I heard the KSFO Morning Zoo on Monday. I sort of had the feeling they would do what they do best: spew out more vile content. Offer contrived same-old-shit arguments. They are not only nuts, but predictable.
Sussman? Does anyone really take the guy seriously? Have you heard his guests? Fringe bizarros bring forward the same. Sussman is beyond reproach. Just listen to him and his guns.
Melanie: What's the matter? You're questioning whether Obama was really crying. Now that's sort of mean and out of place, don't you think? I hope you were kidding, Mel, 'cause you have hope. It's the GUNman who isn't kidding. Kinda scary.
--Limbaugh: Wonder what he'll say about Newtown. I'll bet you it'll be plain predictable and something stupid. That's how it works on right-wing radio. Big bucks.
--Leave it to Michael Savage to offer a brilliant, humane, and insightful reaction to the horrific events on Friday in Newtown. Yeah, that guy...Savage. Pointedly unpredictable and a true voice of reason when it mattered most.
---As I said on Friday, leave the kids alone, TV/radio people--NO interviews. Parental consent, maybe, and even then, we don't need to make them more uncomfortable in this screwed-up world--enough is enough. Get creative. Talk to the parents, sure, but spare the kids, really.
Personal note: Somehow I didn't care about the football game on Sunday, did you?
*Follow me on Twitter
"Leave it to Michael Savage to offer a brilliant, humane, and insightful reaction to the horrific events on Friday in Newtown. Yeah, that guy...Savage. Pointedly unpredictable and a true voice of reason when it mattered most."
ReplyDeleteRich, allow me to repost your comments, that way, the liberals that troll your blog will be less likely to miss it. They can and will gloss it over and discredit Savage to satisfy their backward ideology. What a hopeless bunch.
At the same time, when Savage acts like a racist pig and calls Latino immigrants Apocalypto Men he should be called on it...
DeleteUnlike you I'll wait to hear what the "brilliant, insightful" one will say before passing judgement.
Delete@956, wake up, the Savage show was on Friday....it was on par with his 9/11/01 show...
DeleteSavage said this at the opening of his radio talk show on Friday night:
Delete"Here's the question for the day:
it's the big question, and I'm going to be very specific in what I say.
What would you do to revise gun laws to prevent another massacre? I realize it's sacrilege and against the protocols of the conservative movement."
He went on ...
* No guns for those on anti-depressants.
* Maybe we need to censor the movies.
Surprisingly and in a welcome development, Savage did call for gun laws to be "revised" on Friday night's program. However, he then on went to blast the "medical-pharmaceutical complex" as somehow being responsible for mentally-ill persons becoming mass murderers.
DeleteMichael Savage ...
Delete"A true voice of reason..."
What are you smoking, Rich?
@2:38 most of the recent mass killers have been on antidepressants, I am beginning to believe all those drugs are having an effect in the minds of these lunatics. The Columbine shooters were on such drugs too. Don't be so quick to dismiss Dr. Savage's indictment of the pharmaceuticals who even have drugs for shyness!! This nation is full of junkies both illegal drugs and prescription drugs.
DeleteRich, sorry to burst your bubble but Savage just backtracked and claims he was misquoted and never called for gun control. He is now back to his predictable self: blaming movies, video games, Harvey Weinstein and Quentin Tarantino. Sounds like a bait and switch from the old vitamin salesman...
DeleteI agree. Leave the kids alone. They are already traumatized by the event. Interviewing them just makes the trauma worse.
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to journalistic integrity, if there ever was such a thing?
Do what it takes to manufacture a story. Never know when something this horrific will happen again.
Some of the children interviewed have been incredibly poised and well-spoken and clearly weren't intimidated or harmed by speaking. The parents are the ones deciding what suits their child. Reporters are there to cover the story. The observations of direct witnesses who wish to speak publically should be heard. You don't have to listen. One shouldn't assume, absent other information, that speaking openly is bad for the child who does so and whose parents allow it.
DeleteMichael Savage, "a true voice of reason." You just lost whatever remaining shred of credibility you had as a media critic with that absurd declaration.
ReplyDeleteThe point isn't lost on us that YOU, too, are manifestly guilty of exploiting, amplifying and hyping the Newtown shooting tragedy to crank up interest in your blog and radio program. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Funny how you "didn't care about the football game on Sunday," but that didn't stop you from interviewing a Ken Korach, a sports reporter, and talking about sports for an hour on Saturday night.
