Does anybody approve this content???
How's this for a story from KOMO about a human trafficker shown on a lower third chyron for young people to see? Hey Mom, what's a pimp? How about trafficker? Sinclair stuff, folks.
"I am no longer at Komo 4." Thanks. Longtime Weather Anchor Rebecca Stevenson confirms that she left the station just before Christmas. Her last Facebook posts are 12/17. She has the Seattle station Quintafecta, having worked at the old NWCN, KING, KIRO, KCPQ and KOMO. Looks like her decision. Wants a new chapter. She was doing mainly weekend evenings for KOMO. Perhaps Stella Sun will move there. She has been sharing weekend mornings with Theron Zahn.
Love ya, Wayne. But he was a pimp. Are you saying newscasters should not speak like humans? This is what he was. We have to speak like normal people.
ReplyDeleteWorried about children? How many murder and rape stories were there before this? How many people died in the middle east? Are you saying the word "pimp" is more offensive than any of that? Again, not trying to be a jerk and love what you do. But I just don't see eye to eye with you on this one, man.
The chryon should have been SEX TRAFFICKER SENTENCED. Or A 35-YEAR SENTENCE.
ReplyDeleteMost sexual terminology is still looked upon as offensive by many. HAPPY ENDING LADY SENTENCED, how about that??? It is a matter or decorum and using words that express the story with viewers in mind and some judgment. What's happening in the MIddle East is a not a legit argument here, apples and oranges. I am a purist who wrote stylebooks for my newsrooms on how to write such stories and handle crime stories. Would never have allowed it. Nobody at KOMO even flagged it for discussion. It's cheap and lazy. We will agree to disagree but appreciate that you offered a counterpoint.
From the picture above, it appears that the chyron in question was part of the 6pm news. Considering that there are more likely to be younger viewers watching at that hour, I would have been leary about using that particular word. That being said, if it was the 11pm news, when younger viewers should mostly be in bed, then I would be more okay with it. I appreciate KOMO wanting to use accurate terminology, but some words just aren't appropriate for all viewers.
ReplyDeleteYes it was from the 6. Using it at 11 is a better slot, I suppose, but I still object to it. Here's an interesting story from NWCN. I had an EP who would say "Let's PIMP the crime story," instead of "let's teaase the crime story." A young female producer picked up the term from him, which led to me banning the term from my newsroom. And I wasn't even a grumpy old man then!!!
ReplyDeleteYou had good reason to object to it, considering what happened at NWCN. Knowing that, I would be even more skeptical about using that word.
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