*Pre-note this was written the day Anna Nicole Smith died and as far as I can tell I was on the nose…I am so happy for the Cartoon Network.
So today’s top headliner is going to be the death of Anna Nicole Smith. We won’t be able to escape it. All other news will be out the window. I am willing to bet that Good Morning America, the Today Show, and CBS News along with the various entertainment channels and entertainment shows will recount the story over and over. They will either describe Smith in negative ways such as the Fox News headline “Anna Nicole Smith Dies…Outrageous ex-Playmate dies after collapsing at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in
It’s moments like these that the news becomes so obsessive you wonder what else is happening in the world. It’s also odd to think what we’ve become attracted to hearing tragic storylines. While I am still trying to get a clear picture of what’s happening in the Scooter Libby trial the media will be doing biographies of Anna Nicole Smith for the next few weeks. I am not discounting her death. She’s just one person the media turned into a celebrity and the public’s need to know every detail of her life just didn’t help. The lines are becoming so blurry between what the media considers hard news and soft news.
I frequently hop from one news web-site to the next and I can’t help but notice what different stories are the headliners for today on various news sites.
- BBC news (international version) web-site is “Palestinian rivals in unity deal” and a small picture of Anna Nicole Smith.
- The
- CNN.com- “CPR fails to save Anna Nicole Smith”
- The NY Times- lead story is “Palestinians Announce Unity Deal”
- NPR.org-“Libby’s Attorneys Pick at Russert’s Account of Leak”
The examples above are only of print media. If you’ve ever watched Good Morning America, the Today Show, CBS News, and Fox News during the morning, it’s always intriguing to notice what their top 3 stories are and what order importance they place these stories. It sometimes reads like a who’s who of celebrity news or if the viewer is lucky they hear the hard news first before the entertainment.
It just reminds me that as a person who wants to know what’s happening in the world I should be vigilant to check every available source of information I can find and never take for granted that I do have access and the ability to conclude my own views about the world.
3 comments:
Admittedly, I'm one of those that love sensationalism. But, what I noticed about Smith's death was, for the first few days she was the top story, UNTIL the autopsy proved nothing! She instantly went to the middle or sidelines on the news pages I read on the Internet. It's not "newsworthy" if it doesn't bring in cash or viewers. That's the bottom line. You'll see her back in the headlines in about 3-4 weeks when the forensics come back. It is pretty sad that our society is more focused on subjects of this matter instead of interests that will have far-reaching affects like global warming. I, abashedly, admit, I'm part of the problem. But I do love it.
I was shocked how quickly and basically how I found out about Anna's death myself... I was sent a text message from KUBE that she died just hours before... and had to double check my source to be sure! And low and behold checking online it was the BREAKING news on most any website news. And for the last few days its all anyone can talk about and I am glad that it is hitting closer to the back burner, but I know it isn't over yet, there will be a few more headline news, before we fully put this story to rest, or until something else more sensational jumps in and steals the spotlight!
Thanks for your perspective, I thought I was going crazy because I didn't care that Ms. Smith died. In fact I don't think I've looked at a headline or watched a news show since that day last week because I was annoyed at the media's portrayal of this woman. Of course, this is just my opinion and I fully repect what might bring others pleasure. Soft news and hard news are being blurred and it seems the ratio of soft:hard news in media coverage is also changing. Your last paragraph was very insightful and a good reminder that we are not forced to be sponges of the media-we can use our own minds and draw our own conclusions.
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