Albany Grade School on “CBS Sunday Morning”

May reminds me of the week in 1981 when CBS News came to Albany,  Illinois. The week and the news show which followed gave us all insight as to how the media frames, or some might say slants, a story. In this case, the story certainly was about the students at Albany Grade School, but it is obvious the producers wanted viewers to look at the story as a frightening event.

Thirty-seven (37) years later, the students are all grown and most are parents. The first graders are in their mid-forties. Some are even grandparents. The town remains, but the school is closed. The school was not a victim of being close to the power plant, but rather because there are fewer students in the rural areas. The power plant remains operational, although the new owner threatened to shut it down unless the Illinois legislature offered tax breaks given to solar and wind electrical generation.

Was there ever a real danger? Readers have to decide for themselves, but consider this. No member of the public has ever died in the United States from a release of radiation from a nuclear power plant. Estimates on annual public deaths from coal fired plant pollution in both the US and Europe are roughly equivalent to the deaths from automobile accidents (40,000-50,000 each) Some of the  students in the drill have died way before their time, but not because of the plant. 

I was troubled by the psychologist. It appears she somehow equated nuclear power plants with nuclear war. She asked "if ever a generation had to face annihilation". From a power plant? I wonder if she even gave a thought to those Jewish kids facing concentration camp during war! What were her thoughts when “ethnic cleansing” occurred in Bosnia, during war. It seems she had an agenda and it was not clear to me how we were facing annihilation. 

They interviewed the science teacher’s spouse and watched their children play at the park. They interviewed the banker and his spouse, the principal, the fourth grade teacher and his spouse and none of them said they were afraid. Yet the story makes it seem scary. The spokesperson for the company seemed pretty nervous, and I do feel she was shook up by all of the cameras. She might have been the only victim of the drill.

Who wasn’t interviewed? The science teacher, who, along with his buddy the fourth grade teacher, weekly collected environmental samples for the nuclear power plant. The science teacher who was responsible for teaching students about nuclear power. The science teacher who was cut from the scene as he followed his students on to the bus. It was nice they interviewed Connie and she interviewed well especially since she had no warning of the filming.

Feel sorry because I wasn't filmed or interviewed ? Don’t. I have been on TV more than a person should be as you may see if your continue to follow this blog. It is nice to see my family and my friends when they much younger and enjoy the fashions and hairstyles. Fortunately everyone who was interviewed is still alive to remember this show.

The tape was made before we all had cell phone cameras, video recorders or even  VCRs. It was copied from a local station tape, and because of that the video is poor quality, and cut a little bit too much in the beginning and end.  

It made for an nice segment on CBS Sunday Morning. The  story was edited to state a position, probably to help ratings shortly after 3 Mile Island had a partial meltdown, and it didn't lie; that is, it wasn't fake.  I shared it because it was an interesting thing to happen in a small rural Illinois town. Enjoy the video and see what you think. It is about 12 minutes long, and you will need to go back to Facebook to see it.