about the event, that now calls were coming in.
After cutting to every available commercial, Beres decided his producer
should rack up the Fan Festival film footage from past years so he
could suddenly end the program, announcing "We're going to a away a
little earlier, so you can see..."
****
When CHRIS CONNELLY interviewed FRANK SINATRA's widow BARBARA, on the May 31, 2011 edition of Good Morning America, Connelly offered an explanation to viewers about a photograph from Barbara's new book, enlarged to project on the TV screen, showing Sinatra's widow with a man who was clearly not Frank, Chris noted that prior to Frank, Barbara had been "married to another man."
Perhaps Connelly did not know that the ex-husband photographed with the author was, in fact, ZEPPO MARX!
BILL O'REILLY first incorrectly referred to MIKE DOUGLAS as a "late-night talk show host" during the May 24,, 2010 telecast of The O'Reilly Factor. No correction was made during either during the "live" broadcast nor when the erroneous segment was repeated on the May 30, 2011 edition of the program.
JEFF GLOR dedicated a segment of the May 30, 2011 edition of CBS News' The Early Show to "those we've lost at CBS News" during the last five years." Among those Glor mentioned was KIMBERLY DOZIER, quickly admitting that Dozier, who has since joined the Associated Press, is still alive.
Among those Glor did not mention was DANIEL SCHORR. Schorr's 23-year career at the Tiffany Network, as CBS was then known, began in 1953. Though fired from the network in an act of classic stupidity, Glor should have mentioned Schorr who died in 2010.
The May 29, 2011 edition of CBS'
Sunday Morning
****
During The View's May 27, 2011 telecast, SHERRI SHEPHERD asked JANE SEYMOUR if the actress had indeed made comments Seymour was "allege" to have made to CNN ten days earlier. While Seymour used her May 27th exposure shot to apologize for, and to attempt to backtrack from her earlier remarks (made on-camera in response to a question from a major cable network news operation while walking the red carpet during a "live" telecast), mischaracterizing Seymour's words in order to suggest there was a possibility she had not said them was, ironically, the inaccuracy demanding viewers' attention.
****
JIM MORET's reporting on the May 25, 2011 segment of Inside Edition was misleading, exaggerated and ultimately much ado about nothing.
Moret teased a segment that would divulge "what MARIA SHRIVER's brother is telling only Inside Edition."
As it turned out, ROBERT SARGENT SHRIVER III wasn't telling Moret anything!
As the tabloid TV show's cameras attempted an outdoors ambush interview, the pedestrian simply smiled as the cameras approached and kept on walking and grinning in response to the questions being fired at him.
Moret admitted as much, summarizing the short segment by noting "We caught up with Maria Shriver's brother, BOBBY who stayed mum about the family drama."
During the May 22, 2011 edition of WSMV-TV's 10 p.m. newscast, ALAN FRIO introduced a segment commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides by reminding viewers about the 1961 movement to end segregation and this "group of brave African-American young men broke that cycle."
Of course, back in 1961, none of the participants would have been referred to as "African-American." Further, Freedom Riders were not only male and black, they were were white, female and/or Jewish.
When MARK BARABAK appeared on the May 22, 2011 edition of CNN's Reliable Sources, host HOWARD KURTZ praised the Los Angeles Times reporter for breaking a news story. In response, Barabak indicated that he was not solely responsible but rather a "group of reporters that work at the paper" contributed to the revelation and that he wanted to make sure "they get credit as well."
At that point neither Barabak or Kurtz credited the staffers by name.
****
BARBARA WALTERS apparently had a senior moment during the May 17, 2011 edition of ABC's The View.
Walters, referring to MARIA SHRIVER, indicated "Maria's father has Alzheimer's." (ROBERT SARGENT SHRIVER JR. died January 18, 2011).
****
During the May 16, 2011 edition of CNN's PIERS MORGAN Tonight, Morgan asked newlywed MARIE OSMOND about remarrying her first ex-husband (of three years), STEVE CRAIG.
Morgan cut to the chase, asking Osmond "Why did you split up then? What was wrong then?'
