 
Waymooreland
Member
Username: Waymooreland
Post Number: 30
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 8:57 am: |    |
When watching early coverage of the Forest Arms fire yesterday morning, I noticed that Channel 7 was referring to the location of the blaze as simply, "Detroit's West Side." I found that both inaccurate and offensive. First of all, the fire wasn't in Old Redford or Brightmoor or something -- it was less than a mile west of Woodward. Does anybody seriously call that the "West Side"? I live in Brush Park, so I guess that makes me an "East Sider," then? Would it have been that difficult to say "Midtown" or "near Wayne State University campus"? Or how about giving the crossroads?
I'm offended by this because it shows that our local TV stations are really out of touch with the city. Maybe every time they cover any news within city limits, they shouldn't even bother with saying "east side" or "west side," they should just say they're in "Detroit" and offer no further detail. It's only 143 square miles populated by 900,000 people, right? No need for specifics. |
Gazhekwe
Member
Username: Gazhekwe
Post Number: 1402
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 9:06 am: | |
That bugged me, too. I like Midtown, or Wayne State area. |
Digitalvision
Member
Username: Digitalvision
Post Number: 548
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 9:12 am: | |
Technically, yes it IS on the west side :-)
I have heard them give cross streets on other stories - probably just a writer's style, they may have thought that the exact location, for some reason, doesn't need to be included (they could of been editing it down for time).
Or, they at the time didn't know exactly know where it was themselves - it was a breaking story - that happens too in news rooms.
I doubt this is anything more than a style thing. |
Swingline
Member
Username: Swingline
Post Number: 1014
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 9:37 am: | |
Don't underestimate the possible cluelessness of a news editor ensconced in his/her Southfield studio having no idea in what neighborhood 2nd and Forest might be located. |
1953
Member
Username: 1953
Post Number: 1534
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 9:44 am: | |
Isn't it 139 square miles? It offends me when people misrepresent the area of the city. |
Mikeg
Member
Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 1443
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 9:55 am: | |
In case you haven't noticed, all of the local TV news is disturbingly vague! Their geographical imprecision happens all the time, suburbia included.
Turn off the channel if you are so easily upset.
(Message edited by Mikeg on February 07, 2008) |
Pffft
Member
Username: Pffft
Post Number: 1452
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 9:56 am: | |
It's more, they're being consistent. They'll say "live from Northwest Detroit" ..."live from Southwest Detroit" not "live from Brightmoor" or such.
Most of the TV stories I saw had the information within the report "on" or "near" the Wayne State campus ... |
Kathleen
Member
Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 2747
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 10:03 am: | |
When the TV reporter was attempting to relate the location of the fire to the Wayne State campus, he said that WSU was north and west of the Lodge from where he was. Yes, the WSU Matthei Athletic Complex is to the north and west of the Lodge, but all he needed to say that the Wayne State campus was two blocks north of the fire. Granted, I think this reporter is new to Detroit, but his producers should have been feeding him the correct location information. |
Bearinabox
Member
Username: Bearinabox
Post Number: 521
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 10:03 am: | |
This is not unique to TV stations. I can think of a very, very large number of people around here I'd like to forcibly subject to a "Southeast Michigan Geography" course. |
Waymooreland
Member
Username: Waymooreland
Post Number: 31
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 10:09 am: | |
I know you're making a joke, 1953, but 143 sq mi really is an accurate figure for the city's total area (including water). Approx 139 would be land only -- but it's actually 138.8, to be exact, you hypocrite! 
My point is that WE'RE NOT ON TELEVISION! I don't claim to be an information authority. Posting on here is not my job, so if I make a mistake, I don't think that it hurts my credibility as much as it does when TV news reporters or editors don't even know their city. I think they should study the city, its history, its regions -- it seems like part of the job description to me. |
Mdoyle
Member
Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 337
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 10:13 am: | |
Kathleen, a group of friends and I also heard that report while we were @ school. Right after they said that we all looked at each other completely befuddled. I can't believe our cities news coverage. I think it'd be nicer if they did report "live from brightmoor ON the city's westside" including the neighborhood name to make people feel more recognized for better or worse. |
Waymooreland
Member
Username: Waymooreland
Post Number: 32
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 10:17 am: | |
Hey Mikeg:
I'm not that upset, I just wanted to generate some discussion about this pet peeve of mine.
