Analysis:
Here is another example of a crime story that has no significance to viewers on 2 levels. First, this is a story of a crime in California, so what bearing does it have on West Michigan? Secondly, it is just a strange story with no informational benefit to viewers. The video b-roll shoes the car driving down the road and then a police officer spraying what appears to be mace at the suspect. The news reader even ends the story admitting “. Nobody has any clue right now what that thing was all about.”
We have seen over and over again how crime news takes up a great deal of local TV news time. The stories often provide little or no context and sometimes expose viewers to violent images with no real purpose, as in the case of seeing the suspect being sprayed with mace.
Story:
WOOD TV 8 News reader – A strange high speed car chase involving a man with a purple cape, right behind me there, is over in California. The man spotted driving erratically along a freeway while at times waving a purple cape out of the driver’s window. About an hour and a half later police brought the man into custody at this store parking lot. Nobody has any clue right now what that thing was all about.
Total Time: 21 seconds