Take a good, long hard look at yourself in the mirror.
Did Michael Savage just crap in his own bed? Did he "jump the shark" by calling for more stringent gun control?
ReplyDeleteHe's a late convert. Get real. He's no trailblazer. Where has he been while progressives have been fighting for more stringent gun control for the past several decades only to be thwarted by Savage and his right-wing ilk?
I wouldn't call his late, albeit welcome, acknowledgment of reality, "brilliant, humane and insight."
Why are you jumping all over Rich for devoting an hour to media coverage of pro sports on Saturday night? I don't get it.
DeleteYou didn't care about Sunday's football game, but you spent an hour interviewing a sports reporter and talking about sports on Saturday night. Did you have an overnight change of heart?
ReplyDeleteHey... Forget about Michael Savage for a moment. Your comments on "Lieberman Live" this weekend about gun violence were full of candor, courage and conviction. Give yourself a pat on the back.
ReplyDeleteRich's treatment of media coverage of the Newtown tragedy on "Lieberman Live" really rose to the occasion. It was, in a word, exemplary.
DeleteRick's blog attacking media personalities on Newtown is classic throw it against the wall and see what sticks.
DeleteSome folks apparently cared a lot about the game. Check this out from The Grio:
ReplyDeletehttp://thegrio.com/2012/12/17/take-that-n-word-off-the-tv-we-wanna-watch-football-twitter-community-erupts-to-obamas-nfl-preemption/
In spite of Rich's holier that thou - "somehow I didn't care about the football game on Sunday", I was interested and watched.
ReplyDeleteWe know that Rich isn't really much of a sports guy. His heavy-handed comment is just a statement he's making about himself, how sensitive and wise he is. A lot of people watched the football game, how many listened to Rich's radio show?
So why did Rich spend an entire hour on Saturday night discussing sports media coverage? Did he wake up with a change of heart?
DeleteYeah sure, Ignore the Usual Suspects, just listen to me, Rich Lieberman.
ReplyDeleteSavage coming out for gun control: A moment of rare insight and clarity? This is the same Michael Savage that has voiced doubts about President Obama's birth certificate, has called the president a "Marxist" and a "communist" whose policies are destroying the country, and whose xenophobic and racist battle cry is "borders, language and culture." So why the sudden about turn on gun control? Easy, Savage is more an entertainer than a true ideologue, which is why he said, "Remember one thing: radio is primarily an entertainment medium."
ReplyDeleteRich: You've got to book the incomparably great Michael Savage as a guest on "Lieberman Alive." Can you pull it off?
ReplyDelete9:57: If anyone can, Rich is the one with the gravitas.
DeleteGreat post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt was vile on KSFO this morning. Melanie Morgan has a hatred of the president to the extent that she has said, going back to when he ran for president the FIRST time, that she cannot stand to watch him or listen to him.
She reinforced this view this morning when she said she couldn't watch the president last night.
Here's a question for Melanie: why do you hate our president so much that you cannot watch/listen to him? Why do you have such a visceral reaction to him?
In my opinion, her revulsion with the president goes beyond his "socialist" poltiics.
And, by the way, Brian The Stupid Sussman, President Obama is NOT a socialist. And, no, I did not vote for him. He is the Wall Street lite candidate. I also did not vote for the Wall Street heavy candidate. I did not vote because there is no longer true conservatives voting for. They are all nutso people like Melanie The Meanie Morgan and Brian The Stupid Sussman who claim conservatism but who represent views that come from a very dark place.
And, they are ignorant.
For you, Rich, although I do not know Melanie personally like you, and I'm sure she is friendly toward you, when it comes to the president, her visceral revulsion of him definitely stands out in HER OWN WORDS.
These two idiots actually believe Obama is socialist. Read The Rolling Stone and Matt Taibbi's columns about how the Obama administration has done nothing but prop up and protect the vulture capitalists on Wall Street, how banks that are too big to fail have been protected from any federal prosecution from their cheating ways.
Socialist, my ass, Sussman, you idiot. Sussman makes it so easy to counter his conspiracy-believing gusets. Just as easy as it is to counter stupid Sussman's economic arguments, his oft-repeated lie that Obama is a socialist (actually in Stupid Sussman's words, " a skinny socialist") and Stupid Sussman's nutso enviromental wacko views claiming there is no climate change to worry about. What a nut case you are.
