As Newtown, Conn., prepares to mark one year since the shooting that left 28 people dead, broadcasters say they will respect the wishes of the town and refrain from sending news teams to the area to cover the anniversary.
NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, CNN, and HLN all told Mashable that planned coverage would not include sending reporters to the area.
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Newtown is located in southwest Connecticut and has a population of about 27,500. The town was deluged with media after the shooting, which led to requests that journalists leave the area.
On-the-ground reporting may be a staple of broadcast, but the gravity of the topic and the request from the town were enough to convince the outlets to keep away.
"We will be able to report that story fully and mark that sad anniversary, but we did not see the need to have a physical presence in that town on such a sensitive day," says Jeffrey Schneider, a spokesman for ABC News. "There are no public events happening there and to simply show up so that someone can do a stand up [interview] didn't make any sense."
An NBC spokesperson wrote in a statement: “NBC News is respecting the town’s wishes and our broadcasts have no plans to be in Newtown for the anniversary."
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