Action News Ch. 28 was first on the scene with breaking news coverage of a small plane crash into an empty building — a former plastics facility. According to the news report, the crash occurred around 8:20 a.m. at 5300 Allen K Breed Highway.
"A flight instructor and student were on the Piper PA 23, which flew out of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport three miles to the north of the crash site," WFTS reported. The instructor and pupil of Tails and Wheels Inc. flight school died in the crash. WFTS preempted morning programs such as The View and Right This Minute for an hour-plus of coverage. None of the other local affiliates preempted programming to cover the crash or its aftermath.
While it is tragic that there were two casualties to report, there were no evacuations necessary in the area, nor was there any immediate danger to the public. Yet WFTS stayed on the story for an inordinate amount of time, its mock-CNN analysis including a staffer pointing to a giant screen while conducting searches on Wikipedia for plastic-chemical factoids.
Viewers of WFTS chimed in on Facebook to complain about the coverage:
"Still talking a lot about nothing," wrote Facebook follower Sean Ashcroft around 11:21 a.m. "No new information, rehashing information, showing a news conference during which the questions being asked couldn't be heard, and which couldn't be answered. There is no immediate risk to the public, no loss of life, no plausible information, etc., yet programing is being interrupted as they repeat the lack of information and show live footage of a burned out building. Who makes the decision on what should be classified as high level news?"
Sue Ann Curd wrote: "We get it. You know nothing. Bring on Whoopie."
ABC returned to regular coverage at 11:56 a.m.
Our condolences go to the families of the two people lost in the crash. But WFTS's coverage didn't help viewers reflect on a tragedy. It came across instead as a desperate attempt to make news, not break it.
This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2015.