On the traffic gal called B.S. on Melanie Morgan and Brian Sussman this morning. I didn't know she had a brain and heart, but she does and I respect her for not opting to endorse the view of two self-professed "Christians" who are nothing but haters and the opposite of anything Christ spoke about regarding personal actions.
I watched the game as I'm a longtime Niner fan, but, esp. at the beginning, it was kind of strange and the murdered children and adults were still on our minds.
OMG! I'm so proud of our President Obama for the leadership he has shown following the terrible shootings. All Americans must put partisan rancor aside and rally behind our beloved Obama.
DeleteWell, I will say that Obama was wiping tears away from his eyes where tears do not come out.
Delete(They come out of the inside corners, not the outside corners.)
Draw your own conclusions.
I'm calling for all listeners and advertisers to boycott KSFO's morning radio hosts, Brian Sussman and Melanie Morgan, until such time as they recant and apologize. Better yet, we should flood KSFO with phone calls and email messages calling for them to be terminated immediately. They are a disgrace to the sensibilities and prudence of the progressive Bay Area.
DeleteYou're giving Sussman and Morgan far too much credit as opinion-shapers. They have a small audience and their influence is quite limited.
DeleteTo "Anonymous December 17, 2012 11:12am"
DeleteWell perhaps you should visit your opthamologist--because when my eyes well up with tears, I need to dab the outer corners.
What is this nonsense? Why do you people hate Obama so much you cannot even believe he can show sincere expressions of sorrow?
11:12 are you Brian The Stupid Sussman or Melanie The Meanie Morgan? Doesn't matter. You are lying. Tonight on CNN they replayed one of his speeches, and he wiped his left eye (right eye for those watching TV) from the INSIDE, as if it really matters. By the way,Melanie and Brian, I wipe from the outside corners, by the way. Watch the tape again that CNN played. Or is this Noel, the fool from "Newsbusters," whose organization totally ignores right-wing media abuses that occur on a daily basis. Noel, I used to respect you as a "fellow" journalist, but you are nothing but a mouthpiece for the nutsos who have taken over the conservative movement. Rich, thank you for the forum to vent. Signed: A real conservative. Not a nutso conservative like Melanie Morgan and Brain Sussman, who should start acting out their beliefs as Christians, rather than violating everything that their religion stands for. They are hypocrites and haters, and this conservative is going to boycott every product from every advertiser on KSFO until they are disciplined.
Delete9:34, I will join your boycott. I'm not for terminating people and seeing them lose their jobs. I would rather hope that Melanie Morgan and Brian Sussman understand they have become to vile and hateful and reflect on that and change. Rich's post was point-on. I don't doubt that Melanie and Brian are nice people off the air, but on the air, they are hateful. They proclaim to be Christians. They should start acting like Christians and perhaps take a Sunday School course on Bible basics.
DeleteRich has the most nuanced view of Savage of anyone I've ever read, and his view is accurate.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, agree with Savage's politics or not, he is, hands-down, the best story-teller in American media today.
Although I'm not "liberal," I have heard several liberals who are well-known nationally who cannot stand Savage's political and social views but who admit that is a tour de force when it comes to his intellect and his story-telling.
Although I've been called a conservative all my life, I don't share all of Savage's views, esp. on immigration, etc., but I agree with something I think I saw Rich write recently, that labels don't really apply to his views, and I think that's true of many people.
And if it weren't for liberals and conservatives and others who "troll" Rich's blog, he wouldn't have such all the hits he gets. Based on those, he ought to have more advertisers because the local advertisers are missing out by not being here. They could capitalize on a niche market.
This incident will never be forgotten. There will be no new news on this that makes a difference to the situation. The shooter used big, military guns and he is dead. Families are mourning and hurt clinging to one another for support. The coverage now is disgusting, competitive and for ratings/MONEY. It's easy to say the media has a "purpose" it's good to invade this small community and pry during the worst time of their lives because it's NOT your kid, little sister or brother, mother, father, loved one. People are amazing!
DeleteRich himself is a cross between Michael Savage, Larry King and Howard Stern in equal measure.
Delete"Vladimir Lenin on Marine One:" Savage's depiction of President Obama.
