Reporter Gives Beer to the Homless

[El Guapo]

Check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdHiBlXYLJU

...i'm speechless.

[TXTechPhoto]

Well at least he has beer there for when he moves in with his fellow citizens of Natomas.

[Tallinvegas]

What the hell is with the camera work on the live shot. What ND thought of this?

[mkay]

Originally Posted by Tallinvegas

What the hell is with the camera work on the live shot. What ND thought of this?

Our station promotes a moving camera throughout the live shot. Show n Tell kinda thing...when appropriate. Actually, I'm on board with management, cuz I like the freedom for creativity. Camera had a lot of motion, but I thought it was pulled off pretty well.

However, the beer prop is a slap to media journalists all over. How embarrassing is this presumptuous report?

'Of course ALL transitional families are alkis so they would surely accept such a gift, right?'

....whatever... >

Epitome of social irresponsibility.

[Lenslinger]

Perhaps I'm missing the context here, but the cutesy, winking banter between anchor and reporter (over a homless encampement, no less) was the exact kind of self-impressed drivel that people outside the business so rightly crucify us for. What's next - that jackass gonna hand out dime-bags outside the methadone clinic? Putz...

[actionnewsman]

Lenslinger, you're not missing a thing. This guy is an nimrod. I've seen his work firsthand.

[newz2me]

Nothing like making light humor of those less fortunate. Very classy. No wonder more and more people perceive us as slime and group us in the same contemptuous company as ambulance chasing lawyers and used car salesmen.

[Cambot Mk. II]

Originally Posted by newz2me

No wonder more and more people perceive us as slime and group us in the same contemptuous company as ambulance chasing lawyers and used car salesmen.

I don't know... There are some news personnel I've worked with who could only aspire to that level of respect.

[/attempt at humor]

[SLIMJIM]

Does he actually consider himself a news reporter, or more of an entertainment reporter, akin to the likes of the daily show..? If his segment everyday is somewhat of a spoof, then im sure he probably didnt think twice about doing this liveshot. The cg "will do anything for ratings" in the two box, the burroughsville sign with his name spelled wrong, he knew exactly what he was doing.

[Tippster]

Goddamn I hate Local News sometimes.

[cameradog]

Originally Posted by Tippster

Goddamn I hate Local News sometimes.

Sometimes? Go work in it for a year. By the time it ended, you'd be willing to cover six hour markups in the House for C-SPAN.

[NEWSSHOOTER3]

Okay, I finally watched this thing and I CANNOT believe what I saw! Really, is this for real? I mean, I can be a pretty heartless basta'd sometimes, but using these unfortunate, or maybe just lazy, people as PROPS?!? That's just over the line to me!

And, yes, some may say, "well, we all do it when we run to the shelters during the cold weather and holidays", but I can sleep well at night knowing that I'm bringing attention to a problem. Maybe even muster some help for those involved. This is just poking fun under the guise of, all be it disgraceful, "journalism"!?!

[Lenslinger]

...For those of you lacking broadband, I'll do my best to explain: In a giggly morning remote, on-air staffer Chris Burrous lives ups his segment of "Good Day Sacramento" by approaching a homeless camp with bags of fast food, a case of Bud Light and the mistaken impression that he's Stephen Colbert. What follows is a painful stretch of videotape, in which KMAX-31-CW sets back our cause at least twenty years. If it sounds crass, you gotta see it. I've watched it a dozen times so far, hoping repeated viewings would present something that would excuse the buffoonery. It hasn't happened.

Full Disclosure: I too have done stupid things in front of videocameras. When it comes to asinine behavior we ALL fall short of the Glory. But I'll be damned if I've ever scoffed at the downtrodden with free beer and a self-congratulatory attitude. What exactly convinced Burrous and his bosses that a cheeky live shot involving sleepy homeless people and a few brew-skees was a good idea remains a mystery, but if the ratings were good, look for this fool to be dishing out one-liners and dimebags outside a methadone clinic near you very soon. (And to think I once considered this to be the lowest point of our existence. At this rate of descent, I may very well black out before our industry hits rock-bottom.)