Osmond replied that 29 years ago when they first married the couple was "Too young. The world was watching us under a microscope. Just a lot of things went into play, but you move on. The thing I feel fascinating about now is that he's so sweet. He's still the core of who I fell in love with."
Had Morgan pressed for specifics or his producers provided the research, Piers might have charmed Marie into admitting that she obtained her divorce on grounds of "mental cruelty" (at a time when "irreconcilable differences" would have been legally sufficient) amid rumors of Craig's extramarital behavior of such concern to the LDS church that Steve was placed on disciplinary probation.
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ALAN FRIO mispronounced JANET NAPOLITANO's surname during the May 8, 2011 edition of WSMV-TV's 10 p.m. newscast,
****
Writing in the Editor's Letter column in the May, 2011 issue of NFocus, ELLEN NELSON refers to "meteorologist BILL
HALL." The former WSMV-TV weather forecaster's retirement was arguably hastened by the fact that, in the age of degreed meteorologists, Hall was merely a popular TV personality.
Was Republican political adviser MARK McKINNON in violation of network standards when guest pundit McKinnon uttered the word "bullshit" on the April 17, 2011 live telecast of CNN's Reliable Sources? And was host HOWARD KURTZ not remiss in extending an apology to his audience following McKinnon's remark?
During the April 14, 2011 edition of WTVF-TV Channel 5 's 10 p.m., newscast, HEATHER GRAF remarked "That little boy, we are told, is in stable condition."
Of course, Graf's reporting lacks not only a source but, a true medical condition. For, as reporters apparently repeatedly need to be reminded, "stable" simply means that vital signs have been stabilized and that the patient's condition is no better and no worse. But no better and no worse than what? If the extent of tan initial injury or illness has not been fully disclosed and the prognosis (and the patient's progress in relation to that prognosis) is unknown, then "stable" is a meaningless term indicative of nothing more than pr spin.
There was a similar lack of transparency in Channel 5's failure to report on this newscast, nor any other, a lawsuit SUSANNE FRENSLEY, Tennessee's 2007 "schoolteacher of the year", filed against the station on April 11, 2011 in Davidson County Circuit Court.
****
On Page 5A of The TENNESSEAN's April 3, 2011 edition, the following notice to readers appeared: “In Sunday’s Life & Travel section, which was printed in advance, a story about the best album category in the Academy of Country Music Awards misspelled the name of author and music historian ROBERT K. OERMANN. The Tennessean regrets the error.”
An obvious, apparently deliberate, omission in the mea culpa? Disclosure that Oermann is the newspaper's former longtime entertainment reporter!
****
Referencing Prince WILLIAM's younger brother during a segment of the March 31, 2011 edition of ABC'S Nightline, BOB WOODRUFF indicated that "technically his title is His Royal Highness Prince HARRY of Wales." Actually, Harry is the nickname of Prince HENRY CHARLES ALBERT DAVID.
****
****
WZTV-TV Anchor SCOTT
COUCH told viewers of the March 21, 2011 edition of
the station's 9 p.m. newscast that FERLIN HUSKY's casket was "wheeled
into (church) followed by is 10 children." Husky
was the father of 10 but two of those children predeceased
him.
****
Weekend Anchor CHRISTINE MADDELA mispronounced RALPH MACCHIO's surname during the March 20, 2011 edition of WKRN-TV's 5 p.m. newscast.
****
BARBARA WALTERS indicated that ELIZABETH TAYLOR was "banished" from the Catholic Church during the March 23, 2011 edition of ABC's The View. In reality, Taylor was a practitioner of Christian Science by birth who, after flirting with Catholicism, decided against conversion after she learned it would require bringing up her children in the Church. Ultimately, Taylor converted to Judaism and, like Jesus, died a Jew.
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Anne Holt referred to CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR as “Christine Amanpour”during the 4 p.m. edition of WKRN's March 18, 2011 newscast.
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AARON SOLOMON referenced, though not by name, two small black boxes with black straps attached as he explained a ritual of Jewish worship during the March 14, 2011 edition of WSMV's 6 a.m. newscast. We trust Solomon knows how to pronounce "tefillen."
