ABC anchorman Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were filming out the hatch of a military personnel carrier when they were injured Sunday in an explosion. What happened to the video? ABC has been noticably silent about whether the video survived and if it will air.
Which begs the question: Do journalists treat their own differently? Drudge (Remember, only 80 percent of it is accurate.) raises the question today, quoting an anonymous source claiming that no one at the network has viewed the tape, because they are concerned with other matters. Journalists do treat their own differently, it's human nature. But different newsrooms react differently. When a journalist becomes the center of the news, some newsrooms immediately circle the wagons, without questioning whether that's the right thing to do. Other newsrooms default to the value of fairness and, against natural instincts, force a conversation about the news while tending to the needs of someone in the family.
I'm not sure if ABC should air the video or not. But I am certain that someone in the newsroom should be asking that tough question, even though it might seem disloyal to do so. If they address the issue, share their answer with the public and cover the news while caring for their own, the folks inside ABC news will get credit for being decent journalists and good human beings.
