If It Bleeds

A few nights ago, it was 11 pm, and I was switching channels.  I don't generally watch local news--unless it literally happens on my block, the big story that night in Los Angeles doesn't mean much to me.

Nevertheless, I checked out channels 2 (CBS), 4 (NBC) and 7 (ABC) to see what the headline for the day was.  You might think these three all open with the same story, and I'm sure on many days they do--a new law passed by the city, a Presidential visit, an earthquake, whatever.  But most days, with reporters going all over southern California to see what's happening, it's up to the executive producer to decide what to lead with.

On 2, the big story was a plane accident where someone died.  On 4, the big story was a car accident where someone died. On 7, the big story was a boat accident where someone died.

So there it is, trouble everywhere you look, land, sea and sky.  Did each channel have their story exclusively?  (Seems doubtful, since anyone with a police scanner could know what's happening.) Did each channel have all three stories and decide which death they preferred?  For that matter, did the channels confer and decide who got which fatal story?  People are dying to know.