popular thinking

WHY IS MEDIA NEWS ON SHOWBIZ TONIGHT?

No, really. Why is media news and navel-gazing on CNN Headline News' Showbiz Tonight? This is the second time in recent memory that I've seen reporters made out to be the story on this show that supposedly is about show bidness. The first time, granted, the Iraqi attack on ABC anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt could be looked at as newsworthy insomuch as a major network had to deal with an anchorman's injury. But trotting out the reporter from Corpus Christi who had Sunday duty and answered the phone? Um, really? This is Showbiz Tonight? The more interesting story is why the White House waited so long to mention, oh, by the way, the vice president shot a guy. This is no slight against Caller-Times reporter Kathryn Garcia. She is very cute, very telegenic. But she shouldn't be on TV for this. She should be turning down cable network news requests for interviews. She shouldn't be doing in-house videos (or should she? at least that's promoting the paper). Kathryn Garcia is not the story. Vice President Dick Cheney, who couldn't shoot straight (cue the 2006 Democratic ads now), is the story. If you do watch Garcia's in-house video, you learn (yet again, if you're already working in the media) how other journalists want you to do their job for them. Reporters from various outlets -- including the Boston Globe (tee hee) -- called Garcia asking for phone numbers. If you're a reporter, there are situations in which you feel fine helping your colleagues. Dick Cheney shooting a guy? Not one of those situations. The Caller-Times video is a little "hey, look at us, rah-rah," but knowing the smaller Scripps-Howard papers as I do, it's understandable how they might want to show that they matter in the larger scheme of things. None of this, however, excuses Showbiz Tonight. None of this is related in any way whatsoever to show biz.