Boston-based WBZ-CBS, the official broadcaster of yesterday's Boston Marathon, "made the most of its unparalleled access to the 26.2 miles of the course and had camera crews who stayed at times a footstep ahead of the elite runners," according to Mark Perigard of the BOSTON HERALD. Analyst Toni Reavis was "knowledgeable and enthusiastic, with an uncanny ability to get inside competitors’ heads based on their strides." However, the station "suffered technical hiccups at key moments during the women’s race" when the image "just froze." It also "seemed as if there was a commercial break every three minutes." Perigard: "But give WBZ credit for finding a way to pay the bills and keep the race coverage going with the use of a split-screen." Meanwhile, NECN's coverage "seemed so tranquil, it might have been in another city," whereas WHDH-NBC and WFXT-Fox "zeroed in on security checkpoints and marked the scale of law enforcement’s reach" (BOSTON HERALD, 4/22).
EYES OF THE WORLD: Last night's nightly news editions on ABC, CBS and NBC all led with coverage of the Boston Marathon, with reports from Boston and highlights of the event. This morning's edition of NBC's "Today" led with co-host Natalie Morales discussing her experience running in yesterday's race, while both ABC's "GMA" and "CBS This Morning" reported on the marathon about 15 minutes into the broadcast (THE DAILY). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Hilary Lewis noted ABC, NBC and CBS before the race began yesterday all "devoted multiple reports on their morning shows to the massive security and resilience of this year's runners." All three shows began with reports about the marathon, with anchors in N.Y. "throwing to reporters on the scene in Boston" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 4/21).
ALL THE NEWS FIT TO PRINT: Numerous newspapers across the country featured an image from the marathon on their front page today, including the N.Y. Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. The following are a sampling of headlines from how the race played out (THE DAILY).
Arizona Republic: "Runners Take Back Boston"
Boston Globe: "Unstoppable"
Boston Herald: "Boston USA"
Charlotte Observer: "A Triumph Over Terror"
Dallas Morning News: "'We Know How To Endure'"
Hartford Courant: "Spirit Is Back"
Miami Herald: "With Every Step, Utter Defiance"
Reno Gazette-Journal: "'You Could Feel The Love'"
San Diego Union-Tribune: "Meb's Run To Glory"
South Bend Tribune: "America Strong"
