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 --g .--) "‘:, ...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 • • • ..)---lome of General Tso's Chicken — 1/No MSG in any dishes • 'Vegetarian Dishes 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 Not good with any other otter 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.