Pet peeve- TV reporters standing by road or highways

**daddeeo** · May-21-14, 08:37 AM

Doesn't it seem odd how many TV reporters stand by the side of a road while reporting a story?

Cars go by blowing their horns and people make faces behind them [[or worse).
You have to wonder which reporter will be the first to get run over on live TV.
I'd love to see a cop give them a ticket for causing a pubic hazard.

Driving is distracting enough without gal by the side of the road with TV lights and a camera man right there with vehicles speeding by.

**jackie5275** · May-21-14, 08:41 AM

Maybe they want to give it the real "man on the street" perspective.

Although, during the winter I did see a video where a news reporter got hit with a bunch of snow from a 3 truck convey of snow plows clearing the highway he was standing by.

**gnome** · May-21-14, 09:48 AM

If you didn't have roadside reportage, Al Allen never would have had a career.

**preserve** · May-21-14, 10:51 AM

I just don't get it either. Unless they are on the street to actually interview someone or show us the scene of the crime, there's no reason to be out there. Especially when they're in front of a hospital where an injured person has been taken, or in front of a police station, or the CYA Bldg. and there's no one around for them to cite. Standing out in the rain or snow is beyond ridiculous.
But then 2 hours of news that isn't news is pretty far out too. I'd prefer 15 minutes of solid reporting, including weather and box scores and then I could just turn it off while they covered who won their station's latest contest etc.

**Bigb23** · May-21-14, 11:07 AM

Also salt trucks,airports during holidays,Walmart parking lots,freeway overpasses,and weather patios.
The same script for fifty years for all the stations,but with far less real news.

**Scottathew** · May-21-14, 11:23 AM

If you're working on the right-of-way, you have to wear a high-visibility vest.

**bailey** · May-21-14, 11:37 AM

Its always stupid, but I think it's especially funny when Channel 4 has one of it's reporters standing outside of the Federal Courthouse or someplace downtown ... at like 6 am or well after hours [[or any time really) . I mean Rod Meloni had to go stand outside 4 blocks away to read his story, can't they do that in the newsroom?

**DetroitPlanner** · May-21-14, 11:43 AM

I have a hard time seeing how this is a 'Detroit' thread. All Cities have a poor guy like Al Allen who does this stuff. Nothing uniquely Detroit about this.

**FlyingJ** · May-21-14, 07:24 PM

yeah, it's distracting:
http://www.hlntv.com/video/2012/02/2...rter-car-crash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOsxgw2poEE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuZy5e7q1_s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kURY0OD0FXs
into the studio! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZqng1s2v9E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDz0NMU2mPM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCWCkuS9RgM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LBPrwzMRVk

**Zacha341** · May-21-14, 07:55 PM

Bloopers... to the anchors and reporters credit, it's actually very hard even with a teleprompter to stay in frame and fit it all in the alloted time [[seconds). Put things outdoor and it's really a mess.

And ad libbing can really be a DISASTER...

Enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wozTHxykDwQ

GUSHI · May-21-14, 08:29 PM

just as bad as the people, slow down traffic to look at accidents.

**canuck** · May-21-14, 10:24 PM

I agree with you, daddeeo, pubic hazards are a nuisance and need to be ticketed.

**sumas** · May-22-14, 04:42 AM

Seriously have to agree! Having someone stand in front of a court house, city hall etc. hours before anything is happening seems quite trite. Putting reporters on the road in bad weather is even worse form.

Other gripes, "stayed tuned" for such and such a story.I hate those teasers! Please just report the news, not build it into something it is not.

**sumas** · May-22-14, 04:52 AM

One last gripe, hiring reporters from out of state. They are clueless as to anything Detroit. Can't pronounce street names and clueless as to area neighborhoods and locations. We have plenty of local talent and if it is a beauty contest plenty of talented attractive folk right here.

Sorry to say but TV reporting is quite as lame as our local papers are now.

**Smirnoff** · May-23-14, 06:27 AM

Standing around the coffee machine/water cooler all day & shooting the BS.....they need to show traffic [[movement) to justify the paycheck! Ask Eddie.....

**wolverine** · May-23-14, 07:02 AM

Are the reporters actually standing in the road? If they are that's illegal. That would be obstructing traffic. If they are on the sidewalk they have every right to be there. If drivers are rubber necking causing them to depart lanes, slam on the brakes or sound horns unnecessarily then it would be the drivers receiving the ticket.

Otherwise it's media's freedom to stand on sidewalk....even if it seems trite....just as it's your freedom to take photos or hold up a sign on a street corner.