News On Tape Delay?
Over at Lost Remote this morning, Cory Bergman isn't pleased with the manner in which CNN.com trumpeted the winners of the Golden Globe awards last night, noting:
"It's one thing to post a headline down the page, but it's another to blast the winner of the Golden Globes above the fold before it airs in the West."NBC broadcast the awards show live on the East Coast, but it aired on tape-delay in the West, meaning that the winners were known – and written about – hours before viewers in those time zones could watch. While it might have spoiled a surprise or two, was there anything wrong with reporting the winners – even by blasting them above the fold?
Michael Sims, director of News and Operations for CBSNews.com, doesn't think so, arguing that news is news and shouldn't be played down just because a decision was made to tape-delay a broadcast. "We shouldn't be in the business of not reporting the news." Sims said, adding that networks should consider airing such shows live in all time zones (which they sometimes do). CBSNews.com also reported some award winners before the show aired on the West Coast.
Sims says there are occasions when the Web site might report on a similar event in more subtle ways – such as running a headline about an outcome but making readers click onto an individual story to get the information. That way, those who don't want to know can avoid it. But the only way to be sure and avoid the news in this era is to avoid the media altogether. And that's harder than you might think.