And I know the same sort of thing happens in the suburbs, too, but narrowing down your location to just "Livonia," for example, is already more precise than just saying "Detroit's west side" because the entire city of Livonia is only about 35 sq. mi. |
Mauser765
Member
Username: Mauser765
Post Number: 2463
Registered: 01-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 10:27 am: | |
Amy Lange referred to it properly as Midtown, but I heard others say stupid things like "downtown" and such. (I guess 'downtown' is everything south of 8 mile ?) Brandon Truttling also got it wrong, all dressed in his overcoat and fedora. Some called it "Wayne State area" which is stupid, but better than "west side".
Two other examples: Scovel Church fire on Grand River with Charles Pugh out front saying "This church is so old, nobody even knows the name of it".
And the Studebaker Fire, which took 2, 4 and 7 almost 24 hours to identify beyond "the abandoned building next to piquette market".
2 and 7 need to stick to reporting traffic conditions on the Southfield section of the Lodge outside their windows. |
Jrvass
Member
Username: Jrvass
Post Number: 463
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 10:29 am: | |
My pet peeve... TV schnews anchors mispronouncing Detroit street names, landmarks, etc. |
Rbdetsport
Member
Username: Rbdetsport
Post Number: 444
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 11:25 am: | |
Fox 2 News said the fire was in downtown Detroit..... |
1953
Member
Username: 1953
Post Number: 1535
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 11:31 am: | |
LOL!!
"2 and 7 need to stick to reporting traffic conditions on the Southfield section of the Lodge outside their windows."
SO TRUE! These guys don't even know where I-94 is located! |
Danindc
Member
Username: Danindc
Post Number: 3879
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 11:37 am: | |
This isn't unique to Detroit. News broadcasts in DC will refer to a location as "Northwest", "Northeast", "Southwest", or "Southeast". As if that pins down a location. Even worse, I've seen in newspapers (and heard from people) phraseology that implies anything in the District is "downtown".
My question is, does this give urbanites license to refer to anything outside the city limits as "East Bumblef*ck"? |
Waz
Member
Username: Waz
Post Number: 260
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 11:39 am: | |
FOX2 News used to show a graphic of a road map as they zeroed in on a location for a beat reporter story. They did this up to at least two years ago. Maybe they still do it. Anyway, I always would chuckle when it appeared because the road map they used showed the long-closed Golden Mushroom restaurant on it.
I also get annoyed when they're at a scene and give only the cross streets for information. These are often residential streets and I'm sorry, but I don't know every single residential street in the city. How about a nearby major intersection please? |
Sstashmoo
Member
Username: Sstashmoo
Post Number: 1041
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 11:50 am: | |
Someone is upset because they didn't refer to area in the present terminology? All these neighborhood names that people use are just in the last few years. Uptown, Midtown,Boston Edison, Corktown, Woodbridge etc, They're all recent nomenclature. |
Mcp001
Member
Username: Mcp001
Post Number: 3274
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 12:10 pm: | |
With the exception of certain reports that they trout out during certain events (i.e. the "apology") or during sweeps, the local news media doesn't have a clue what is happening most of the time or where its happening.
I wouldn't be surprised if the ENG's found the fire solely by looking for the flames and smoke instead of by reading a map. |
Wanderinglady
Member
Username: Wanderinglady
Post Number: 30
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 12:19 pm: | |
I have to agree with Sstashmoo. I don't recall hearing individual neighborhood names when I was growing up during the '70's and '80's, except for a very few such as Rosedale Park and Boston-Edison. I like it, but it is a recent development. |
Bearinabox
Member
Username: Bearinabox
Post Number: 522
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 1:24 pm: | |
quote:I also get annoyed when they're at a scene and give only the cross streets for information. These are often residential streets and I'm sorry, but I don't know every single residential street in the city. I actually like this. If it's a neighborhood that I know well, I want to know exactly where it is, not the general vicinity. If I'm not familiar with the streets and I still want to know exactly where something is taking place, I can punch the intersection into Google Maps and find it very quickly and easily. |
Waymooreland
Member
Username: Waymooreland
Post Number: 33
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 1:28 pm: | |
I definitely agree that some of these district designations are relatively new (Midtown), but some aren't (New Center). Furthermore, it's not like there's an embargo saying that the local news media has to wait 20 years to adopt such nomenclature. It's not a hall of fame induction or something. Aren't they supposed to be more in the know than the common man?
I just think it's very lazy. A couple of hours reading this forum and they'd be all set. Maybe that should become a mandatory part of the training process for new reporters in Detroit from now on |
Digitalvision
Member
Username: Digitalvision
Post Number: 549
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 2:57 pm: | |
To most people in the burbs I've met, WSU +CBD +Lafayette Park +Eastern Market = downtown.