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Attempting to quote DON HEWITT's four word response as to what makes a good Sixty Minutes feature, CHARLIE ROSE misquoted Hewitt during the March 14, 2011 edition of The Charlie Rose Show. "Go tell a story," was Rose's recollection of Hewitt's famous recommendation: "Tell me a story."****
WZTV-TV 's Weekend Anchor ERIKA KURRE managed to mispronounce both the words "papacy" and "beatification" during the March 12, 2011 edition of the station's 9 p.m. newscast.
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WSMV-TV's JENNIFER JOHNSON told viewers during the station's February 23, 2011 noon newscast that "LINDSAY LOHAN will be back in court today.” (Her case having been heard, Lohan left the courthouse nearly an hour before the Channel 4 news report.)
Following much advance publicity and promotion of PAULA JONES' appearance on the February 23, 2011 edition of ABC's The View, viewers failed to receive any explanation as to why Jones did not appear on the program.
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OPRAH WINFREY referred to "maid of honors" on the February 11, 2011 edition of Oprah.
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“It’s a fiction novel.” So said TOM RANDLES about an author's work on the February 3, 2011 edition of WSMV-TV's noon newscast.
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Let's have nothing further to say about KATIE COURIC's observation on the February 2, 2011 edition of the CBS Evening News that “The roots of the uprising trace back farther than that.”
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During the January 22, 2011 edition of WZTV-TV's 9 p.m. newscast, ERIKA KURRE referred to R. SARGENT SHRIVER, JR. as "the father of six." Shriver fathered five children: Robert III, Maria, Timothy, Mark and Anthony Shriver.
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TOM RANDLES reported during WSMV-TV's January 17, 2011 noon newscast that JOHN EDWARDS mistress had been in hiding "along with ANDREW YOUNG." (Edwards' team never "hid" Young.)
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On the January 17, 2011 edition of ABC's World News, DIANE SAWYER repeated a common mistake by referring to "Ron Regan, Jr." an erroneous identification of she made on the same network newscast three days earlier. BILL O'REILLY made the same error on the January 17, 2011 edition of The O'Reilly Factor. (RONALD PRESCOTT REAGAN, the son of RONALD WILSON REAGAN, is technically not a "junior.")
During the January 14, 2011 edition of Channel 4 News at Noon, WSMV-TV's JENNIFER JOHNSON referred to the "beautification" of Pope JOHN PAUL II. Johnson is apparently unfamiliar with the declaration of beatification.
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Host HOWARD KURTZ remarked on the January 9, 2011 edition of Reliable Sources that CNN, Fox News and NPR got it wrong when they initially reported that Representative GABRIELLE GIFFORDS had been assassinated. Kurtz should have added, to what he implied was a complete list of news organizations that didn't check their facts before jumping to the same erroneous conclusion, abcnews.com. And how was it that ethics-challenged JOE KLEIN was chosen to appear on the same edition of the program to comment on the ethics of news organizations' reporting?
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ALAN FRIO created some interesting imagery for viewers of the January 8, 2011 edition of WSMV-TV's 10 p.m. newscast, referring to a couple, noting "both are confined to a wheelchair."
Reporting on unwed mother-to-be Actress NATALIE PORTMAN's pregnancy (a contradiction of the Orthodox Judaism in which Portman professes to believe) on the December 28, 2010 edition of NBC's Today, NATALIE MORALES commented "It has been a good year for Natalie.... Congratulations to her!" ANN CURRY chimed in "That is so great!"
MARTIN FLETCHER December 25, 2010 NBC NIGHTLY NEWS report on QUEEN ELIZABETH referred to Her Majesty as "The 84-year-old monarch, who, in the next few days will become a great grandmother.” (By which grandchild? Fletcher didn't say, but if he had he would have said PETER PHILLIPS, 11th in line to the throne, who, along with his Canadian-born wife, AUTUMN, are the expectant parents.)
Whoops! HEATHER BYRD reported on page 5 of the December 23, 2010 edition of Nashville Metromix on "LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS celebrating his 90th birthday party at Rippy's Bar & Grill on Saturday." (Trouble was, the December 18th party was postponed- till January 10, 2011!
