Working in the media will desensitize a person. Like the first responders they spend time around, journalists must distance themselves from things they see in order to stay focused and do their jobs. My experiences during seven years in TV news numbed my emotional responses to certain situations. None of that prevented me, or anyone else with TV news experience, from being shaken to the core by the murders of two journalists on live television in Virginia on Aug. 26.
It wasn’t just the seemingly random nature of the crime that delivered the strongest gut punch. Yes, the shooter had worked at the same television station, but he had never even met one of them. No one could guess he would take such violent action on a Wednesday morning two-and-a-half years after being fired.
The sharpest horror for TV news staff, past and present, was the setting. These murders occurred during a live remote broadcast, known as a “live shot” in the business. These are very common, particularly in local news. A reporter and videographer set up out in public so the station can show that the broadcast is part of a community and not confined to the studio.
Sometimes, the location is potentially dangerous. I did live shots at police standoffs, crime scenes in sketchy neighborhoods and at protests where emotions ran high. You are standing there, just you and a videographer, sometimes bathed in light and feeling vulnerable.
Compound that with the rise of social media, making some people more brazen about disrupting live shots in hopes of going viral. Many times, perfectly pleasant people are drawn to live shots wanting to say hello, and will wait around and watch until you’re done. During the live shot, you block out any distractions and focus on the task at hand.
This is exactly what Alison Parker and Adam Ward were doing when they died. They were at a bucolic location talking to a Chamber of Commerce executive. Barring breaking news or extreme weather, morning show live shots are softer and light-hearted. There are still distractions, but both these journalists focused on the task at hand. They couldn’t imagine that a deeply disturbed man with a gun had come to kill them and seriously wound their interview subject. And that, the worst kind of surprise for professionals trained to be ready for almost anything, is what shook journalists the hardest.
There’s a unique camaraderie between journalists, be they broadcast or print. Many are young, working long hours far from home for unglamorous pay. This tragedy has strengthened that bond for many. And, when I see pundits bloviating on cable news about how a senseless crime is actually about this agenda or that agenda, I can’t help but think they should get into the real world more and converse with people. Get outside and do some live shots.