Channel 12, Kathleen Walter - Poor taste never ready for prime time

Yesterday was the Lake Worth Holiday parade. This parade, along with the Street Painting Festival, are one of Lake Worth's signature events. Jodie Wagner at the Palm Beach Post wrote an excellent story about the parade you can read here. Here is an excerpt:

More than 5,000 spectators are expected to line downtown streets Saturday for the city’s annual holiday parade.

Featuring floats, antique cars, marching bands, twirlers and other performance groups, the 48th annual event promises plenty of family friendly fun, said Juan Ruiz, the city’s leisure services director.

“It’s probably our biggest event that provides a community bonding opportunity for everyone to come out and celebrate the holidays,” he said. “Parades in Lake Worth are really popular. They love parades in our town.”

This last Friday night, Kathleen Walter from Channel 12 came to Lake Worth to do a news story, something altogether different than the story by Jodie Wagner. Keep in mind the following day was the Lake Worth Holiday parade, however Kathleen Walter was determined to do a story on the controversial "invocation" issue in the City of Lake Worth. Remember, the atheist invocation by Preston Smith was 12 days ago. Not exactly what you would call "breaking news". A citizen in Deerfield Beach now wants to do a 'satanic' invocation in Lake Worth. [Note: Not reported by Kathleen Walter, Deerfield Beach has an invocation at their city commission meetings. Reverend Fulmore from the Church of the Living God gave the last invocation.]

This satanic 'invocation' could be months away, if it ever happens at all. From a news perspective, again, this story could be broadcast any time. I spoke with someone yesterday in the downtown who relayed their interaction with Kathleen Walter and her/his pleas for Channel 12 to do a positive story about Lake Worth and the Holiday Parade, to no avail. 

Instead Kathleen Walter reported this story on Lake Worth, the night before the Lake Worth Holiday Parade. We understand that she was trolling for a negative point-of-view during the evening. As part of Kathleen Walter's story she included the tree lighting ceremony from Friday night as a backdrop and here is the screen grab:

If you are not offended, you should be. If you are a resident of Lake Worth (or for that matter, a resident of Palm Beach County) I would strongly suggest you not watch Channel 12 news or communicate with anyone at Channel 12. For residents outside the City of Lake Worth know this: if this kind of offensive reporting could happen to our city, it could happen to yours too. 

Finally, Kathleen Walter has an impressive résumé. She knows how to do news reporting. Why shouldn't the City of Lake Worth get the same professional treatment she would give any other story? The City of Lake Worth deserves better.