The SLA Shootout

Barry Farrell’s compelling account of the Symbionese Liberation Army shootout (“In a Let-Burn Situation,” May 9) brought back memories of that incredible day. As executive producer for KNXT News (now KCBS-TV, Channel 2), I was involved in what, almost accidentally, became the seminal event in the birth of “live”minicam news coverage.

The minicam came of age on May 17, 1974. But since then, it has permitted competitive TV news producers to blur the line between news and entertainment. The pursuit of legitimate news has given way to car chases and such that lead each broadcast simply because they are “live.”

Dan Gingold

Sherman Oaks

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Three years before that shootout, several members of the SLA were either my journalism students or shared the campus of a short-lived, radical community college in Oakland. Eventually, the SLA’s more sordid aspects (the assassination of Marcus Foster, for one) served as a wake-up call; many supporters slipped away or worked quietly without fanfare to effect change.

Now, when no one seems able to stir up passion for protest, the continuing fascination for those who once did is not surprising. In view of the increasing violence and social disintegration in the world, we need to reassert some of the old moral commitment to social change and move the focus away from self-interest and financial success.

Ken Winkle

Los Angeles