Local news, in particular that from local television, is quite often—rightly or wrongly—the object of disdain and parody for its tendencies in the area of self promotion, sensationalism and covering the crime beat.
Time to give them their due.
There is perhaps nowhere local TV (and radio for that matter) shine more than during extreme weather episodes. Yesterday and today were perfect cases in point.
Throughout Thursday, local news reports forecast a winter storm unlike any we had yet seen in 2008. As we all became glued to our TVs, radios and computers/handhelds for the latest information, school closings, meeting cancellations and other changes of plans were prompted hours upon hours before the first snowflake fell. Friday morning those warnings were borne out, almost to the inch.
It’s what the news and those that report it are supposed to do—communicate accurately in the local public interest. For THE winter storm of 2008, they all did just that; and they did it extremely well.