is this really necessary?
I walked past one of the many news-tuned televisions mounted in the hallways of my workplace this morning, and noted that whatever channel they’re tuned to today (it varies, depending on, I suppose, the whims of whoever’s holding the controls of the CCTV system) is replaying, in real-time, without comment, their broadcast tapes from this morning eight years ago.
I have to wonder what kind of thought process drove that programming decision. I recognize that today, by simple virtue of the anniversary, is newsworthy, and there are plenty of things to discuss: the various memorial events happening (sedate as they thankfully seem to be becoming), discussions of say, what’s happened in the intervening time at the NYC, Arlington, and Shanksville sites, analysis of how reactions to the event have driven public policy since, comment on the Obama administration’s efforts to turn this date into a National Day of Service and Remembrance, or even the regretful, narcissistic media-as-the-story fluff pieces where the talking heads recall their experiences reporting the original story.
But simply replaying eight year old tapes? I can’t help but suspect that either the news department is particularly lazy and wanted to sleep in, or someone really wants to just reignite unpleasant (but perhaps ratings-spiking? That has to be it) feelings of fear and despair, rather than turn those emotions into something more constructive.
Or, it could be that I’m just a cynical bastard (which, admittedly, is uncategorically true), but I doubt it.
