6pm:
Nine News has Melissa Downes live from Beenleigh and Andrew Lofthouse along with Garry Youngberry live from Albert River. Live crosses to reporters Darren Curtis at Tanah Merah, Carrie-Anne Greenbank at Hinze Dam, Jess Millward at Beaudesert, Shannon Marshall-McCormick at Jimboomba.
Seven News has Sharyn Ghidella live in the studio with Bill McDonald at Beenleigh.
Just saw an ABC report by Jackson Vernon touring the flood hit Lismore CBD, and the camera captured the three storey building where the Prime7 office is located, with the ground floor inundated with water. Is that the Prime7 studio? If so the crew will have been affected by the flood too.
IIRC, everything is done out of Canberra.
Just have to share this image from social media. Thought it summed up the coverage of the last few days very well.
Although local news reports for Lismore and surrounds would most likely be compiled from those offices for the NSW North Coast bulletin.
Good to see Nine using presenters like McKinnon to present/anchor coverage - though judging by that screen grab above she doesnât seem as happy to be there.
As always, Ten is nowhere to be seen!
(though actually to be fair their coverage was very good)
Just contains Sales and a Newsroom (1 Journo and 1 Cammo/Editor). Not sure how theyâd file a story with no car access though.
Itâs not a happy news situation sheâs reporting on?
Full coverage from Today 8am - 11am:
Kay McGrath has an opinion piece in the Sunday Mail defending unnamed colleagues for their reporting style during coverage of cyclone. After several paragraphs of platitudes about traditional media vs the âdigital stormâ her argument is restricted to
Specifically targeting television presenters for putting themselves âin dangerâ and âover actingâ is unfair.
I canât defend the occasional âover actingâ, but I can assure you we donât put ourselves in unnecessary danger. If we donât deliver fast-paced, seat-of-your-pants, front-row seats to news events, weâre also criticised.
What we try to do is take you as close to the action as we can while remaining safe, factual and informative.
And later
I admire my colleagues, both in front and behind the scenes, who manage to stay (relatively) cool, calm and measured under extraordinary circumstances.
Almost no support for her point of view in the comments posted so far. Here are just a few
Kay, I think it was very courageous of you to try to defend the indefensible.
Kay - not sure what planet you are on but watch a re-run of Paul Burts coverage from Bowen then read your article again.
There is absolutely no need for your reporters to be standing outside in the middle of a cyclone, with debris flying around them. It is dangerous and foolhardy.
Utter garbage from someone who should know better !
This was only and all about ratings for these idiotic TV networks who put their presenters at risk whatever the consequences plain and simple!
Sorry Kay, not buying it. What makes television reporters exempt from staying out of harms way.
Report the news, donât be the news.
And the best comment goes to
This article is an April fools joke, surely.
Que? I have never heard anyone calling for more sensationalist garbage on TVâŚ
Incorrect. I grew up in Mackay.
Bowen and the Whitsundays is the southern boundary of North Queensland.
The Mackay LGA is officially a part of Central Queensland.
The area from Cardwell north to the top of QLD (incl. Cairns) is Far North QLD.
Cardwell to Bowen/Whitsundays (incl. Townsville) is North QLD.
South of the Whitsundays (incl. Mackay & Rockhampton) is Central QLD.
Although of course, I often hear the media (especially from interstate) call Rockhampton and Mackay areas âFar North Queenslandâ
Theyâre wrong. This is the map (sourced from the Queensland Government) on the Wiki:
Although according to that map, Mackay isnât technically part of CQ.
The Sydney media often canât get geography of their own state right, so if theyâre getting it wrong with Queensland I wouldnât be terribly surprised.
Due to preparation/having family involved in the Cyclone, Iâve only just gotten back to the forum this weekend.
I certainly appreciated the live coverage here, as family only a few hours south of me were being severely impacted. (I had family affected by unexpected flash flooding, dialling 000 for help and being told no one was coming).
Anyway,
One thing I noticed during the coverage. 7 News Brisbane were using those âlive clocksâ on their coverage.
Obviously with the 30 minute delay due to local news, weâd tune in at 6:30 as 7 News Brisbane was starting and see âLive 6:00pmâ, which was expected.
However, âliveâ updates later on in the night on 7 would air at 9:50pm with âLIVE 9:23pmâ on the screen. None of them were ever actually live in Regional QLD.
Yeah, that map is very close to what is used locally.
Although, no-one says âthe Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday districtâ.
While growing up there, Mackay was always called the Central Coast (i.e. Central QLD), and the Whitsundays was always considered North QLD.
The Isaac region forms apart of a much larger area than indicated known as the âCentral Highlandsâ, and is again called Central QLD.
Iâve always been told postcodes of 48xx are Northern QLD postcodes, and 47xx are Central QLD postcodes. Which lines up perfectly with local perspectives.
True, that map is from the Business Queensland site, so separating out Mackay and the Whitsundays into their own area might be an effort to avoid it being grouped with Townsville and/or Mackay.
My original comment was directed at Malcolm Turnbull who referred to the cyclone hitting north Queensland. Part of the cofusion probably arose as the original forecasts had the land crossing in the Ayr Townsville area.
Apart from the locals not referring to the area as North Queensland BOM doesnât either.
http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/observations/map.shtml
The situation mirrors broadcasting as well.
I would like to see the commercial TV networks in Queensland produce a joint flood and cyclone relief telethon that is broadcast on the primary channel of the commercial networks throughout the state bringing together the talent and resources that were seen during the recent coverage to raise money for the affected communities.
If possible, the regional networks could also contribute as well as commercial radio. The ABC may not be able to broadcast the event but they should be invited to participate.
