Waaaah Waaaah Waaaah

A few hours ago, the above video was posted on YouTube by buzzfeed.

It shows Meg Coyle in an uncomfortable confrontation with a local woman who was upset that King 5 had attracted the Seattle Police Department, who in turn ruined a sledding tradition on Queen Anne Hill (Capitol Hill has a similar tradition).

Instead of apologizing to the community when the producer pulled the shot, esteemed anchor Dennis Bounds mocks the local residents by saying “Waaah waaah waaaah waaaah waaaah”.

Wow, stay classy, Dennis.

This incident was unfortunate, as until today, I didn’t particularly dislike Dennis, and there aren’t many anchors I can say that about anymore.

Alas, it seems that everyone in the business is cut from the same condescending cloth these days.

You see, what local corporate media and their Eastside anchors often forget is that they are a business. They aren’t kings, they aren’t queens, they’re out there plying the streets of Seattle trying to make a buck like the rest of us. Not much different than the pizza delivery guy, the cop, or the cab driver.

As indispensable as corporate media thinks they are, however, the reality is that when they go into a neighborhood, they are guests. Guests who should go above and beyond to respect the people whose territory they invade.

All too often, this is not the case.

Instead, local media feels entitled. Entitled to illegally park on sidewalks, take up street parking, harass passersby, and make all the noise they wish. After all, they are the news. The people who bring us American Idol updates, water skiing squirrels, and football score updates. You know, the important stuff.

As you can clearly see from this video, when corporate news interrupts a local tradition, there is no contrition … only hostility and mocking.

But who can blame them, right?

After all, Meg Coyle was on location for a very important reason. She was there for the greater good of the general public. She had to remind people to drive carefully. She needed to admonish us to “be safe”.

I mean, without the local news, who would tell us these things, right?

Why, just the other day I was watching the local news, and the anchor looked right into the camera and said “experts say that when temperatures drop, people should bundle up and wear coats.”

Experts.

How could we not show deference to the mouthpieces of the experts?

You know, it’s not bad enough that Lisa Van Cise reminds us every day that she loves the California climate and she hates our climate… the Seattle climate. It’s not bad enough that Lily Jang thinks that minimum wage workers should celebrate their $9/hour good fortune by eagerly forgoing Thanksgiving. Now, news crews are invading neighborhoods to break up our sledding parties while giving us insultingly condescending advice, and now, we’re supposed to be grateful.

After all, they’re on TV.

In any event, I think this video is important for people to see. It gives you just a little insight, a small peek into the regard in which locals are viewed by corporate media.

It’s not a very high regard. Unfortunately, they don’t particularly care about your neighborhood or your stupid traditions, they just want their shot before the network cuts away to Jerry Springer. Hell, they’re entitled to the shot. After all, they’re on TV.

Oh well, it is what it is.

Sorry for the whine.

Waaaah waaaah waaaaah, right Dennis?

How about a little advice from one of my experts, though, guys.

Next time, you might want to take your video cameras to the Eastside where the soccermoms and California transplants still think you’re cool.

And relevant.

At the very least, they won’t dare interrupt the live shot.

After all, you’re on TV.