Bob Middleton
Bob Middleton is a television news reporter for WNBC-TV News who arrives in Amity to cover the escalating shark crisis, and his aggressive, on-the-spot reporting during the Fourth of July weekend beach opening captures the near-fatal attack on a teenage swimmer, forcing Chief Brody to close the beaches again and publicly acknowledge the town's dire situation.
Arrival and Interview
Middleton first appears on the afternoon of Saturday, June 26, driving a white panel truck with "WNBC-TV News" lettering to the Scotch Road beach, where Chief Brody is stationed on a dune. He introduces himself to Brody, saying, "They told me you'd be here. I'm Bob Middleton, Channel Four News." Middleton asks for an interview about the decision to open the beaches, and Brody, thinking a little publicity could not hurt the town now that the chances of anything happening seemed slim, agrees. Middleton sets up his crew—a cameraman named Walter and a sound man named Irv—and begins filming.
The Swimming Boy and the Shark
As Middleton prepares to interview Brody, a teenage boy named Jim Prescott accepts a ten-dollar bet from a friend to swim a hundred yards out. Middleton dashes past Brody and calls the boy back, saying, "I want to get some shots of you going into the water. Okay?" He then interviews the boy on camera, asking if he has any worries about what might be swimming out there with him. After the interview, Middleton directs the boy to run into the water and swim. While the boy is swimming, the Flicka, with Matt Hooper aboard, suddenly makes a tight, fast turn. Brody uses his walkie-talkie to ask Hooper what he sees, and Middleton shoves his microphone at Brody's face, sliding it between his mouth and the mouthpiece. Brody brushes it aside, but Middleton quickly jams it back. When Brody tells the boy to come in, Middleton says into the microphone, "Something is going on, ladies and gentlemen, but we don't know exactly what. All we know for sure is that Jim Prescott went swimming, and then suddenly a man on a boat out there saw something. Now Police Chief Brody is trying to get the boy to come ashore as fast as possible. It could be the shark, but we just don't know." As the boy struggles to shore, the shark's fin appears behind him. Middleton tells his cameraman, "There it is, Walter! See it?" and the cameraman zooms in. After the boy is safe, Middleton intercepts Brody and asks him to repeat what he said to the boy for the camera. Brody snaps, "Get out of my way!"
Final Interview and Departure
After the incident, Middleton asks Brody for the interview again. Brody, exhausted, agrees. Middleton asks, "Well, Chief Brody, that was a lucky break, wouldn't you say?" Brody replies, "It was very lucky. The boy might have died." Middleton then asks, "In retrospect, Chief, how do you feel about having opened the beaches today?" Brody answers, "How do I feel? What kind of question is that? Angry, annoyed, confused. Thankful that nobody got hurt. Is that enough?" Middleton says, "That's just fine, Chief. Thank you, Chief Brody." He then tells his crew, "Okay, Walter, that'll wrap it. Let's get home and start editing this mess." Middleton asks for a close, and after thinking for a moment, he delivers a line. He then gathers his crew and leaves, driving away in the white panel truck.
