TV news does so have a purpose -- identifying dead people

Viewership of local TV news broadcasts has been taking a journey to the center of the earth over recent years, but reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated -- as a recent death demonstrates. Late Friday afternoon, Michelle Weiss-Samaras of Environmental Health (the P.C. name for the Denver Coroner's...

By Michael Roberts

September 28, 2009

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Viewership of local TV news broadcasts has been taking a journey to the center of the earth over recent years, but reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated -- as a recent death demonstrates. Late Friday afternoon, Michelle Weiss-Samaras of Environmental Health (the P.C. name for the Denver Coroner's Office) sent out a plea to the media asking for help identifying a cadaver that didn't register any hits via fingerprint records or missing person reports. The description was hardly unusual: a five-foot, four-inch, 121 pound white male, probably around fourteen-years old, with brown hair, brown eyes and no tattoos or scars, who was wearing brown slacks, a brown shirt and dark, sandal-like shoes on September 24. TV outlets responded immediately (because, you know, they've got time to fill) and early the following morning, Weiss-Samaras e-mailed again with thanks to the collective press. The teen's family had already seen the report and identified him. Don't know if that'll make more car dealers buy spots at 10 p.m., but it's something.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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