What'll make headline news? Oh wait, I know....!

Sitting around in college this morning, I was reading an article which I found particularly poor, and expressed my thoughts out loud to friends sitting around me. One of them then remarked that since she's been studying journalism, she's been much more conscious of well stories are written in newspapers. I've found this to be true with myself as well, and this innate critiquing continues into broadcasting also.

I approach this impending rant from a position of the classic journalistic question "what is news?". Now, I have no doubt whatsoever that Dublin Airport being closed entirely due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland is news, but you'd think there's only so much you can do with that story, right? Lots of ash in the air, damaging to planes, airport closed. End of story? So you'd think.

For the purposes of this rant, I will dump purely on TV3, considering I haven't watched RTÉ all day today. Not only did TV3 put the closure as their lead story, but they did what was at least 5 minutes of coverage on it. Excessive. Just a tad.

Really, what else can you say apart from the facts? There sat Alan Cantwell, delivering everything in his usual over-the-top dramatic voice. Cut to Colette Fitzpatrick standing outside Dublin Airport for a live feed, pretty much saying exactly what Cantwell did, just elongated. That's enough reporting, isn't it? Oh golly, no! That won't do at all.

Who's that I hear? Is that the dulcet tones of Brian O'Donovan? Oh yes of course it is. What would the top story be without the deep bass rumble of a Cork accent from TV3's most beloved reporter? Brian proceeds to give us an account of what's actually going on inside the airport, while reams of people queue after their flights have been cancelled. Brian proceeds to annoy a few of them, asking their opinion on what's going on.

But really, who bloody cares?! I don't need to hear the opinion of some disgruntled passengers who, in their frustrated state, will probably no doubt start blaming the airlines for not braving highly dangerous conditions just for them. (Disclaimer - that probably didn't happen, but I stopped listening right around then, and I'm in full flow here).

OK, OK, voxpop finished. Can we go back to Cantwell in the studio? NO, Colette Fitzpatrick has returned with some airport official, repeating pretty much what we already know. The madness never stops.

Who knows, it was probably a slow news day. Maybe I'm just not impressed anymore by what other people view as very interesting, important stories. Or maybe I am right, and the coverage was beyond excessive?

Oh, and another thing....:
A news assignment as uncovered that someone is systematically targeting dogs in an Artane estate, by mixing rat poison with food, and throwing it over garden walls. How evil and despicable can you possibly be to try this?