Wednesday, February 05, 2003

Shameless Shuttle Pandering

Sunday was a very sad day, to be sure, but the media is pandering to the masses with excessively maudlin news coverage about the Challenger explosion.
First of all, we don't need these hastily composed little musical lead-ins to hear new information about the recovery efforts. Even the local news channels are doing that and I find it offensive.
We all know it was a tragedy. We don't need the media plugging gaps in their news lineup with any more sentimental quotes from anyone even remotely involved with NASA, the victims' friends or family.
None of us knew any of the astronauts' names, or even that the Challenger was in space before the tragedy occurred. That the media failed to cover the story when it was "an ordinary space mission" shows that sensationalistic blood n' guts reporting is what the media thinks we want to know.
Tell us what's happening, yes, but stop trying to make us cry. We already have.
To the media: Show more respect to the casualties and their loved ones.
Have a little dignity and stop using your news coverage to stir up emotions, increase ratings and sell more pickup trucks through your ads.
Just tell us what's happening and get on with it.

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