As Reporters watch each other stand in the middle of a Hurricane, the game of trying to out do each other kicks in. 

The local TV people do it because they see the network Reporters do it. Talk to viewers and 9 out of 10 will tell you these Reporters are idiots. 

But, the Reporters don't think so, they think they are doing Emmy award winning stuff, despite the fact that everyone is doing the same thing.

One day, a Reporter will be live on TV, get hit with some flying debris and be killed. At that point you might see stations pull back from the grandstanding reports. But, it won't last long. 

Remember when the news crew from Roanoke was murdered while doing a live shot? Remember how stations promised to change their policies as to how and when they send crews out to go live?

How long did those new policies last? A couple weeks maybe a month? TV news has a short memory.

At some point a Reporter will try an show up the other Reporters with some really stupid move and will die live on the air. Stations will all say it was a tragedy, they'll talk about changing policy and it will last a few weeks. 

I loved working in TV news, i knew there were risks that came with the job and I accepted those risks. But never once did I take a risk because I thought it was cool and might make a good show or land me an Emmy. 

Seriously, walk into a restaurant , strike of a conversation with some viewers and get their opinion and what they think?

I can bet you, you won't like what you hear. And after all, isn't it the viewer that you are gearing your newscasts too?