Broadcast Journalism

Archived Broadcast News Copy from July, 2004:

WHEN LIFE SEEKS TO IMITATE ART, REGRETTABLE DECISIONS ARE MADE. THIS WAS THE CASE LAST NIGHT, WHEN 14-YEAR-OLD JORDAN COKE-AN-HOUR FIRST WATCHED THE POPULAR FILM "ANCHORMAN," AND DECIDED THAT SHE WANTED TO -QUOTE- BE JUST LIKE RON BURGANDY- WHEN SHE GREW UP. IT'S PART OF AN EPIDEMIC THAT'S BEEN SWEEPING THE NATION- BROADCAST JOURNALISM IS SUDDENLY BACK IN STYLE. WE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THE 70'S CLOTHING SEEN IN THE FILM, WILL NOT FOLLOW.

Alright, so I didn't form my entire future career plans solely off my impressions of a Will Ferrell movie, but to the best of my recollection, it was the first time that the idea of broadcasting as a viable career path occurred to me. Decades ago, there was a spike of aspiring Woodwards and Bernsteins who entered journalism school after viewing "All the President's Men," so why shouldn't the comparably popular "Anchorman" inspire the same sentiment? 

Over the course of the past semester, I've found myself enjoying subsequent viewings of the film, and it's 'lost' bootleg version even more than usual. A week ago, it dawned on me just how accurately constructed some of the faux-reports that "Anchorman" produced really are. 

 

                                   
Wait... did Brian Fantana just start his broadcast in the present tense? It's mildly disconcerting that a fictional news reporter who wears Sex Panther perfume knew more about how to properly construct TV copy than I did.