DeletePERSPECTIVES ON MEDIA COVERAGE OF NEWTOWN SHOOTINGS
ReplyDeleteWe see the good, the bad and the ugly in all facets.
*The media is a beast of Mammon. They just want money.*
*The coverage from my preferred network has been restrained and respectful. Go NBC.*
*Reporters of every kind aren't just members of the Fourth Estate, but individuals seeking notoriety in a highly competitive field.*
*Children should not be the victims of crime...and neither should they be fodder for selling advertising space or career ambitions.*
*The story is only for grown-ups to tell; the children need healing.*
*Media Spotlight Seen as a Blessing, or a Curse, in a Grieving Town* (NY Times)
Too much coverage?
ReplyDeleteKNTV's NBC News Bay Area sent local reporter Cheryl Hurd to Newtown, added to the media horde that has already invaded the small community in mourning--a move which news anchor Raj Mathai defended on Sunday night's "Lieberman Live." Rich accepted Mathai's explanation as reasonable.
Nearly every newscast on CNN since Friday night has been broadcast from Newtown. The same has been true for nearly every network television morning and evening newscast.
I'm appalled that KNTV NBC News Bay Area has sent a reporter to Newtown when that small community has already been invaded by a hoard of reporters. What more does Cheryl Hurd add to the mix? A chance to craft a "local angle" to this tragic story and bragging rights for a ratings-hungry news organization over its local competitors. Sickening. Bay Area news organizations should concentrate on covering Bay Area news by deploying their resources here.
DeleteChris Jansing of MSNBC has been really amazing reporting on this story. She's respectful, seems to try to avoid intrusive questions and you can tell it's not 'just' a story for her but that she's really heartbroken and feels the pain of those of Newtown and for the children who died.
ReplyDeleteDitto! She has maintained a professional but grave demeanor, absolutely fitting for the occasion. I've been impressed.
DeleteUnfortunately the media sees tragedy and grieving as "good ratings."
ReplyDeleteTake your cameras away and leave these people alone. Let them grieve and mourn in peace. This is a time for healing.
To the media, including NBC News Bay Area 11, which sent Cheryl Hurd to Newtown: Do the right thing for once...
I respectfully disagree with NBC Bay Area News anchor Raj Mathai, who defended his employer's decision to dispatch Cheryl Hurd to Newtown. This was grotesque. I wish Rich had followed-up with some tough questions for Raj instead of acquiescing and sucking up. Still, it was a great interview and Rich has had great guests on his show.
DeleteI agree with Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman (you Journalists probably have to research that name to find out who he was) when he said he believed that if he killed all the newspapermen in camp after dinner, there would be news from hell before breakfast. I think from the deepest, darkest, hottest part of hell.
ReplyDeleteTheir biased reporting, editorializing in the form of a news story, and political agendas are destroying this country. Jefferson, who also hated newspapers, said that an uneducated people cannot keep a republic alive.
I might add a DISINFORMED public might degenerate even faster and that is what the media is, a group of organizations who have no care for anyone's feelings, have no care for the country, no care for accuracy or objectivity, only for being "first" to report their distortions, inuendos, and outright lies.
Actually, 10:51, as a conservative who is a longtime journalist, I could easily discuss with you all facets of American history, and I could also go all the way back to Cyrus the Great and explain why his architecture and that of his son would be sufficient in many cases in today's world. I could also discuss indepth with you, The Civil War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, as well as go in-depth on European history. Let's see, want to discuss the Islamic influence in Spain? How about Islam's influence on the sciences? Math? Hmm. Would you like to discuss the historical development of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox branches of Christianity? In other words, you bigot, you are a fool. Signed: a conservative journalist who doesn't let his views influence what he writes.
DeleteWhen key elements of the story keeps changing, something is fishy.
ReplyDeleteRich: You hit the nail on the head Sunday night.
ReplyDeleteThat's the TRUTH!
DeleteI just stumbled on this blog. This is by far the best critical analysis of the media's coverage of Newtown and other mass shooting events. I'll be following this blog closely and can't wait to listen to the podcasts for Sat & Sun nights.
ReplyDeleteWhy does the Obama Administration and mainstream media celebrate mass school shootings (and secretly want them to continue)? Are any of us really clueless?
ReplyDeleteThe Newtown school shooting story is already being changed by the media to eliminate earlier eyewitness reports of a second shooter.
