A dispute over a roadside memorial in Boise, Idaho is playing out on local TV.
On Sunday, KTVB, the market’s Tegna-owned NBC affiliate, aired a story about a graveside gathering in memory of a 16-year-old car crash victim—which was prompted by a story KIVI, Scripps’ ABC affiliate, broadcast three weeks earlier. KTVB didn’t hide it; In the intro to Sunday’s story, the anchor mentioned “another news agency.”
Sunday’s story featured an interview with Haley Hill, whose sister, Shauna, was killed in the 2012 accident and is memorialized with a white cross where the accident occurred. The remembrance ceremony was a chance to honor Shauna, as well as reaffirm the family’s right to erect the roadside memorial to her, she said.
The gathering and its coverage, however, wasn't in the works until a story was broadcast on KIVI, Boise’s Scripps-owned ABC affiliate, in November, which featured a survivor of the crash who wants the memorial to come down.
In that first story, Kimberley Thomas discussed her ongoing struggles since the accident—anxiety, depression and PTSD—and how they are exacerbated by the memorial. “It’s like having it shoved in my face again,” she said.
You can watch the story KTVB aired Sunday here. KIVI’s story is below.
