As a longtime producer, I would absolutely flip out at the anchor if they had the nerve to show me up on the air like that. Richard is right. You don’t get to bag a story like that. I have had plenty of anchors discuss stories with me before the news, and we have made changes. We have even had calls between breaks when we have changed stories. You work together as a team. You do not, not, not show up the person who worked overnight to make you look good. It doesn’t happen, and it especially doesn’t happen repeatedly like this.

(As an aside - a lighter in a studio? Fire code?)

If it were any other story, she would be fired. Suppose she had decided she didn’t like the Iraq coverage?

I’m with Richard. Fake, insincere and not terribly funny either. I’ve really had it with anchors pretending they don’t want to report on Paris, and yet they report on not wanting to report on Paris.

that is so lame. If it was a true spontaneous outburst she should be fired for her lack of professionalism. If she has a problem with the producer she should take it up off-air.

If it was a little skit to give the story a new angle then Ms Brzezinski can turn in her journalist badge.

Show business, and not especially well done.

i’m not saying you are right or wrong with your point.

we’re dishing it out like crazy, and there will always be people who eat what we dish. but what are we going by as an industry to say for certain that we’re just giving them what they want? in just this example, it is pretty clear that the dignation is speaking and saying they’ve had enough and don’t want to take it anymore.

we do have web stats to show what stories people are looking at, but in general it is not an exact science - and although we do have overnights - we don’t know right away what’s what.

so editors have to go with a mix of gut instinct, headsmarts and a sometimes not so healthy dose of pack mentality in allocating budget and rundown. how paris hilton becomes a beat unto herself is something worth giving serious consideration.

Nothing wrong with a little planned fun, of course.

I do find it funny that anchors around the country are expressing their outrage on the story on the air. Don’t they see the scripts prior to air? Can’t they make their case to the producers prior to the newscast? Or is there a little showboating going on?

What strange power is it this Hilton woman has?

I will admit that I went and watched the clip solely to see someone stand up to such crap as reporting on Hilton. While I watched, I found myself hoping for the future.