Smart Cameras in the Subway

Analysis:

This news piece ran during FOX 17’s “Tech Trend” segment. This segment often consists of Video News Releases made by corporations promoting a specific product or service. This particular piece has many of the earmarks of a VNR in that it has plenty of footage that was obviously not filmed by the local FOX affiliate but it is not sourced as coming from the parent network. Most likely this story was provided by a separate entity and then the local FOX station had their newsreader read the script over the provided footage. Unlike many segments which are promoting a new product, this piece is promoting new government security measures. While the majority of VNR’s are from Private companies, many are provided by governmental agencies as well. The piece is made to resemble a news story and while it includes an opposing voice, the story is framed in such a way as to dismiss that voice. This is near the end of the story when the NY Civil Liberties Union spokespersons comments are rebutted with “get over it”, a statement attributed to a commuter who is framed as representing the majority of public transportation users. This statement from the commuter is further reinforced by saying that the commuter’s brother was near 9/11, a fact that clearly does not have much to do with the actual issues involved but is included to provoke an emotional response.

Story:

Fox 17 Newsreader – Toni Catanzaro takes a New Jersey Transit train to New York’s Penn station every day. And every day she worries about her safety.

Toni Catanzaro – Usually this train is so crowded especially at this time, so people are kind of hanging out in between the cars. So sometimes it’s unsettling.

Newsreader – But each morning when she begins her commute there are cameras watching her. That’s because New Jersey has already installed over fourteen hundred surveillance cameras with so-called “smart” technology in its train stations. Among other things it helps authorities identify suspicious packages, even suspicious behavior.

Joseph Bober (NJ Transit Police Chief) – We spotted baggage that was left unattended and it helped us solve it before we literally had to shut down the system. And that was during the Republican National convention so it was very beneficial for us, and beneficial for the customer.

Newsreader – On Tuesday New York City’s Metropolitan transit Authority unveiled its own plan: price tag two hundred twelve hundred dollars to place one thousand cameras with similar technology through the cities vast network of train and bus stations, bridges and tunnels. It’s the countries most complex and most used transportation system. The goal is to avoid the type of attack that hit London this summer.

Police – This object has been left and it’s flashing red, that’s what issued our alert.

Katherine Lapin (MTA Executive Director) – This is cutting edge technology for a transit environment. As we begin to identify workable bioterrorism systems, chemical and explosives detection systems, those will be hooked up into this.

Newsreader – Critics say the money would be better spent on manpower.

Donna Lieberman (NY Civil Liberties Union) – Cameras can’t prevent a crime, they can’t jump in and stop a crime from happening, they can’t jump in to help a passenger in distress.

Newsreader – Commuters like Toni Catanzaro say “get over it.” Her brother was near ground zero and survived 9/11. In this day and age, she says the more eyes watching the better.

Newsreader – For more on high tech security cameras go to our website. Go to wxmi.com and hit news links.

Total Time: 2 minutes