Monday, July 12, 2010

"Barefoot Bandit" makes all 5 p.m. newscasts, no mention of VanGilder's passing

The 5 p.m. newscasts on KOAM, KODE, and KSNF all gave prominent play to the capture of the so-called "Barefoot Bandit," a story that had no connection whatsoever to this area, but not one mentioned the death of historian/journalist Marvin VanGilder, a fixture in southwest Missouri events for seven decades.

The programs also found time to mention the top movies at the box office over the weekend, in case anyone really wanted to know.

Marvin VanGilder played a key role in many of the historical functions that have been covered by the local stations over the years, and has been interviewed numerous times, so undoubtedly footage was available.

Sadly, my guess is no one even thought about it being newsworthy.

Hopefully, something is planned for the late newscasts or for tomorrow.

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