Nothing in the media is as necessarily ghoulish as a “death watch.” From the Shah to the Pope to Terri Schiavo. Some preparations are more over the top than others.
In prepping for the inevitable demise of Pope John Paul II, ABC News has strategically positioned robotic (remote-controlled) cameras around the Vatican for instant live shots. And in a gambit to insulate itself from “rooftop envy,” ABC has been renting out hotel rooms near the Vatican for years.