Remain steady, don't create fear

Broadcasting & Cable business editor Robert Marich interviewed CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo and Fox Business Network anchor Alexis Glick about covering the Wall Street turmoil during the past week.

Here are some excerpts, first from the Bartiromo interview:

Would you say general TV news has done a good job covering the stock-market turmoil?

It’s hard to say “yes� on a day-to-day basis because on any given day, there can be some scary headlines. I think people need perspective, analysis and depth. I am not a fan of sound-bite situations.

We all have a big responsibility to make sure we are providing the full picture. For example, we talk until we are blue in the face about how weak this economy is. But I think it’s also very important to recognize that the United States benefits from selling to China, India, Brazil and other booming economies around the world. That has provided a bit of a cushion for the United States.

From the Glick interview:

How would you rate general TV-news coverage of the turmoil?

I have been glued to the TV and read every newspaper I could get my hands on. If I had to grade the news community and business community, I’d give them an A. We are telling people what is happening and why it is impacting you and me.

Besides covering the news fairly, do you feel that it’s your job to try to be a calming influence on viewers?

Absolutely. You have to be very calm, well thought-out and reasonable. If you feed into the panic of what is going on with these financial institutions, you are going to create more fear. We at all times have to be very calm and very level-headed on why this is happening to these financial corporations. The last thing people should do is panic.