Media decked out in holiday stories

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: Media decked out in holiday stories : Phil Rosenthal | Media : November 28, 2008 : You can call them media traditions. You can call them media cliches. In any case, December is overstuffed with them like no other month on the calendar. : 'Tis the season. : They're the same reports you see every December, most varying only ever so slightly in style and specifics. : Some are actually useful or at least offer the comfort of consistency, and others are innocuous. But there are more than a few that should have been retired with afternoon newspapers and hand-drawn TV weather maps. : There's nothing wrong with the ritual of compiling best and worst lists as argument starters, thoughtful remembrances of the people we've lost and other carefully considered reviews of the year coming to a close and forecasts for the year ahead. : That said, the only person whose list of who's naughty and nice that matters is named Santa Claus, and lists of proposed gifts for celebrities, newsmakers and others of note are rarely novel or entertaining enough to be worth the trouble. : Ditto for variations on "The Night Before Christmas," "A Christmas Carol," "It's a Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street" and any holiday song. : Gift guides can be helpful. So can holiday recipes and cooking tips and a list of when and on what channels holiday specials will air. This year's ideas on how to entertain on a budget are likely to resonate more than in years past. : But stories hyping a toy that's so popular you can't get it are utterly useless unless offset by information such as what you can tell your kids to make them glad they won't be getting it (i.e. Tickle Me Elmo's laughing fits are really a cry for help). : Is it impossible to talk about the weather for Dec. 25 without a reference to "White Christmas"? : It never hurts to remind people not to drink and drive. Telling them that it's a mistake to overimbibe at the office Christmas party ought to be unnecessary, unless there's a really great YouTube video to accompany it. : December is when the media revisit stories from earlier in the year. It's when they give out awards and analyze who ought to get the similar annual awards that others will give. : When the college football bowl lineups are announced, we're going to hear the same arguments we do every year about how it's an imperfect system to determine the national championship, often accompanied by suggested improvements that are equally imperfect. : Between the ads, there will be debates about the commercialization of Christmas. : Does anyone really care what the cost of giving all the gifts in "The 12 Days of Christmas" would be? It's expensive, impractical and silly, and always has been. And, if you really must know, any "true love" who feels it necessary to give that many golden rings in that short a span is either feeling guilty about something or is very, very insecure—or both. : It is important to identify what laws and tax breaks will change with the new year. : We'll be reminded of winter parking restrictions and to check on folks whose heat might have been shut off. We'll also be told not to put space heaters where they can trigger fires, not to leave lit candles unattended and, if we might be prone to a heart attack, to take care shoveling snow. : But doesn't everyone already know that last-minute shoppers will be out trying to get gifts and maybe some bargains, and that the day after Christmas people will be returning gifts and maybe some bargains? : We're going to see shots of post office conveyor belts loaded with cards and packages, midnight mass and Hanukkah menorahs. : Local TV news can't resist homes with elaborate lighting displays and trees getting lit up. : Stories on military personnel getting to talk to their far-off families can tug at the heartstrings. Noting acts of and opportunities for charity may inspire more charity, even in tough times, including the oft-repeated story of an anonymous donor dropping a gold coin into a collection jar. : Santa and his sleigh will be tracked on radar, satellite, Google Earth, GPS or some other aerial surveillance, more for the amusement of parents than kids, who probably don't watch, listen to or read the news. : Any media person who is making New Year's resolutions is hereby encouraged to keep them to himself or herself. Even if they're suggesting resolutions for someone else. Especially if they're for someone else. : But is there a bigger cliche in December news than the holiday TV airport report? : The airport, regardless of whether it's as crowded as in years past, will be busy. Airlines still will suggest travelers arrive at the airport early and pack sensibly with security restrictions in mind. Weather will be a factor … somewhere. : If it weren't for the fact that some of the airlines that used to be around aren't anymore, few would notice if they reran a report from 10 years ago, depending on how fashion-forward the reporter. : It's like the reporters sent to stand and shiver by the expressways every time it snows to note that if you're waiting for someone to come home, they might be stuck in traffic. : You never know. They could be out doing last-minute shopping for a partridge in a pear tree on the cheap and making a resolution to remember next year it's usually busy at the airport around the holidays. : (Chicago Tribune)

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