LaPierre on the loose...on the beach?

[rogerkirk]

Shawn Mamros scrivened:

>Short of that, does it really matter where his physical location is?

>The only "issue" that someone might take is the notion that listeners
>are somehow being "deceived" by no mention being made of Gary's current
>whereabouts.  Perhaps I'd feel differently if they were just bringing
>on some remote announcer who's never even been to Boston, but that's 
>not what's happening here.

Deception is the key word here.  As the article states 'Tom Rosenstiel, director of Columbia University's Project for Excellence in Journalism, said it's a matter of credibility. "You don't want to be in the business of hiding [things]," he said.'

LaPierre & Casey must have felt that it might have some negative impact somewhere, somehow.  If not, then why has it not been mentioned?

Contrast with David Brudnoy who has openly (on several occasons) mentioned that he was broadcasting from his apartment, not 1170 Soldiers Field Road.

Do they HAVE to tell us?  No.  SHOULD they tell us?  Yes.

I think that some listeners will feel (right or not) that "somehow" Gary isn't "close enough" to Boston to be reporting the news as local.  This is perception - and as we have discussed many times here on BRI - "Perception IS Reality" to the audience.

While they haven't made on-air statements designed to deliberately mislead the listeners e.g. Gary says "Boy the parking lot sure is slippery this morning", they have carefully made no mention whatsoever. IIRC, this would be classified as a "Sin Of Omission"

Bottom Line:  Is it a Big Deal?  That it slipped out has probably made it so.  And now, every day, people (probably myself included) will wonder to themselves "Is he in Boston or Memorex?"  That will, in the long run, detract from a fine newscaster.