I stopped correcting at the fiftieth or so time I heard it. Most of these people had never lived in a big city before - interestingly, the people I meet who are originally from places like Chicago, Toronto, or New York already know it. |
Sumas
Member
Username: Sumas
Post Number: 20
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 3:03 pm: | |
I agree 100% with comments on this forum. As a Detroiter, if crime is in my area I want to know its exact location. The real problem is that the media imports their people from outside, as in out of state. They don't seem to understand that Detroit has plenty of home grown talent! |
Waz
Member
Username: Waz
Post Number: 261
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 3:10 pm: | |
I guess I wasn't clear, bearinabox. I appreciate hearing the exact location, but would also like to know the general vacinity. Some of us don't have immediate access to a map program when we're watching the news. |
Vic_doucette
Member
Username: Vic_doucette
Post Number: 369
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 6:39 pm: | |
It isn't just the TV people.
A dozen or so years ago I was working a Saturday shift at Metro Traffic Control, doing traffic reports for WWJ radio.
One of the police scanners we monitored said that because of some sort of police situation -- it might have been a bank robbery -- the DPD had blocked a major street where it crossed the Southfield Freeway.
Our company policy said that whenever we heard a newsworthy item mentioned on a police scanner, we were to immediately call our client stations that had staffed newsrooms. On a Saturday, there would only have been two, WWJ and WJR.
I first called WWJ. They had heard the same scanner traffic I did, and were already working on the story.
Then, I called WJR, and spoke with a very young-sounding woman. I explained to her what had happened, and told her what street was blocked over the Southfield. She repeated the information back to me, thanked me for my help and hung up.
A few minutes later, my 'hotline' phone rang. It was the woman from WJR, wanting to know if I could give her directions to where the bank robbery was.
I was up to my hipbones in other things at the time, so I told her that there was this thing called a map somewhere in the newsroom, and she should learn how to read it. |
Harpernottingham
Member
Username: Harpernottingham
Post Number: 336
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 9:08 pm: | |
Two words for field reporters: CROSS STREETS.
How hard is that? |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 1536
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 9:23 pm: | |
I still don't understand how you guys on here can watch these wannabes. They can't even take a moment to look at a street sign. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 1537
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 9:23 pm: | |
I still don't understand how you guys on here can watch these wannabes. They can't even take a moment to look at a street sign. |
Rbdetsport
Member
Username: Rbdetsport
Post Number: 445
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 10:43 pm: | |
CBD=Downtown |
Deteamster
Member
Username: Deteamster
Post Number: 64
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 12:58 am: | |
This actually had special relevance to me as I live on the NW corner of Second and Forest. Forest Arms is on the SW side.
I slept through the whole thing, being dead dog tired, but my family and friends were up, trying to call me, with my phone on silent.
Meanwhile, Al Allen's stupid ass could only specify the "Wayne State area" as if that means something.
My old dad was worried and a friend of mine told me she started crying because she couldn't get a hold of me and didn't know where the fire was raging.
Hey news assholes, how hard is it to find the cross streets and specify which corner the building is on? All fat Allen was doing was repeating, "you can just see the flames shooting out!" over and over again anyway. How about some real information?
So much for "news you can use". I spent much of the day clarifying to people I was still alive.
If I did my job as poorly as these shit ant reporters, I'd be out on my ass.
Oh, and I like how at the 10pm news Fox, in their 9.2 second blurb of the story, called the building a "landmark". A deeply significant building, but a landmark?? This isn't the Taj Mahal, it's an apartment building, you sensationalist assholes. |
Hamtragedy
Member
Username: Hamtragedy
Post Number: 76
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 1:03 am: | |
I agree Detroitrise. Who watches these know-nothing-bimbos who need to eat.
But I always thought they omitted the location because they didn't want every single "lookie-loo" with nothing to do coming over and watching the latest "train-wreck," tying up more traffic for emergency personnel. |
Brian_fitzcarraldo
Member
Username: Brian_fitzcarraldo
Post Number: 30
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 3:11 pm: | |
Sstashmoo, no, they're not. Midtown is new, but Boston Edison and Corktown have been around forever. And there's no such thing as Uptown. |
Detroitnerd
Member
Username: Detroitnerd
Post Number: 1855
Registered: 07-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 3:41 pm: | |
Let's face it: People in broadcast news are often communications majors who grew up in the suburbs, never HAVING TO KNOW where anything was in Detroit. So, they don't really know where things are or what neighborhoods are which. They're MapQuesters, unfamiliar with the city, with maps, local history, and unaware that Lafayette is a boulevard, Woodward is an avenue, and John R is a street with no period after the R. I'll bet they're more likely to think of the CBD as "Exit 51" or something. My guess is they're the same people who crawl along the freeway at 1 mph when all the surface streets are wide open.