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Following an interview with JOE BIDEN on the December 19, 2010 edition of NBC's Meet the Press, host DAVID GREGORY wished the vice-president a "Merry Christmas." In response, Biden wished Gregory, who is Jewish, the same.
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During the December 17, 2010 edition of CNN's Parker & Spitzer, ELIOT SPITZER, musing about the KENNEDYs, rhetorically asked viewers "Remember when TEDDY and the rest of the clan so memorably endorsed OBAMA as the inheritor to their legacy?" While it is true that Ted, CAROLINE and PATRICK endorsed the President, KATHLEEN KENNEDY TOWNSEND, KERRY and ROBERT KENNEDY JR. endorsed HILLARY CLINTON.
Previewing the station's late night newscast, TOM RANDLES preferred to tease viewers of WSMV-TV's December 13, 2010 6:30 p.m. newscast (rather than inform them) when he proclaimed "Walgreen's is hacked. Some of your information may be at risk. Details at 10."
During a report on the November 8, 2010 edition of WSMV-TV's 6 p.m. newscast JEREMY FINLEY posed the question "Do You think the government is taking this serious enough?" Seriously!
BARBARA WALTERS referenced BILL O'REILLY walking off ABC's The View during the October 25, 2010 edition of the program, NPR's firing of JUAN WILLIAMS and MEL GIBSON's legal problems, all the while maintaining that she remains neutral on such news items because (even though she's cut her schedule back to only one [entertainment] special a year), she is a member of ABC News' division. Walters further sought to distance herself from participation in the panel-style show discussion by indicating that The View is less her show than that of her co-hosts because her appearances on the program are limited.
Of course, as co-producer of The View, Walters exercises her authority re: what "hot topics" are discussed on the program. And, when she indicates that she wouldn' t have Gibson on the program if her cohosts were against being on the set with him, she should have explained why. Walters has previously done solo interview spots on The View.
In his report during the October 16, 2010 edition of Channel 5 News at 6 p.m., JEFF TANG referred to a shooting victim being in n "stable condition."
As reporters apparently repeatedly need to be reminded, "Stable" simply means that the vital signs have been stabilized and that the patient's condition is no better and no worse. But no better or no worse than what? If the extent of an initial injury or illness has not been fully disclosed and the prognosis (and the patient's progress in relation to that prognosis) is unknown, then '"stable" is a meaningless term indicative of nothing more than pr spin.
Fox 17 News proudly proclaimed, during the station's October 16, 2010
edition of its 9 p.;m. newscast, its "breaking news" on a
Clarksville, Tennessee murder and related Hopkinsville, Kentucky
kidnapping and suicide as being "First on Fox. In reality, WKDZ Radio got the story first;
its report posted earlier that same afternoon (at 4:51 p.m.).
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LONNIE QUINN referred to today's "country-western music" on the October 16, 2010 edition of of CBS' The Early Show, I guess the Country Music Association forgot to send Lonnie "the memo!"
Kudos to Nashville's WTVF-TV Channel 5 for explaining, on the October 15, 2010 edition of its 4 p.m. newscast, the legalese language of a proposed hunting and fishing amendment to the state of Tennessee's Constitution.
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During the October 15, 2010 edition of Channel 4 News at 5 p..m., TOM RANDLES referred to NAOMI and WYNONNA the "Judd Sisters." Co-anchor DEMETRIA KALODIMOS (formerly the station's entertainment reporter did not correct him).
When RICK SPRINGFIELD appeared on the
October 13, 2010 edition of
The
View, Springfield stated that MEL GIBSON was born in New Jersey.
The statement was never corrected. Gibson was born
in Peekskill, New York.
JOY BEHAR has long maintained that
she is ten years younger than is generally reported. Based on
program preview information Comcast
provided to its subscribers prior to the October 7, 2010 telecast of The View, Behar’s
turned 68 on that day. Joy's cohosts presented the
comedienne with a cake during the show. Does the fact that
the cake was decorated with only five candles (a candle for each decade
of life?), does this mean Joy is really 58? birthday (Comcast
info) celebrated on The View October 7, 2010 but cake only had 5
candles and
she’s really 58?
