Don’t Look at Me That Way

By Mick Holien

I am just plain disappointed and I am really surprised it didn’t hit me sooner.

And I am sure there are friends who will say we’ve been telling you that for months. So Ok I relent I am a slow learner.

So what has prompted my epiphany when imo rolls toward the weekend?

If you have spent anytime hopefully in this corner, you know I am a bit of – to say the least – national television news critic.

I think during this time of seemingly daily strife, not only every effort but even beyond that should be expended to clearly define the line between editorial comment and reporting and clearly be absolutely certain of anonymous sources, therefore being vividly clear of their intentions.

The best way to discern the latter I would argue is to ask just why they can’t be identified and what their intentions were coming forward maybe accompanied by what they had to gain.

And please believe it wasn’t because “they were just a good guy or gal.”

But while I grouse about sources – and know that I completed plenty of single source and a couple of anonymous efforts in my reporting – it was more than discouraged at the Missoulian and almost disallowed.

Now keep in mind I watch many sources of television news and I am not going to qualify where the final straws surfaced today especially if they drew vacation or holiday replacement time.

News people please realize and I sure hope you have been taught that your non-verbal communication accompanied by voice inflection totally positions a story one way or another whether you intend it to or not.

In this All Trump-All the Time stories that usually dominate a news cycle that exasperated elevation of the eyebrows or delivery indicating “here we go again” totally distracts the viewer who quickly I believe catches           the drift, intended or unintended, and shares your interpretation of the story.

Can’t one just do reporting straight up once in a while and leave commentary to the pundits who should have to wear an identifying sign around their neck…

You May Also Like

More From Author