ReplyDeleteJunk journalism is how I'd describe the media's coverage of the Newtown elementary school shootings and its aftermath--and that's being kind.
ReplyDeleteTake down those delusional "gun free zone" signs. Posting a sign does not stop a psychopathic killer. If you want to physically stop such a killer, you need something called return fire. We need more guns in the hands of responsible, law-abiding citizens.
ReplyDeleteStatistics support your view. For killing spree/rampage events, the body count is about 15 when left for the cops to intervene. That body count drops to about 3 when armed civilians intervene.
DeleteThere was a concealed carry person onsite of the Oregon mall shooting last week. Overcome with good judgement and situational awareness, he chose to not shoot for fear of hitting a bystander. So much for the theory of every gun owner being a wacko.
Kudos to the news media for reporting on the heroes in the Connecticut elementary school. Every school shooting incident I've read in the past also including this one has a story about someone brave that shielded others from harm and basically sacrificed themselves. There are horrible people in the world and that will never change but as we have seen there are also heroes, people that will give their lives to save others. I say we make it a bit easier for them to live through their heroic actions and let certain staff members carry.
ReplyDeleteThanks! As a journalist, I have to tell you I am sickened by the nonstop media bashing over our coverage of the terrible shooting spree in Newtown. We are there because you want us there to make sense of what happened. America wants to know.
DeleteThank you, Rich Lieberman! Keep telling the TRUTH!
ReplyDeleteSadly, with school shootings, the killer victimizes the children once, and then the media victimizes them a second time.
ReplyDeleteTo all the media covering the tragedy in Newtown, we say "Go home and leave us alone, please."
ReplyDeleteShould Obama have stayed away, too?
Did BHO's appearance in Newtown bring even more unwanted attention to this grieving community and fuel the media circus?
Did he exploit this horrific tragedy for political gain?
The media are feasting on the blood of the dead children. Journalism is dead. Nothing left but the zombies.
ReplyDeleteGood post 10:51
ReplyDeleteIn the coming weeks and months, the authorities will have enough data to create an actual usable take away that can be mulled over and chart a course for REASONABLY dealing with a complex issue. Until then, the media has a new toy to use for ratings, playing on emotions...with no sensitivity or regard for accuracy.
NBC did a piece on my industry last summer, a hatchet job actually. They promoted the "monsters under the bed" angle, avoided the counter measures, and left the consumer no better prepared. The media has a definite integrity shortage.
Who should I place my trust in for news? The correct answer can't be the most obvious and view all with skepticism. I guess thats why most politicians are media whores.
Speaking of whores, I gotta figure out what to get that sister of mine for xmas:)
As if we as Americans need to be told how to feel, who is feeling what, and need to be shown the tears and emotions of those directly affected. Please, just shut it off. We all know what happened, we know people are devastated and their lives are tragically altered. I do not need to watch the news to know that. Leave them alone.
ReplyDeleteCoverage of the shooting deaths in Newtown on Friday has been the focal point and single-minded obsession of the news media for the past several days.
ReplyDeleteChildren, still in shock and traumatized, have had cameras and microphones thrust in their faces by news reporters. It's all about generating ratings and the incessant need to out-perform and out-scoop the competition drives the media to new depths of depravity.
Hordes of media, including TV reporters dispatched from the Bay Area, have descended on this small town.
Politicians, including President Obama, are using this event to foster their own political agendas, exploiting knee jerk reactions.
Despite the intense round the clock coverage since this tragedy happened on Friday, we the public are still in the dark about who the 20-year-old killer was and what possessed him to go on a murderous rampage.
Does the mainstream media care about the children, families and community, or do they care about the story? From the looks on their faces and the expression and tone in their voices when delivering the story, one would think they actually care about the persons involved, but do they?
ReplyDeleteI hear what everyone is saying. Much of your criticism of the media's coverage of Newtown is right on target. But reporting about the story, which is of great interest to most Americans around the country, is the media's job. I think it's up to all of us to change the station or turn off the TV when we feel the coverage has gone too far. Same goes for Rich's radio talk show.
ReplyDeleteRich: Regarding the legitimate concerns you raise about the ethics of reporters interviewing children about the Newtown tragedy, I think your issue should be with the parents instead of the media. The journalists covering this tragedy are just doing their job. I'm sure some of them are having great difficulty sleeping at night.