Ya know - it's not even the alcohol. Truthbetold, I could give a **** if anybody knocks back a few beers for breakfast. What sickens me is the very premise: a condescending live shot in which our grinning hero mixes it up with the Great Unwashed. No, my stomach flipped even before Burrous hoisted the Bud Light into view. When he began waltzing toward the campfire with suds in tow however, my jaw dropped. Had I the good sense to lunge for the remote (or mousepad) I would have done so. Instead, I sat and watched a few far-flung colleagues bring dishonor to us all. Stay Classy, Sacramento!

Perhaps I'm mistaken. Perhaps there's some greater context that I'm missing; a West Coast vibe that makes it perfectly cool to bag on the humbled. Maybe I got it all wrong. Maybe I'll walk into work tomorrow morning to find humble Unit Four has been replaced by a shiny Dodge Viper. Maybe. More likely I'll never grasp what that live shot was trying to accomplish. Here's one thing I do know, however: You can work in local TV News or you can go audition for The Daily Show. Attempting both further cheapens what we do, blurs already fuzzy lines and makes your un-funny ass look like just another untalented Letterman wannabe. See, the folks in those tents are real people with real lives. They're not just warm props for your lame attempt at vaudeville. Figure that out and we stand a chance at preserving the Fourth Estate. Ignore it and you won't have to worry about what the audience thinks. They'll all be heading for the exit as fast as they can, while you bomb at your local Funny Bone's amateur night. Then who will need a beer?

[1911A1]

Originally Posted by Lenslinger

...For those of you lacking broadband, I'll do my best to explain: In a giggly morning remote, on-air staffer Chris Burrous lives ups his segment of "Good Day Sacramento" by approaching a homeless camp with bags of fast food, a case of Bud Light and the mistaken impression that he's Stephen Colbert. What follows is a painful stretch of videotape, in which KMAX-31-CW sets back our cause at least twenty years. If it sounds crass, you gotta see it. I've watched it a dozen times so far, hoping repeated viewings would present something that would excuse the buffoonery. It hasn't happened.

Full Disclosure: I too have done stupid things in front of videocameras. When it comes to asinine behavior we ALL fall short of the Glory. But I'll be damned if I've ever scoffed at the downtrodden with free beer and a self-congratulatory attitude. What exactly convinced Burrous and his bosses that a cheeky live shot involving sleepy homeless people and a few brew-skees was a good idea remains a mystery, but if the ratings were good, look for this fool to be dishing out one-liners and dimebags outside a methadone clinic near you very soon. (And to think I once considered this to be the lowest point of our existence. At this rate of descent, I may very well black out before our industry hits rock-bottom.)

Ya know - it's not even the alcohol. Truthbetold, I could give a **** if anybody knocks back a few beers for breakfast. What sickens me is the very premise: a condescending live shot in which our grinning hero mixes it up with the Great Unwashed. No, my stomach flipped even before Burrous hoisted the Bud Light into view. When he began waltzing toward the campfire with suds in tow however, my jaw dropped. Had I the good sense to lunge for the remote (or mousepad) I would have done so. Instead, I sat and watched a few far-flung colleagues bring dishonor to us all. Stay Classy, Sacramento!

Perhaps I'm mistaken. Perhaps there's some greater context that I'm missing; a West Coast vibe that makes it perfectly cool to bag on the humbled. Maybe I got it all wrong. Maybe I'll walk into work tomorrow morning to find humble Unit Four has been replaced by a shiny Dodge Viper. Maybe. More likely I'll never grasp what that live shot was trying to accomplish. Here's one thing I do know, however: You can work in local TV News or you can go audition for The Daily Show. Attempting both further cheapens what we do, blurs already fuzzy lines and makes your un-funny ass look like just another untalented Letterman wannabe. See, the folks in those tents are real people with real lives. They're not just warm props for your lame attempt at vaudeville. Figure that out and we stand a chance at preserving the Fourth Estate. Ignore it and you won't have to worry about what the audience thinks. They'll all be heading for the exit as fast as they can, while you bomb at your local Funny Bone's amateur night. Then who will need a beer?

[photogguy]

Originally Posted by 1911A1

What he said.

