In Reporting Harman’s Death, Kansas City Stations Talk To Colleagues, Urge Depression Awareness

By Merrill Knox 

As WDAF mourned the death of meteorologist Don Harman, all three rival stations in Kansas City struggled with how to report the sad details surrounding the story. KSHB, KMBC and KCTV all reported on Harman, in varying degrees of detail, on their respective evening broadcasts last night.

Of the three, only NBC-affiliate KSHB included Harman’s cause of death, which is listed on the police report as a suicide, in reporting the story. The station included recollections of Harman from Toby Cook, a former anchor at WDAF, and concluded each report with information on depression, urging viewers to get help if they know someone who needs it.

CBS-affiliate KCTV also talked with a colleague of Harman’s, WDAF chief meteorologist Mike Thompson. “He’s an integral part of the Fox 4 family,” Thompson said. “He’s going to be be greatly missed. It’s going to take us a little while. It’s like a sucker punch.”

Advertisement

Advertisement