ReplyDeleteAs bothered as we might be the media showing a stream of video and photos of frightened children and adults, I wouldn't want to see such excess result on restrictions being placed on the media by the government. Freedom of the press is essential to the health of a democratic republic.
Our blessed President Obama grieving with the citizens of Newtown said this to a sustained ovation: "We have wept with you. ... you're not alone in your grief, that our world too has been torn apart — that all across this land of ours, we have wept with you. ... Newtown you are not alone."
ReplyDeleteI have never been more proud to be an American and more proud of our great president and father of two young girls.
Good lord, this post has to be sarcasm.
DeleteHard to believe but the POTUS has a team of speech writers. Imagine that, people that write speeches for others to read! Who knew?
@1:38 Barack Hussein Obama wrote that speech himself without help. Look it up...
DeleteThe REAL tragedy.
ReplyDeleteLast Year gun violence killed ...
* 48 People in Japan
* 8 in Great Britain
* 34 in Switzerland
* 52 in Canada
* 58 in Israel
* 21 In Sweden
* 42 in West Germany
* 10,728 in the United States
Something needs to be done. As Obama said this weekend, we owe it our children to try.
More in Oakland than most countries.
DeleteThe spectacle, which media made from this tragedy, will attract
ReplyDeletemore crazy people,
who crave publicity.
Today, thanks to the media's obsessive coverage of Newtown, every madman is envisioning himself in place of mass murderer Adam Lanza.
I think that the only way to stop this chain reaction is to stop making such massive, detailed and visual reports in media about mass murders.
All the media should report is that there was a murder - suicide. That's it. No names or pictures.
If the media can't exercise proper restraint, then laws need to be passed to protect the people.
My comment is WHY IS IT EASIER TO BUY A WEAPON THAN IT IS TO GET A DRIVERS LICENSE???
ReplyDeleteWhy do we need semi-automatic weapons on our streets? Guns are not toys! They are weapons that kill!
The Second Amendment has got to go. We want gun control, and we want it now!
First off, "You" are not "we".
DeleteSecondly, When are gonna start revoking driving licenses? Hmmm? Horrible drivers are easier to ID than those not suited for access to guns, that's for sure! Far more deaths, preventable, with auto's too.
The second amendment has to go? Thank you Oberführer. I bet you will look good in your black uniform with lightning bolts on your collar. Sieg Heil!
DeleteRich: You couldn't quite bring yourself to use the term "gun control" last night, although coming across as vaguely supportive of legislation to place more restrictions on gun ownership and proliferation. Fair enough. I respect your position on this difficult issue. But, I'm wondering why the hesitation? What is causing you such angst?
ReplyDeleteWhat can we do about our irresponsible news media?
ReplyDeleteThe disgrace! Journalists are seeking interviews. Next we’ll take to criticizing track stars for running; musicians for tuning their violins; cooks for tasting.
Reporters are now scrambling to answer the question--What compelled one to go off and turn an elementary school into a horror scene?--as well they should. They’re also piecing together stories on the victims, a process that’ll ensure those victims are remembered.
Approaching kids for interviews in times of trauma is dicey territory, for sure: When in doubt, back off. That said, the moralizing, patronizing finger-waggers forget that children are people too — people who sometimes want their voices heard. Let them and their parents make that call.
Accuracy in reporting the events of Newtown, especially initial reports in the immediate aftermath of the shooting deaths, was sacrificed for the sake of speed because of the hyper-competitive nature of reporting in the social media age. Print, TV and radio journalists alike find themselves having to compete not only with each other, but with people on Twitter and Facebook posting real-time reports (often erroneous).
ReplyDeleteThis should be the take-away for the news media:
ReplyDelete"We'll give you the best information we have
as soon as it is confirmed by
reliable, independent sources."
Rich,
ReplyDeleteI chose to follow the NY Times over any televised news to avoid the contradictions, rumor, and other pitfalls of 24/7 coverage. These days many viewers and readers expect instantaneous answers--right, wrong, half-baked. I guess it's from using Google and other search engines. I commend NYT for its attempts to get this story right, correct factual errors in a timely manner, and avoid sensationalism.
It's impossible for a news organization to sit back and wait for every fact to be triple checked. The story will be a week old and readers will have gone elsewhere. Still, there were an extraordinary number of mistakes made by the media in reporting this sorry because they rushed to report information.
ReplyDeleteWhat can we draw from this?
