Claman goes to great lengths to get a story

Dave Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes Wednesday about how Fox Business Network anchor Liz Claman filmed a recent segment on a Gulf of Mexico oil rig, which she traveled to from a boat and then a stand-up personnel-transport net.

Walker writes, “‘It was really important not to tell the story from the executives’ standpoint,’ Claman said by phone Monday evening after returning to the mainland. ‘We could do that by sitting in a studio and showing a stock chart.

“‘We wanted to go out and talk to the rig workers. What impressed me and surprised me was how eloquent they were in talking about their situation, how much pressure they’ve been living with waiting for that so-called Sword of Damocles to fall on them. They could be laid off, they could lose their jobs. These are real-American stories and concerns. It was perplexing to all of us as to why this rig is idle. There’s no moratorium (on shallow water production). Why aren’t they working?'”

Later, Walker writes, “Claman’s live shots from the rig Monday required a crew of six, plus satellite technology, plus hundreds of yards of cable. The broadcasts marked the 600th episode of ‘Countdown,’ and Claman said she’s had more technical difficulties with live shots just 10 blocks from her network’s Manhattan headquarters.”

Read more here.