PAUL KOHN'S
La Difference
LUNCH DINNER
COCKTAILS lton
Gourmet Cuisine featuring Fresh Fish,
Pasta and Vegetarian Entrees
Also featuring
Sunday Brunch
****
I
Four Star Rating by
Sylvia Rector at the Detroit Free Press
Carry-out and Catering also available
Maple Road
-
6
Farmington Rd.
a
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.--)
"‘:,
...c
L
14 Mile Road
La Difference
(located in the
Robin's Nest
Shopping Plaza
4„
.
'
4'
72 95 Orchard Lake Road,
West Bloomfield, Michigan 48322
Robins Nest Shopping Plaza
248-932-8934
Reservations Suggested
v
AUTHENTIC SZECHUAN COOKING
• fresh Seafood • Cocktails
•
•
•
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1Z)aily Specials
39450 14 Mile Rd.
(corner of Haggerty in the Newberry Square Plaza)
(248) 960-7666
Original location: 29215 5 Mile Rd. at Middlebelt-Livonia
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coupon per table • with coupon
Expires 8/31/00
mattp:Natt,7
Peruse the JN SourceBook page 89.
8/4
2000
84
You'll be amazed what you'll find.
IF IT BLEEDS from page 82
never heard of a reporter telling
someone to make up a story, and I
have never told news writers to
embellish or distort the events in a
story. These charges are ridiculous."
Kerbel claims that most TV news
is negative, leaving the impression
that only negative stories are news
and positive stories are not. Many
people do rely on TV for their daily
"fix" of violence and excitement, he
said, but he questions whether TV
news really provides viewers with fac-
tual information, or merely
gives them that "fix."
ORMOINAIMEWAMMMEMIMIMMNwmgamaxwmaggwpga
He supports his ideas in
Author
the book with examples of
Matthew
news events, such as TV news
Kerbek "The
crews camping outside of the
best perspective
home of a victim's family to
of TV news is
get their comments.
watching it
"We don't 'camp outside'
from an
of
people's
homes,"
informed
Upchurch retorted. "The
distance."
reporter politely knocks on
the door without the camera-
man in sight, and asks if they
can interview them. If the
people agree, they go inside.
We don't 'ambush' anyone to
get them on camera."
Kerbel describes some pet peeves
"The reporter goads the neigh-
of TV news viewers:
bors into saying they saw things
All newscasts are reported in a
they believed they would have seen
formula format. The news items,
had they been paying attention,"
weather, sports and commercials are
said Kerbel, who points out that TV
shown simultaneously on all chan-
news has a dual purpose: to both
nels, making it difficult to get dif-
inform and entertain. Since drama is
ferent slants on the weather or a lit-
entertaining, he said, TV news is
tle more sports news. If a viewer
often a sensationalized dramatiza-
uses the remote control to try to
tion of events.
_avoid a commercial, he or she usual-
"Some TV news directors tell -
ly also will find commercials on all
news writers to create something out
of the other stations.
of nothing by embellishing or dis-
"Weather reports are much too
torting actual events," he added.
long,"
said Kerbel. "But people seem
"It's all done for ratings."
to love weather reports. They just
Channel 7's unsought role in If It
have to put up with the stuff about
Bleeds, It Leads is defended by Al
murders while they're waiting. Most
Upchurch, who became the
weather reports can be boiled down
Southfield-based station's news
to this: 'It's hot today, sunny, too. It
director four months ago. A 22-year
won't be tonight, though. Back to
veteran of the TV news business, he
you.'
said Kerbel used "flawed methodolo-
"Then there are those incessant
gy" in writing his book when he
teases about upcoming news items,
based his conclusions on transcripts
which seem to take up most of the
of "typical" news programming at
newscasts" and don't come on until
the four stations.
almost the end.
"There's no such thing as a typi-
"Most of the time, the teases are
cal news day," Upchurch asserted.
more
interesting than the actual sto-
"On some days, there's more crime
ries,"
Kerbel
asserted. "They usually
news, but on other days, there may
end
up
being
a big disappointment
be more business news. His method-
and
that's
unfair
to the viewer. But
ology is haywire.
the station does this so you'll stay
"And we don't 'goad' anyone into
tuned."
saying anything; or waste time with
Upchurch admits excessive teas-
uninteresting comments. People come
ing
"happens now and then," but
on camera of their own volition. I've
neighborhood, anchored by Guy
Gordon and reported on camera by
Kathy Walsh, who is no longer with
the station.
Kerbel chides them for using
unnecessary action words ("The
peace of a quiet Oak Park commu-
nity was shattered tonight by the
blast of a shotgun"), filling up time
with uninteresting comments from
supposed witnesses and having the
reporter play detective by assuming
who the murderer is.