Thursday, April 07, 2005
Anchors/Reporters at Pope Funeral told to Keep Mouth Shut
Source: Baltimore Sun Early Friday, as the networks and 24-hour cable channels point their cameras and microphones at Pope John Paul II’s funeral, an estimated 2 billion TV viewers from around the globe will not hear much color commentary, voice-overs or chatter from the newscasters.
Instead, producers say, they are urging their anchors and correspondents to stay out of the way, allowing the solemnity and magnitude of the occasion to prevail. TV’s marching orders are clear: Friday’s coverage must not only tell viewers the news from Rome, it must also allow enough room for the rich and ancient ritual of the Catholic church to make viewers feel as if they are inside St. Peter’s Basilica for the funeral Mass.
“I believe it will be rare to hear the voice of an anchor or correspondent during any of the funeral ceremonies,” CNN anchorman Bill Hemmer said from Rome on Wednesday. “I believe this story is so rich with pictures, and it will be so rich with sound emanating from St. Peter’s Basilica – and then St. Peter’s Square when his body is brought back out – that words from people like us are not necessary at those moments. And I think as a broadcaster, it’s your responsibility to recognize those moments and not nterfere.”
Jonathan Klein, president of CNN, said such moments can offer viewers a compelling sense of belonging to a community brought together by television: “There’s a yearning on the part of audiences everywhere for connection with one another. That is in large part what’s behind the rise of the Internet. But television is the most connective medium ... because it provides not only information but also emotion. When you hear the chanting in Vatican City, you’re transported there emotionally.”
# posted by ATN @ 12:21 PM 
