So often I find myself shaking my head at the quality of both the local and national news. I’m not going to say much more than that, and rather lay out a random slice of coverage (KTLA, 10pm) from 8/30/2014. Here’s what we got:
10:00 – The Made In America music festival is tonight’s top story. There’s live video of a newscaster standing at the absolute back of the crowd. We learn that “hundreds of police officers, hundreds of sheriff deputies, and even more private security guards” are out to maintain order. They have made 4 arrests. No explanation as to why there’s so many uniformed entities on the ground.
10:03 – A motorcycle crashes into a tour bus in Hollywood, killing the cyclist.
10:03 – We’re informed that USC beat Fresno State. Hmm, I thought that’s why they had a sports section, no? They then detail how USC cornerback Josh Shaw is being investigated for a possible domestic violence incident. They say that he lied when he said that he injured his ankle by jumping off of a balcony to rescue his drowning nephew, and instead that he was fleeing from the scene of the crime. We get live video of the apartment complex and numerous at-the-game interviews with USC fans.
10:06 – There’s a man that was shot dead outside of his home in Whittier. The suspects fled, police are investigating.
10:06 – Joan Rivers remains in a medically induced coma.
10:07 – A woman that the news has dubbed “California’s serial stowaway” has been arrested again in Arizona. Her crime? “Loitering at the airport.” The woman, Marilyn Hartman, claims that she wanted to be arrested in order to show people how easy it was to get through security.
10:08 – Weather!
10:09 – A statewide ban on single-use plastic bags has apparently been approved by California lawmakers.
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10:13 – An update on the protests going on in Ferguson, Missouri in response to a police officer gunning down Michael Brown. We’re told that business owners are saying that the protests have “hurt the city,” while others say that they are “hesitant to rebuild.”
10:14 – The San Jose police department have decided to return an armored personnel carrier to the federal government amid protests from citizens. The MRAP (mine-resistant ambush protected) vehicle was designed to protect troops from roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one acts as if this is in any way abnormal.
10:15 – Tony Stewart speaks about his racing incident after striking and killing Kevin Ward Jr. with his race car on a dirt track in New York. The anchor states that Stewart “showed remorse.” Stewart said that he took the last couple of weeks off out of respect for the Ward family. He will race again this weekend.
10:17 – Michael Sam was 1 of 22 people cut from the St. Louis Rams today. Again, why isn’t this in sports?
-Commercial-
10:22 – More live coverage from the Made In America music festival at Grant Park! Awkward video pans of the audience.
10:24 – Hollywood box office ticket sales are down. The New York Times says that the film industry could lose $3.9 billion in 2014. Not a single movie has hit $300 million domestically. This is the first time that has happened since 1997.
10:25 – Guardians of the Galaxy tops the box office!
-Commercial-
10:29 – Footage is shown from the Ezell Ford funeral. Ford was an UNARMED mentally ill man that was shot and killed by the LAPD. The officers involved claimed self-defense. Maxine Waters and Diane Watson spoke at the funeral.
10:31 – Neighbors say that Ford didn’t resist arrest and that he was laying on the ground when he was shot in the back. Community activists are asking witnesses to come forward.
10:32 – The LAPD publicly identify 2 sergeants who were involved in the arrest of Omar Abrego, who died 12 hours later.
10:32 – Here comes an Ebola vaccine? Death tolls have risen in Africa to above 1,500 people as health officials begin a trial using 2 different versions of a newly created vaccine. It could be months before it’s approved.
-Commercial-
10:37 – Weather!
10:42 – Sports!
-Commercial-
10:44-10:52 – More sports!
-Commercial-
10:54 – Celebrities admit to using coupons? Here’s your top 5 “frugal stars”: Tyra Banks uses a notebook instead of the newest available gadget. Jennifer Lawrence clips coupons, says that her parents raised her to respect money. Ashley Greene has good credit and wants to be able to make her house and car payments, and provide food for her dogs. Sarah Jessica Parker wears hand-me-downs! Finally, Kristen Bell only spent $142 on her wedding when she married husband Dax Shepard at the courthouse. Oh yeah, she also clips coupons!
-Commercial-
10:58 – Another update on the motorcycle crash.
10:59 – A 3rd live update from the Made In America music festival.
Conveniently there’s no mention of the military’s new adventures into Syria and/or Iraq, the revelation that daily Syrian airstrikes are costing U.S. taxpayers a tad under $8 million per day, that over 3 million Syrians have been displaced since the fighting began between Syria/ISIS/U.S., that multiple car bombs killed 6 and wounded at least 45 in Afghanistan, the wargaming of Russia and the Ukraine, the newly released portion (28 pages) of the 9/11 Commission Report that had went redacted prior, the massive citizen demonstrations in Yemen, among other things, and all happening on 8/30/2014.
Priorities? Context? Examination?
