Liveshot: Journalistic Heroism in Philadelphia
by Tom Kranz · February 2023
Bullets flying. Choking teargas. Angry crowds chanting for justice. Eleven dead people, five of them children. This is the epic true story of the intrepid journalists of a Philadelphia television news department whose creativity and dedication brought the 1985 MOVE disaster to a live television audience. Told through the eyes of the field producer who coordinated much of the live coverage, Liveshot documents the step by step process the news staff of WCAU-TV followed to research the story, plan coverage and, most importantly, improvise as the story unfolded. The incredible team work of the reporters in the field, producers and editors in the newsroom and the managers in charge earned WCAU the Columbia-Dupont Award for excellence in journalism. Did local governments and police departments learn anything from the travesty that occurred in West Philadelphia in 1985? You be the judge.
Hi, friends.
This non-fiction book means a lot to me. It was written in the mid 1980's shortly after the events unfolded in West Philadelphia that brought my colleagues and me at WCAU-TV out to cover. There was no internet, no Google, no cellphones at the time. Research was done at the Free Library of Philadelphia and by reviewing taped airchecks over and over while transcribing them with a pen and paper. Even though the story happened in 1985, there are lessons here about covering the news and government overreach.
— Tom Kranz
About Liveshot: Journalistic Heroism in Philadelphia
Bullets flying. Choking teargas. Angry crowds chanting for justice. Eleven dead people, five of them children. This is the epic true story of the intrepid journalists of a Philadelphia television news department whose creativity and dedication brought the 1985 MOVE disaster to a live television audience. Told through the eyes of the field producer who coordinated much of the live coverage, Liveshot documents the step by step process the news staff of WCAU-TV followed to research the story, plan coverage and, most importantly, improvise as the story unfolded. The incredible team work of the reporters in the field, producers and editors in the newsroom and the managers in charge earned WCAU the Columbia-Dupont Award for excellence in journalism. Did local governments and police departments learn anything from the travesty that occurred in West Philadelphia in 1985? You be the judge.
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Tom Kranz
Tom Kranz is a writer and podcaster. He is a native of Philadelphia, where he attended Temple University and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications. His career as a journalist took him to radio, television, and online platforms, followed by twelve years as a corporate communications director. He also served as a volunteer EMT for 22 years in his New Jersey town.
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