Some reporters don't know when to quit

[dreamflower]

Olympic spoilerishness behind the cut. If you are planning to watch last night later on, please skip.

The main interest for me in the Olympics is the figure skating. But since NBC cleverly puts most (but not all) of that at the end of the evening, I end up watching some of the other stuff too (which is what they want, isn't it?) The majority of the time I'm reading or computing or knitting or something, and only look up if the figure skating comes on or something catches my interest.

The slalom skiing just happened to catch my attention, and I watched with curiosity as Bode Miller waited to learn if his early lead would still leave him with a medal. It did--he ended up tied for bronze. (Which in a sport where things are counted down to fractions of seconds seems pretty amazing.)

Then as the reporter (who ignored the gold medalist--because, duh! another country, so why bother?) began to interview him, she kept harping on his brother who died and how was he feeling? Well, how do you EXPECT someone to feel when he has suffered a recent bereavement, and must face a special moment without that person? But she kept on and on and on until she brought him to break down in tears!

I guess she learned her interview technique at the Rita Skeeter School of Journalism. I wonder if she has a "Quick Quill"?

Comments

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

I saw that. It was repulsive.

[wheelrider.livejournal.com]

My husband and I saw that too and were quite bothered by it. The U.S. Olympics "reporters" have to poke and prod until they get a reaction, and they aim for tears! "Human interest" my ass... it's exploitive, plain and simple.

[dreamflower]

It's like the actual drama of the moment wasn't enough. She just had to bring in the dead brother.

I'm surprised his wife didn't smack her upside the head. If my husband had been treated that way, I'd have been sorely tempted.

[dreamflower]

I hate that NBC has an exclusive on the Olympics. I miss the days of Jim McKay and ABC, and a little more dignity.

[danae_b]

I don't think some journalists know how to be human.

[dreamflower]

It certainly seems that way sometimes.

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

I wasn't actually paying that much attention, but I became aware that this idiot just kept going on and on. Really, she should be fired.

[the-winterwitch.livejournal.com]

Good gracious, I literally don't know what to say to that. *picks jaw up from floor*

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

I too thought NBC handled it poorly, to say the least. The reporter asked some exceedingly obvious questions that didn't need to be asked--her questioning was clumsy and awkward and pointless, really. Unless you are truly lacking basic human empathy, we all knew what he was thinking as he looked at the sky, etc etc. No need to prod him on it.

That said... I saw it live earlier in the day, and it was perhaps marginally less painful (emphasis on 'marginally') to watch at that time because, it being live, there was an element of uncertainty, along the lines of "what should we do now??" and "give him time to recover or keep after him??" Unfortunately, they erred massively when choosing to keep after him. (And, even as the reporter is being excoriated in the court of unbridled public opinion known as the Internet, I do have to wonder if she was following the producer's urgings in her earpiece--unless she wants to lose her job, she'll never be able to say and I doubt we'll ever know).

To my mind, replaying it in its entirety when NBC knew the outcome was the far more egregious misstep on NBC's part. I can't help but feel the true fault lies with the producers more than the reporter, clumsy though she was, especially given Bode's very classy response:

http://www.today.com/sochi/bode-miller-nbc-reporter-i-dont-blame-her-all-emotional-2D12124900

I'll take my cue from him and simply hope that NBC learns a lesson from the entire thing.

[dreamflower]

It was pretty egregious to say the least.

[dreamflower]

He is certainly very forgiving, and that just shows what a good person he is.

Perhaps she was caught up in the moment of the questions at the time; but I think it would show a bit of class on her part if she apologized, because she did go too far--and as you point out, even if she didn't know it at the time, it was pretty clear later on and certainly by the time *I* saw it! (And you are right about NBC bearing a lot of the blame as well.)

But I wish ABC still had the Olympics and that Jim McKay was still around.

NBC's coverage has always placed too much emphasis on the "human interest" and tends to be pompous and overbearing, and far too sentimental.

[dreamflower]

Apparently Bode Miller has done the very classy thing, and is being forgiving of it all.

But I still think the reporter and NBC owe him an apology.

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

Some journalists are really bad. :(

And what do you say about this mother:

http://geektable.activeboard.com/t56739068/mom-tells-olympic-son-you-are-the-worst-norwegian-ever/

Really, with a mother like that, who needs enemies? :(

[dreamflower]

Yikes! Although the commenters seem to put it all down to cultural differences and mother/son banter?

I don't know enough about Norwegian culture to say whether or not she just meant to be humorous or she's just a non-supportive mother!

But it certainly did not come across very well!

[shirebound]

NBC ... puts most (but not all) of that at the end of the evening

*sigh* Which is why I've hardly seen any of it.

[dreamflower]

It's why I've ended up watching most of it later, taped. Last night was the first night I've actually stayed up to watch it being broadcast at the time they were showing it.

[nancylea57.livejournal.com]

nbc pissed me off years ago on an anniversary of a tragic local event, i wrote a note to the local station stating my thinking and have not watched any nbc station since. yes i am only one person, but if each of us lived by our standards and refused to let big corporations make the judgement calls then financially we would reign them in.

that or start an on-line petition to show how many you are.

[dreamflower]

That's certainly one idea.

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

I am not sure those are cultural differences - she definitely sounds like a non-supportive mother.

[dreamflower]

Well, it sounded just awful to me, and most certainly non-supportive; but I saw the comments and wondered if I was misjudging.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I saw that and was quite appalled that she would be that dense to not pull away from the subject when she saw that he was obviously affected by her questions and the memory of his brother. I suspect she won't be promoted - glass ceiling has now been achieved.

- Erulisse (one L)

[dreamflower]

She (and NBC--after all, they repeatedly *aired* it) owe him an apology.

All these "How does it make you feel?" questions to people who are grieving or in the midst of disaster and other tragedies are so pointless! And yet they are a staple of modern journalism.

Rude, overbearing and exploitive!

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

My favourite is skating too. I've just watched the ice dancing on my catch up box. What a nasty reporter!

[dreamflower]

The ice dancing finals were magnificent! All of them were so beautifully presented, and with hardly any glitches that would be noticeable to an audience. I am always in awe of how the judges can see the tiny little things that make one routine better than another.

Here in the US, former skaters Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic have been calling the action. I really appreciate Scott's commentary, because he carefully will point out some of those things a lay person might not see! I am always amazed when he can see a skater do a jump and say that he or she "under-rotated half a turn"! It's so fast--how can he see that? But when they will repeat it later in slow motion, he's always right, LOL!

But as to that reporter, Bode Miller has said she didn't mean to get that reaction and that he doesn't blame her, and perhaps he's right, since he apparently knows her personally. But I still think she and NBC need to apologize to him. It really was too much!