Truck Over Troubled Bridge
Summary: Treatment of a local incident that ties in perfectly with the national topic du jour. Station: KDKA Channel 2 Reporter: Ross Guidotti, "Live" When it Aired: Aug. 29 Running Time: 2 minutes, 45 seconds Visuals: * The headline, "Bridge Blunder." * Guidotti taking his life into his own hands and *standing* on the bridge! Highlights: * When Guidotti begins, "It's real hard to miss [these] weight limit signs. You can see the Fallston Bridge behind me, built at the ... beginning of the last century. The weight limit is clearly marked three tons. Today, police say a man took a truck over this bridge that was 22 tons over that weight limit. The same police tell me the fact that this bridge isn't sitting in the Beaver River right now defies explanation." * When Guidotti goes on, "The Fallston Bridge over the Beaver River is so decrepit, it's rated 2 out of a possible 100 when it comes to structural integrity." He adds, "New Brighton police say that around 9:30, [a 53-year-old Virginia man] drove his tractor-trailer over the century-old span." * When Guidotti reports, "One eyewitness ... says [the driver] stopped at this side of the bridge, looked at the weight limit sign for about two minutes, and then slowly began to cross the bridge." * When a police officer says, "When we got the call, I'm thinking, 'No, it can't be a full size tractor-trailer,'" chuckling in disbelief. "But it was. When we first approached him, he said he didn't even cross that bridge." * The series of questions Guidotti swings at the driver, "Did you have this truck over the bridge? It wasn't you? So they got it wrong? The police got it wrong?" The driver repeatedly answers "No." * When Guidotti follows, "The bridge was shut down for roughly an hour after the incident to see if it was still the same. It got the all-clear. [The driver], meanwhile, got the mother of all traffic tickets." * When the police officer tells Guidotti, "The fines will be ... a little over $13,000." * When Guidotti ends, sure to remind viewers of the hypothetical doom that was averted, "[T]he truck wasn't even fully loaded. If it had been fully loaded, it probably wouldn't have gotten a quarter a way across this bridge. A lot of people are very lucky tonight in Beaver County." What We Learned: A bridge with a rating of 2 on a scale of 100 can get an "all-clear." That is scary. Unanswered Question: Will it take the driver two minutes to figure out what that $13,000 traffic citation means? News Value: 4. Denial is a powerful thing, isn't it? Meanwhile, our newfound obsession with bridge safety continues ...
"Mold and Your Mood"
Summary: Household mold is more than just depressing to look at. Station: WTAE Channel 4 Reporter: Jake Ploeger When it Aired: Aug. 31 Running Time: 20 seconds Visuals: * Adults and children breathing into some type of inhalation device. * Mold spores, in all their moldy glory. Highlights: * When Ploeger announces, "New this morning: Doctors say there might be a link between mold and your mood. If you're feeling depressed, your bad mood might have to do with mold growing in your home." * When he adds, "Brown University researchers say people with mold in their homes are 40 percent more likely to be depressed. Doctors say it's best to keep your home clean and free of mold because of course a healthy home can influence both physical and mental health." What We Learned: Get rid of your blue cheese, fer cryin' out loud! Unanswered Question: And so how exactly are we supposed to do this? News Value: 2. A wire-service snippet to sneeze at.
A Primer for Clueless Moms
Summary: A list of alleged "things" that no one tells you about being a mom. Station: WTAE Channel 4 Reporter: Kelly Frey When it Aired: Aug. 31 Running Time: 1 minute, 21 seconds Visuals: * The caption, "Mommy Dearest," which doesn't exactly have the best connotation ... * A list of things "no one ever tells moms." Highlights: * When Frey emotes, "All right, well, how 'bout this -- motherhood? It is the toughest job in the world. And it's even tougher because, well, children don't really come with instructions, do they?" * When she continues, "So parenting.com offers five things that 'no one ever tells a mom about being a mom.'" * When Frey reveals one of the "things": "It's [OK] to feel helpless sometimes. A lotta times." * When Frey drones on: "Sad to say, your baby will eventually insult you." * When Frey warns, "Also, sorry mom, there is no privacy with this job. The kids are gonna walk in on you when you're changing, the bathroom -- anytime they can." What We Learned: Nobody at parenting.com ever had my family or friends ... or the friends and family that my family and friends have! Unanswered Question: How can the toughest job in the world be "even tougher"? News Value: 0. Please, stop the pandering. Most moms got it goin' on and receive more unsolicited advice and information -- these five "things" among them -- than they care to.