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The October 7, 2010 edition of WSMV-TV's Channel 4 News at 5 p.m. featured DENNIS FERRIER's report on Southern Baptist Seminary President ALBERT MOHLER's insistence that the practice of yoga is anti-Christian and reaction from a spokesperson for Nashville's YMCA exercise program. (The "Y"'s exercise program includes yoga class). "In case you didn't know," Ferrier told the TV news audience, "the "Y' is a Christian-based group.”
With YMCA being an acronym for Young Men's Christian Association, why would a viewer think otherwise?
Reporting a
segment (prepared for an earlier telecast of the CBS Evening News) airing on the
October 3, 2010 edition of CBS'
Sunday Morning
Shamlian began her coverage by referring to the Opry as the "Cathedral of Country Music;" a curious reference given the historically anti-Catholic, largely Protestant-centric "Mother Church of Country Music." Shamlian then sought reaction from BRAD PAISLEY whom she referred to as Nashville's "hometown boy." (Paisley was born and reared in West Virginia.)
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During the September 27, 2010 edition
of The
View, WHOOPI GOLDBERG referred
to Facebook founder MARK ZUCKERBERG as
"Mort Zuckerberg."
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Inside Edition Weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the 1960 presidential campaign during a segment of its September 24th telecast. Co-anchor PAUL BOYD remarked that "Most people believe JFK won the first... debate."
Since Boyd wasn' t even born in 1960, Paul can't be expressing his own (apparently unsourced) opinion. So what does Paul know that historians don't?
In reality, DON HEWITT echoed the view of the majority of those who heard the debate "live" on radio. Hewitt believed that RICHARD NIXON won the debate. (The relatively few who disagreed viewed the debate on television-where style trumped substance- or, like WILLIAM H. LAWRENCE who covered the debate for the Chicago Sun-Times, thought the mental gymnastics ended in a draw.)
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Fox 17 News, while failing to credit the Nashville Scene in its reporting of a pending investigation of ASA ANDREW, announced September 24, 2010 that it will no longer feature Andrew as a guest on its morning show.
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"Stable" simply means that the vital signs have been
stabilized and that the patient's condition is no better
and no worse. But no better or no worse than what?
If the extent of an initial injury or illness has
not been fully disclosed and the prognosis (and the patient's progress
in relation to that prognosis) is unknown, then '"stable" is a
meaningless term indicative of nothing more than pr spin.
Writing in the September 19, 2010 edition of The Tennessean, Peter Cooper, referred to KRIS KRISTOFFERSON's composition and recording of Why Me? as "Why Me, Lord?" The error in the print edition could have been avoided if my correction to the blog edition- four days earlier- had been noted.
And, why, by the way, is an article posted on line five days before it makes the newspaper which claims credit?
While predictability and repetition can be boring, it seems to me that a someone who disagrees with me by regularly resorting to predictability and repetition edifies me with respect to bolstering my convictions with what are apparently her/his biggest weapons in his/her arsenal.
The "In Memoriam" segment of the September 19, 2010 edition of This Week failed to include one of the notable celebrity passing of the week: that of JAMES BACON a day earlier. (If the segment is prerecorded, it should not be!)
Appearing on the September 13, 2010 edition of LARRY KING Live, DONALD TRUMP exaggerated on several fronts when he said "“TRACE ADKINS is the number one country singer. And when he went on The Apprentice nobody had ever heard of him!”
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Reliable Sources host HOWARD KURTZ devoted a significant portion of his September 12, 2010 telecast to a panel discussion of PIERS MORGAN's suitability (or lack thereof) as LARRY KING's heir apparent. Kurtz and cohorts cited Morgan's checkered past, implying that Piers would have big shoes to fill because of King's sainthood.
The truth is that King was arrested on a grand larceny charge in Miami in December, 1971.after getting in over his head with accumulated gambling losses 1971 in Miami, Florida and charged with grand larceny. King, The judge threw out the charge because the statute of limitations had run out. Larry pled no contest to one count of passing a bad check.