I don't know that I'm angry about it, though. It's indicative of the deep regional divisions we have here, though, and that does give it a bit of an edge, I'm afraid.
Live from John R Road and Warren Street, this is Detroitnerd reporting. Back to you ... |
Bigb23
Member
Username: Bigb23
Post Number: 445
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 8:18 pm: | |
These same things burn me too -
Gratiot pronounced "Grate-ee-at"
Belle Isle pronounced "Belle Island"
Livernois pronounced "Liver noise"
And Zug Island, just because. |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 2704
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 9:32 pm: | |
"People in broadcast news are often communications majors"
You mean they actually went to college? Doesn't speak much for higher education, does it? |
Evelyn
Member
Username: Evelyn
Post Number: 94
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 10:10 pm: | |
I have to agree with Sstashmoo as well... I've never heard the WSU area called "Midtown" until the past few years. That name is fairly new. What happened to the Cass Corridor or the Cultural Center? Unless you live or work in those areas, those names won't mean much. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 1544
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 10:17 pm: | |
I just don't like the name "Cass Corridor." Detroit already has a gritty perception, and "Cass Corridor" doesn't help at all.
Also, that area technically wasn't in the cultural center. The Cultural Center is Warren, Beaubien, Woodward, and whatever street to the north. |
Evelyn
Member
Username: Evelyn
Post Number: 95
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 10:26 pm: | |
Not to be argumentative! But I've heard Wayne State described as being in the Cultural Center. I also thought that the DPL was in it as well.
I actually like neighborhood names— but they can be inexact. And unfortunately, I've noticed that a lot of local reporters just aren't that familiar with the city's landscape. |
Sstashmoo
Member
Username: Sstashmoo
Post Number: 1064
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 10:40 pm: | |
The local news media is going to use references that the majority of people understand, and thats a few hundred mile radius. You know where B-E is? I guarantee if you polled people in the greater Detroit area including Detroit city residents, the majority don't. The first time I heard Campus Martius, I was lost? Then I realized they meant Cadillac square. Nothing wrong with giving areas designated names, but don't be surprised if a lot of people don't know where they are and the media never mentions them.
When I was a kid there was the burbs of course. The west side, the northwest side, Downtown and that often meant anywhere near downtown. The east side and that could even include some east side suburbs. As did the west side for that matter. If one thinks about it, there was actually less of a division between the city and burbs back then. |
Detroitjim
Member
Username: Detroitjim
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 - 8:47 am: | |
I don't know how many time I hear these idiots call the eastside the westside and vice versa. I've lived here all my life(except for when on vacation) and usually I can tell if its eastside or westside just by some of the landmarks in the background.Many occasions they won't even say which side of town their on because of viewer complaints on getting it wrong.
You know that the real problem is that none of the people(reporters) are really from Detroit!
Just pretty faces , hired so that you'll tune into channel that their working on .
I believe that the best "on location "reporter today is Al Allen.
Another name from the past was Bob Bennet. These guys knew the city because they spent a lot of time here. They seldom got it wrong.
Most of the reporters today decide to add some sensationalism to the story.
One of the worst for this is Huel Perkins. A few years back when there were some incidents of drunk city employees running over pedestrians . He reported on a fire truck hitting an automobile and that some of the passengers in the auto were badly injured. When the vehicles were shown the fire truck had side damage while the car had front end damage.
Any dummy could tell that the car struck the fire truck.
Its understandable why they don't want to give out the exact address but the major cross streets should be announced. |
Sstashmoo
Member
Username: Sstashmoo
Post Number: 1066
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, February 09, 2008 - 9:13 am: | |
Well I seem to remember too that they don't give exact location because they don't want gawkers.
I remember back in the early 60's a huge problem in Detroit was people pulling the fire alarms or using the call boxes around the city and the emergency vehicles were getting in accidents trying to get there. Anyone remember that. My how things have changed. |
Orange_barrel
Member
Username: Orange_barrel
Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 3:26 pm: | |
I am so glad someone *finally* pointed this out. Local TV news seems to think Detroit is either the east side and west side, and that's it. I too saw the report on the fire, and there is was: "Detroit's West side" Why? Because it's a mere two blocks west of Woodward? Does that mean Midtown Corner Cafe is on east side? Maybe Sstashmoo is right; they want to avoid drawing gawkers, but still... |
Burnsie
Member
Username: Burnsie
Post Number: 1283
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, February 10, 2008 - 4:33 pm: | |
Sstashmoo-- Points taken, but Campus Martius is not the same as Cadillac Square. They're next to each other, but not the same thing. |