Salvation Army killing homeless in Texas?

Here's an interesting one, ATS. The news reporter tries to interview a homeless man and as soon as the guy tells him the answer (not what he wanted to hear) he stop him and switches tactics.

What do you think?



I thought it was strange how he just cut him off so quickly as if he was breaking protocol. Isn't it his right to answer it how he sees fit?

a reply to: Tempter


Do you think the reporter should have indulged this man's defamation against the Salvation Army?

a reply to: Tempter

Nope. With multiple producers in a crowded control room with hundreds of reporters all with live feeds non-stop....it was prob. the voice in the reporters ear that switched off to something else.

These events are incredibly hard to communicate with all on the ground, in the control room and editors...all moving at breakneck speed cut-to-cut.

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: Tempter


Do you think the reporter should have indulged this man's defamation against the Salvation Army?

Wouldn't it be his job to be objective?

a reply to: Tempter

The interviewee is clearly bat # crazy. The interviewer is clearly mentally deficient.

a reply to: Tempter

I thought it was strange how he just cut him off so quickly as if he was breaking protocol.

Yea reporters do that whenever they start getting a non-entertaining answer to a question. Wanna talk about how much you like turtles? Yea, you'll probably get air-time. Wanna accuse the Salvation Army of murdering people? Probably not gonna get air-time, unless the story is about the Salvation Army murdering people.

Isn't it his right to answer it how he sees fit?

Can you enumerate which "right" or "rights" you think was/were violated, and how it's protected? I seem to be having trouble recalling which ones say that a reporter has to listen to you say whatever you happen to feel like saying.

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: Tempter

Nope. With multiple producers in a crowded control room with hundreds of reporters all with live feeds non-stop....it was prob. the voice in the reporters ear that switched off to something else.

These events are incredibly hard to communicate with all on the ground, in the control room and editors...all moving at breakneck speed cut-to-cut.

Huh? He clearly cut the guy off when he said something he didn't like.

The poor guy thought that the Salvation Army was killing people and that he really is a police officer. I thought the reporter was polite and handled it well reply to: Tempter

a reply to: Tempter

the guy is homeless and apparently delusional. Might be why he's homeless. The US has a pretty #ty track record of dealing with mental illness. Sad to see, but this guy likely believes the stuff he says, so he thinks he's safer outside. The reporter should have found someone else to badger, and it's good that he tried to get this guy some help.

a reply to: Tempter


Objectively, the homeless man is suffering from mental health issues. What good would it do to indulge this guy's fantasy that the Salvation Army is "killing people" during a human crisis of this magnitude?

He needs mental health help.

"They are killing people, I am actually a police officer" shows he is out of touch with reality.

Sad really

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: Tempter

I thought it was strange how he just cut him off so quickly as if he was breaking protocol.

Yea reporters do that whenever they start getting a non-entertaining answer to a question. Wanna talk about how much you like turtles? Yea, you'll probably get air-time. Wanna accuse the Salvation Army of murdering people? Probably not gonna get air-time, unless the story is about the Salvation Army murdering people.

Isn't it his right to answer it how he sees fit?

Can you enumerate which "right" or "rights" you think was/were violated, and how it's protected? I seem to be having trouble recalling which ones say that a reporter has to listen to you say whatever you happen to feel like saying.

Okay, I didn't say Constitutional right, smarty pants.

I just meant he can answer how he liked.

a reply to: Tempter

Mental illness is rampant in the homeless population. The reporter was clearly trying to find a way to extricate himself from the situation once he realized what he was dealing with.

a reply to: Tempter

In what way there was some nasty, uncivil or poor skills involved in the aborted interview?
In other words, what were you thinking that Jake should have been heard out?

Do you REALLY think that the Salvation Army was killing people in that shelter?

a reply to: Tempter

Okay, I didn't say Constitutional right

Okay well "he has the right to do something" is a pretty specific choice of words.

I just meant he can answer how he liked.

And he did exactly that.

originally posted by: Tempter

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: Tempter

Nope. With multiple producers in a crowded control room with hundreds of reporters all with live feeds non-stop....it was prob. the voice in the reporters ear that switched off to something else.

These events are incredibly hard to communicate with all on the ground, in the control room and editors...all moving at breakneck speed cut-to-cut.

Huh? He clearly cut the guy off when he said something he didn't like.

You do know that is a person suffering from paranoid delusions right?

Why is this a topic? It would be very wrong to defame the Salvation Army when they do so much for people at times like this. Disturbing actually.

That man needs help and the reporter was kind enough to offer to help him find some. That's the story.

a reply to: Tempter

Or did his producer in his earpiece cut him off or tell the reporter to? My point precisely....

a reply to: Tempter

It's most likely that man has some psychological issue. Although, paranoia and delusions are often associated with schizophrenia and he seemed awfully coherent for a schizophrenic. His speech was not disordered and even his apparent delusion tracked. Maybe he's a retired cop...? Any number of mental health issues could account for it though I suppose.

Still...

Having said that, I think the reporter did a good job dealing with what he obviously felt was a crazy person. Even asking if he could contact someone to help him at the end. I don't know why people are ragging on that reporter. He handled it pretty well IMO.

a reply to: Tempter

a reply to: TerryMcGuire


"Do you want us to get you some help?"


Was the most humane answer to this poor, sick man's delusions and con-theories.


Reporters are not obliged to listen to, broadcast or print the ramblings of the paranoid or delusional. Further, they'd better not, because the Salvation Army will sue your pants off if you let that kind of nonsense air unchallenged.