The media pundit's pundit. Written by NYC insider Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine covers news, media, journalism, and politics.
Mediawatch: Help, please
: Monday at 8:30am, I’m to appear on Air America for what is supposed to become a weekly mediawatch segment, talking about the stories that got too little and too much coverage (and, yes, you know me, I won’t be following party lines; I’ll draw my own).
I want your help: Tell me here what stories you think got too little coverage and too much (Scott’s trial is already Hall of Fame in that category). And please do leave links to those stories. Thanks, partners.
Saw on Instapundit that CBS news publicists are now calling up bloggers to get the word out about 60 minutes stories. Of course, these are antiwar bloggers; but the media interest part of the story is in the new way CBS is choosing to market their news.
Sorry- I read the call for stories again and that was a little off topic. (The title “Mediawatch” and Jeff being a media commentator threw me off…)
Too little coverage — in the interests of equal time:
http://www.detnews.com/2004/metro/0412/07/D01-26277.htm
http://icdunbartonshire.icnetwork.co.uk/news/localnews/lennox/lennox/tm_objectid=14960415&method=full&siteid=78846&headline=wife-charged-with-murder-of-husband-name_page.html
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1208artmurder.html
The last one is particularly gruesome.
I remember in the summer of 2001 there was all this media coverage about shark attacks and child abductions. Whatever happened to that?!? :)
One aspect of the BALCO steroid case that has been under reported is the scam Greg Anderson was using to bring players on board.
http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/008072.php
MEDIA CONSOLIDATION/CROSS OWNERSHIP
Too little: the presidential candidates actual stands on the issues, as opposed to National Guard/Swift Boat noise. The mainstream media is only *now* covering the Bush plan to “reform” Social Security, for example. Until there is less media emphasis on the “horserace” aspects of political campaigns and more coverage of the way people will be affected by the election of one candidate or the other, campaign coverage will continue to be a joke.
Maybe I am missing it, but where is the coverage on our missing Chief Justice? I was reading a online forum with Howard Kurtz the other week and he even said the lack of coverage was interesting and prabably warrented some more attention. I respect that he is ill, but he also holds an extremely important position in our government.
Air America? Make sure the pay you in cash, and accept only American currency.
Here’s your topic.
Why is the Washington Times, the most useless piece of disinformation out there, never criticized by the other media whores like the so called liberal media is?
Too little: Sony vs. Kottke, of course
“Why is the Washington Times, the most useless piece of disinformation out there, never criticized by the other media whores like the so called liberal media is?”
Because they want to raise your blood-pressure medicine bill, Rob! ;)
This story could, I think, have used a lot more attention.
That G’damn “parents on strike” that seems to be everywhere, including interviews with these yokels. I mean, this is a stock sitcom plot. What’s next, a hard hitting interview with a guy who had two simultaneous dates?
Several things come to mind, Jeff. In no particular order:
Too little:
The Democrats returning to same-o, same-o.
The FCC’s spectrum non-plans.
The censorship debate.
Too much:
Cursory “examinations” of red state values. Get beyond the surface, people.
Celebrity journalism.
“Why is the Washington Times, the most useless piece of disinformation out there, never criticized by the other media whores like the so called liberal media is?”
I’m assuming to have an opinion that is the the most useless piece of disinformation out there, you read it. So why do you read it?
Under-reported: Efforts by losing Washington state Democrat Chris Gregoire to change the rules on a third count of the governor’s race in order to manufacture enough votes to win. Covered only by the Sound Politics blog.
Over-reported: Howard Stern likes hookers, dwarves, and porn stars.
Obviously, the most under-reported and/or negligently mis-reported story of the past decade has been the whole topic of illegal immigration. The media is part of the problem because most of them are “liberals”, and most bloggers are either part of the problem or they ignore the issue.
The Intelligence Reform Bill received very little attention from blogdom, and the media refused to cover the whole story.
Closer to AirAmerica’s home: when will they get back on the air in Los Angeles, so I can continue monitoring them for BoreAmerica.com? And, when will Janeane go back to her natural hair color?
I’d also like confirmation/strongly-worded denial of this: “Randi Rhodes (Air America) Banished From Demo Convention Floor By Al Franken???” And, was the Christmas tree ever tested to confirm or deny Randi’s claims of innocence?
The most under-reported has to be the Oil for Food corruption scandal.
CNN spent a good part of a day on the “Rummy question”. And the thing I wonder is, if this lone question was suddenly such massive news, why didn’t they take as much notice of armor shortages earlier, when it didn’t seem to embarrass the administration. You know, earlier, when it was merely a non-political question of the safety of the military.
Fox spent the same day moaning about 1-2 communities overdoing prohibitions of religion in Xmas displays. Fox’s main bias, more evident than their righty bias: anything even slightly “anti-Christian” is played at maximum volume.
I like shell’s answer better than mine: the Oil for Food scandal has been by far the most under-reported story of the year.
The most over-reported story of the year, on second thought, is the Vietnam War. It turns out it ended 35 years ago, but the MSM treated it like hot news until Nov. 3 (when they started over-reporting the Values Gap.)
Totally missed biggest: North Korea is a Black Hole, and you can see it.
Totally overreported while also underreported: the Ice Age has ended. [This news continues to come as a surprise.]
Totally missed biggest: North Korea is a Black Hole, and you can see it.
Totally overreported while also underreported: the Ice Age has ended. [This news continues to come as a surprise.]
Need I say it again?
The most under-reported has to be the Oil for Food corruption scandal.
Google “oil for food scandal” 102,000 hits. Yeah, that’s real under-reporting. I’m surprised a dumbass like you has even heard of it with so little being written about it.
McClelland makes an interesting charge. I went through the first ten pages of Google hits looking for a link to the NY Times, LA Times, CBS, or NBC and didn’t find one. To their credit, the WaPo did show up three times (out of a hundred) and ABC came up once.
So Oil for Food is indeed a story that the MSM tried to bury, and Google proves it.
under-reported? how about the economy. let’s leave it to our kids and their kids to clean up our mess.
So Oil for Food is indeed a story that the MSM tried to bury, and Google proves it.
Your definition of what constitutes the MSM is buffoonish.
My suggestion for a story that gets too little [read none] coverage: Prevalent, and persistent errors in media health reports.
“Your definition of what constitutes the MSM is buffoonish.”
Apparently the NY Times, LA Times, CBS, and NBC aren’t part of it. Right, Rob?