Stew, you nailed it. And THAT, my verbose friend, is why I hung my camera up for the world of academia. It's less about news and more about entertainment, and it's gonna get worse.

(oh, and after posting my comment, I noticed it transitions nicely into my tag line...)

[Slow News Day]

I'm even more diappointed that the photog continued to shoot. At what point do you stop and say enough is enough?

[javary]

this is the same station that did an on-air re-enactment of the larry craig bathroom incident (chock-full of toe-tapping goodness). by the way, their website says there is an opening for photographer. hmmmm.....

[RDmischief]

Far be it from me to defend Chris Burrous. I know him. I don't hate him. Yet I certainly won't defend him.

However it seems necessary to give this some context. This is not a serious news show. Its a silly morning show that never really takes itself or anything else seriously. And Burrous casts himself as the guy everyone loves to hate. He pushes people's buttons to get a reaction. (which seemed to work pretty well on everybody here.) Pissing people off is his mandate. He doesn't think he's Colbert or Jon Stewart, but he's not a serious news-man either.

Once again, I want to be clear that I'm not defending him, but I also didn't see this as a slap in the face to journalists everywhere. I laughed it off as another "Good Day Sacramento" antic. The whole homeless encampment story was handled in a much more serious manner by the nightly news casts.

I see you're point about stereotyping homeless people as alcholics, but on the other hand I bet they appreciated the beer. Would it still be offensive if he brought beer to a group of people who weren't homeless? I don't know, but I do know that these guy's do far more offensive pieces on a daily basis, so I guess this just feels a little blown out of proportion.

Whatever, there's the context.

[A Step Above Productions]

I loved the CHiPs comment? That was monney for me!!!

[Lenslinger]

Thanks for the context, RD. It doesn't change my opinion, but I appreciate it. I don't blame Chris Burrous for the direction our business has taken, though he did come across as a consummate douche bag in the clip.

Here in the Piedmont, we too have a silly morning show. A couple, actually. Much of the antics in the a.m. are hokey, frivolous, often cringe-inducing. But no matter how boat shows/antique festivals/cub scout circle-jerks we go live from, we maintain the same level of decorum expected of our evening reporters. That's not say we don't veer into the stupis, but the last time I checked, we don't actively demean people - not on purpose anyway.

For me it's not just the alcohol, though swaggering up to a homeless encampement with a case of beer and a videocamera in tow is about the most classless thing I've ever seen. If that's the kind of sh!t that plays in Sacramento, thank God I work on a totally different coast. I'd still love to hear who, if anyone, signed off on the stunt. I thought my housecats were out of touch with reality. Come to think of it, here in central North Carolina soem convenience stores sell thin glass 'flower vases' that often used as crackpipes. Maybe my morning reporter should go buy some, pass 'em out at the nearest public housing complex and broadcast the ensuing fun to every housewife in the tri-county region. Call it wacky morning fun. Think of the ratings!

I love Jon Stewart and not just because he spells his last name they same way I spell my first. The Daily Show deliciously mocks our industry from the inside out. As political satire and broadcast parody, it is top shelf. Unfortunately, the newest generation of TV viewers often frames their world view from a comedy show posing as a newscast. That's great for Comedy Central, but bad for us. As the emerging populace embraces satire as fact while at the same time shunning their father's newscast, our business enters dangerous territory. Again, I'm not blaming The Daily Show. I've been afan ever since they booted that jackhole Craig Kilborn and I delight in ponting out to all that Steohen Colbert is actually a cleaned-up Southerner form the lesser of the Carolinas.

But as the lines between comedy sketch show and newscast blur, we in the Fourth Estate have to be very careful. Sure, we'd all do well not to take ourselves so seriously - but neither should we consider ourselves above the news. The self-impressed, jokey banter and winking glee of the aforementioned live shot personally offended me before the brews ever entered the frame, for it's the exact kind of condescension from on-high that marks us broadcasters as smug pretenders without a clue. I'm all for levity and look to inject it into my work on a daily basis, but do me a favor, would ya? The next time that moron with a wireless microphone pitches something crass because he thinks it's 'cute', tell him to take his ass to Comedy Central or ditch the schtick and attempt some journalism instead.

Otherwise, VJs will be the least of our problems.