Re: Complaints about Broadcast News

[mwaters@mail.wesleyan.edu (Martin J. Waters)]

>In a message dated 8/12/00 6:11:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Dib9@aol.com
>writes:
>
><< Is it just Maine or is radio and TV news everywhere covering the Firestone
> recall like it is Armageddon?  This has been the top story all week.  WCSH
> led with it again tonight.  I agree that it is a story that needs to be
> covered but we are way past overkill.

        I disagree. It pertains, one way or another, to millions of people
using these tires. And it actually pertains to everyone to the extent there
are vehicles around you that might go out of control because of this.
Today's paper here has someone claiming there really are problems with a
lot more models of Firestone tires than what they've acknowledged so far.
It seems like the beginning of a big scandal, cover-up, etc., type of
story.
        It's a business story, too. The late '70s tire recall thing nearly
drove Firestone out of business, so with that history there's a real
question whether the brand will exist in five years. I'm betting
Bridgestone is sorry they even own it and now they're getting stuck being
associated with it!
        So, big story, and with today's heavy emphasis, especially in TV,
on so-called consumer news, it's really been getting the "right" amount of
coverage, IMO.