DID WE MISS THE BEST STORIES?
BY DAN MILLER
(posted September 2, 2004)
I'm aware that many people feel we have a political agenda in the TV news business. I'm often told that.
Conservatives think we're too liberal, while liberals are convinced we're committed to the conservatives.
Here's the truth. We are human, and we each have our own feelings about things, but as a group we stand watchdog over each other, and try to keep our stories balanced and factual.
We spend considerable time discussing 'balance' when covering political stories.
Here's something we should probably have discussed more than we did.
With both presidential candidates in town this week to speak to thousands of war veterans..... were we covering the best stories available?
We reported thoroughly on the obvious.... the president...... his challenger..... their arrivals... their motorcades... their speeches... their supporters and distractors... their departures.... and the security surrounding them.
But what about the people they came to court?
As much as we'd like to think Bush and Kerry came here because we Nashvillians are wonderful people and crucial voters..... the real reason they came at this time..... the only reason..... is those thousands of war veterans gathered for the American Legion National Convention.
Thousands of veterans gathered right before our eyes.... most every one with a fascinating story.
Were we mis-focused?
Our General Manager Steve Ramsey and I kick around many issues, back and forth, in the halls, and in memos.
Steve started this particular discussion, expressing frustration that we're simply not able to tap into all those fascinating stories... and in doing so, he offered (as he is prone to do) a poetic description of the people gathered there at the Opryland complex.
Here's part of what Steve wrote to me......
"There are thousands of them at Opryland. And they aren't what they once were."
"Today they are regular Americans. Hold down jobs, have families. But yesterday they were warriors."
"They've seen and done so much. They've been there. Been where most of us don't want to go."
"They come from every state in the nation. They came to listen to the President. And to the man who wants to be President." "They've listened. But as you look at these faces that time brushed over - maybe the candidates should do some listening to them".
"Sometimes now it's hard to see what they were".
"Faces streaked with sweat and blood and gunpowder".
"Tired from killing and from trying to live".
"Most of them wanted most to go home. Alive".
"And for everyone that comes home - it can never be just what it was."
I thought Steve stated, graphically and elegantly, what so many of our veterans have lived through, and why we own them such a debt.
We covered the big stories, and our people covered them well.... but did we miss the best stories?
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