Most people don’t shock easily anymore, not after a decade of beheadings and school shootings and families murdered in their homes and wall-to-wall coverage of airplanes intentionally being flown into mountains (or vanishing altogether).

http://smragan.com/2012/06/11/the-heart-gears-phenomenon-a-physible-family-tree/ This week, as we learned the details of the murder of WDBJ’s Allison Parker and Adam Ward, we felt shock. And profound sadness. And a genuine, visceral sense of loss:  the loss of two young colleagues and two bright futures. But many of us also grieve the loss of that innocence we all felt “back in the day.”

http://rodneymills.com/96r72/2eb62b-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-frequency-polygon Remember what it was like?  Remember when we were young and starting our careers in those very special first and second market jobs? Everybody was young and hungry and ambitious.  Everybody was also very, very broke.  But it didn’t matter, because we were all in it together.  We worked together, we lived together (because who could afford an apartment by yourself?), we played together. Friday nights after the late news ended we retreated to the local spot for appetizers and draft beer. Lots of times the competition would be there too, and we’d sit around in big groups, laughing and sharing and being young.

Frequently, we fell in love.  Allison Parker did – with Chris Hurst, the evening anchor. Adam Ward did – with Melissa Ott, the morning producer (full disclosure: Melissa worked for me in Burlington, Vermont a few years ago as weekend producer).

I did – with the education reporter (this is back when we had reporters covering beats like education). It worked out well.  Our oldest daughter graduates from college next year.

And remember how we couldn’t be pried away from the station? It was the beehive of our lives and everything revolved around being there. Remember those late nights in the edit booth trying to craft the sweeps piece so it was just right? Or running out with a photographer on your day off to grab some sound and maybe shoot some standups for your resume tape?

Of course you remember. It was among the best times of your life.  But the young, talented people at WDBJ and across the street at WSLS and WSET won’t look back with wistful sentiment. Instead, they’ll remember a nightmarish week. They’ll feel the pain of shock and grief and whatever other post-traumatic demons creep into their minds for the rest of their lives.

Of course I’m heartbroken for the families and loved ones of Allison and Adam.  I can’t imagine their shock and pain – actually, I won’t even allow myself to go there. But also, a little farther out, slightly distant from the burning flame, I’m so very sorry that a self-pitying coward also ruined what should be the good old days for everyone else around them.

It’s not supposed to be like this.  Yet here we are.  And it is so very sad.

ODDS AND ENDS

  • I don’t know Jeffrey Marks, the General Manager of WDBJ, but he set as fine an example of leadership and grace in a crisis as I’ve ever seen.
  • In the aftermath, there’s a lot of talk about what stations should do moving forward. I’ve seen suggestions ranging from cancelling all live shots to hiring armed guards tossed around out there. The reality is this was a senseless act of workplace violence at the intersection of mental illness, hubris and easy access to guns. All businesses – not just TV stations – need to be much more proactive in aggressively addressing issues with employees who exhibit signs of disturbance. I’m talking to you, HR.  Yes, we live in a litigious society, but simply firing the person and closing the door is no longer acceptable.  Deal with it.
  • There’s lots of talk about “training” coming out of this tragedy. I’m not sure what that means in this context, but here’s a training suggestion: each and every employee in your organization should be trained in CPR. Mandatory, no exceptions. That was the policy at WRAL – a visionary station in every way – when I worked there back in the early 90’s. We came in on a Saturday morning and by the time we left, we were certified in CPR by the American Red Cross. This suggestion has nothing to do with the shootings in Roanoke, but will unquestionably save lives.
  • Let’s end on a bright note — something positive to watch after a very tough week: if you’re home late afternoon Saturday, check out NBC’s coverage of the Travers Stakes (4-6pm EDT with a post time of 5:45pm). American Pharoah is running in what will probably be the second-to-last race of his career. If he wins, he’s just one race (the Breeder’s Cup Classic in November) away from being, arguably, one of the greatest racehorses of all time.