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Janet
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« Reply #31 on: February 05, 2008, 02:57:15 PM » |
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Thanks to all of you that responded.
I guess we got our message across...the video of Thursday's newscast can no longer be viewed on the WSBTV website although all the other videos shown can be viewed. I have been unable to play it since Saturday.
But I am still a bit dismayed. Even though the video won't play, the link still exists, complete with the photo of a cat curled up in a basket and the title "Study Links Cats to Mental Illness".
I would have thought they would have removed all reference to this newscast...(sigh).
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Meowli
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« Reply #32 on: February 07, 2008, 05:18:23 AM » |
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I got a reply from the news station: "You are one of many cat lovers we have heard from since our story aired. I’m sorry you were disappointed in our report. Please let me explain why it was important to broadcast.
Two weeks ago the American Journal of Psychiatry published a paper warning about the dangers of kittens transmitting a virus to young children. It’s a theory that has been around for decades. The paper said it is now a real danger. As a news station we have a responsibility to warn parents that they should keep small children away from litter boxes. Not every parent is aware of the danger.
On our broadcast we told people the chances of getting the virus causing schizophrenia were low. You have to have a predisposition to mental illness for the virus to cause severe mental illness. We also warned people not to abandon their cats. Our reporter suggested that young children be supervised when they are around kittens and their litter boxes.
Our report was also balanced by veterinarians who criticized the findings by the American Journal of Psychiatry.
We have heard from several animal shelters concerned that people might dump their cats. We told them to contact us if that happened and would do a follow up story. So far we have not heard of one case of someone giving away a cat because of our report.
I have reviewed the :30 commercial for the story and can see how that may have been a cause for concern for some viewers. Without seeing the full report some people may not fully understand all elements of the story. I will mention that to the people who produce the commercials for our newscasts. I thank you for taking the time to write us and hope that you will continue to watch our newscasts.
Brad Stone
Executive Producer of Special Projects
WSB-TV News"  How much damage is already done Mr Stone? I do hope that its true that no one dumped their cats, but not all bring them to shelters. Some just get put out on the street. Meowli |
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lesliek
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« Reply #33 on: February 07, 2008, 06:20:53 AM » |
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At least they will hopefully be careful to balance further & new reporting. Although since all the newscasts seem to be going for sensationalism,I'll want to see the changes before I get to optimistic.
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"the world's most inept extortionist"
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Janet
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« Reply #34 on: February 07, 2008, 07:23:56 AM » |
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Meowli,
I got the same email. While I did appreciate a response, it wasn't exactly what I would have liked to hear.
I am pleased that the local shelters were put on alert, thanks to many other local viewers and to our itchmo friends.
I also agree that not everyone who believed this newscast "as the gospel" would take their pets to a shelter and some would end up on the streets.
Not wanting to "beat a dead horse", I am still dumbfounded that the station took a challengeable statistic, published in one magazine, and turned it into a 5 minute investigative report.
I wanted to say, in response to his email, that my favorite part of his newscast (that he says was designed to protect our local children) was the reference to a "crazy Aunt that has a lot of cats". That was helpful in protecting our children.
It brings to mind a quote by Benjamin Disraeli, popularized by Mark Twain...
"There are 3 kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics".
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« Last Edit: February 07, 2008, 07:32:45 AM by Janet »
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JustMe
Global Moderator
Hero Member
Posts: 4706
Herdin' Cats and 2 GSDs
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« Reply #35 on: February 07, 2008, 08:30:31 AM » |
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We have heard from several animal shelters concerned that people might dump their cats. We told them to contact us if that happened and would do a follow up story. So far we have not heard of one case of someone giving away a cat because of our report.
I have reviewed the :30 commercial for the story and can see how that may have been a cause for concern for some viewers. Without seeing the full report some people may not fully understand all elements of the story. I will mention that to the people who produce the commercials for our newscasts.[/i]
I thank you for taking the time to write us and hope that you will continue to watch our newscasts.
They should air a correction or update to this report. The sensationalistic sound bites that "news" stations use are to get the viewers suckered into viewing the newscasts. How often have we been fooled and watched segments only to be disappointed or confused. Shame on all of these "news" stations. |
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Never forget our cats and dogs and the Pet Food Recalls of 2007; the reason most of us are here!
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straybaby
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« Reply #36 on: February 08, 2008, 02:25:15 AM » |
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i am floored with this reporting. as Bill would say:
Give. Me. A. Break.
lordy, lock me up now. i've been around way too many cats/kittens since childhood to be safe enough for the general public . . .
instead of blaming the cats, maybe they should have run a story about how you shouldn't let your child handle/eat cat poop. and while they were at it, they could suggest kids handling/eating dog poop isn't so great either.
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Offy
Guest
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« Reply #37 on: February 08, 2008, 04:11:18 AM » |
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I think it's a response that deserves be forwarded to the FCC in support of a complaint against the station.
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JJ
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« Reply #38 on: February 10, 2008, 04:10:35 AM » |
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This just smacks of sensationalized newscasting. We cant report the real news to anyone - gawd forbid they really know whats going on - no, we have to seize on something so irrelevant to the vast majority to create a controversy on one topic or another to 'create' news. I only watch the news for the weather report - at least that they can't make up or hype it but they are doing that too. Boogah Boogah - bad storms coming, bad storms coming, high wind chills, look out, look out, look out. So ridiculous and so are the ones doing the reporting. Where do they get these Barbie doll and Ken doll live people from? They are all so plastic and so fake in the mannerisms and attitudes they just make me so want to shake them and say "wake up you airheads."
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'Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
But how to dance in the rain.'
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Janet
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« Reply #39 on: February 10, 2008, 08:43:14 AM » |
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instead of blaming the cats, maybe they should have run a story about how you shouldn't let your child handle/eat cat poop. and while they were at it, they could suggest kids handling/eating dog poop isn't so great either.
Straybaby, I totally agree. If the purpose of this report really was to protect our children, as they said in the email reply, a 30 second newsread warning that potential health problems could be caused by handling/eating undercooked meat or handling/eating cat poop would have been enough. But they chose to do a 5 minute sensational investigative report instead. I will never watch this newscast again. We have other choices here in Atlanta. I would like to think that this station's newscasters might think twice about sensationalizing their newscasts in the future but...February is sweeps month with the networks. I suppose we can look forward to more of this kind of thing. |
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MarySmith
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« Reply #40 on: February 10, 2008, 09:17:19 AM » |
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Where do they get these Barbie doll and Ken doll live people from? They are all so plastic and so fake in the mannerisms and attitudes they just make me so want to shake them and say "wake up you airheads." Unfortunately, these types of people think that others can't see their 'phony-boloney' |
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MarySmith
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