I'm not sure if there's an answer, but
"slow and steady" loses the audience,
while "fast and inaccurate" damages the brand.
It's a quandry.
I give Rich Lieberman high marks for his coverage of the media's coverage. Especially for discussing whether the media should be interviewing children so soon after a traumatic event. Whether they were interviewed with their parents and/or parents' consent or not, it was insensitive and sensationalist.
ReplyDeleteThere were many inaccuracies in the media's reporting of what happened. News consumers were deluged by a tsunami of often conflicting and erroneous information, leaving the truth a mass casualty.
U.P.I.'s motto is worth repeating:
"Get it first, but first get it right."
Here's the $64,000 question for the American news consumer: Do you want your news fast or correct?
ReplyDeleteThank God for this blog!
ReplyDeleteRich, you are doing us all a great service as a vigilant media watchdog and critic by holding their feet to the fire.
How TV is covering the Newtown, CT, school massacre?
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, badly, inevitably
by Ken Tucker
The horrific event at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, in which school children and adults were murdered and wounded, brought out the full force — the strengths and weaknesses — of TV news reporting.
The problem is the nature of TV news at this moment. There is a compulsion to stay on the story for hours on end, with each network looking at the other, not wanting to become the first to cut away. The result is an endless repetition of the few known facts, surrounded by far too much improvised speculation, and the kind of sentimentality that does not do justice to the victims.
TV news would have done much better to pause, to resume its regular programming after the initial reports, to break in when there was something important, such as the President’s statement and updates from Connecticut law enforcement, and then do what news organizations are supposed to do — gather facts; report out the story; and assemble well-written, clear-eyed reportage. Then come back on the air with fact-filled coverage.
Read more:
http://watching-tv.ew.com/2012/12/14/adam-lanza-newtown-ct-massacre-sandy-hook/
Radio personality Hugh Hewitt summed it up nicely: "Ratings requires all and forgives all."
ReplyDeleteI’m actually learning a lot about this issue, using Facebook in particular. And I’m glad I get a chance to have some thoughtful dialogue with people who might disagree with my perspective. Maybe it’s because I’m not sure what I think, and they’re not sure what they think, either – there’s some room for something other than hyperbole and parroted talking points.
ReplyDeleteI have probably been unfriended by many Facebook “friends” already because of my devotion to posting information about this unspeakable tragedy. That’s OK… if they don’t know how deeply this affected everybody in this community then they aren’t friends anyway… screw them.
We've been bombarded with unrelenting nonstop news coverage from Newtown since the shooting massacre there on Friday.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the story has been covered enough and the media should back away some, or do you want more news coverage of this event?
The one lasting memory I take with me from Lieberman's show last night in his own words: ”On Sundays I go to Oakland's China Town, eat dim sum and drink tea while I plot my next move”.
ReplyDeletePolitical talk (radio or TV) can be boiled down to 3 segments:
ReplyDelete1)Shows for the hard line right wing agenda~98% BS
2)Shows for the hard line liberal agenda ~ 98% BS
3)Shows that have an ebb and flow with their discussion, % of BS unknown. A mix of opinions that make you evoke thought, reasoning, and perhaps a better understanding.
What kind of idiot tunes to a station that only re-affirms their preconceived ideas, weak minded if you ask me.
RE: Sunday football, another tragedy. NY Giants scored -0- points against Atl.
America is going crazy over Newtown. It's not surprising that the media has taken such an interest it. We're appalled and shocked by the act of children being gunned down and murdered in a school.
ReplyDeleteBut, where was the universal outrage when Sgt. Robert Bales murdered in cold blood 16 Afghan civilians earlier this year, including 9 children?
Where is the outrage over innocent children being killed by U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan?
Why is that we don't treat every tragic death of children as if it mattered equally?
Because this is up close and personal, it happened where ”it is not supposed to happen”. Americans don't give a damn about children in Afghanistan, Syria or Iraq. To take your points a step further, what if this horrible tragedy had occurred in East Oakland? I shudder at the thought of pundit commentary and media coverage.
DeleteThe Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
ReplyDeleteA well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Great, you are able to read. Too bad you don't understand how it's interpreted.
DeleteSome of you have asked, why does Rich censor comments that are critical of him?
ReplyDeleteHe answered this on his Sunday night radio program.
If you want to make personal criticisms, then you need to email him.
As long as your criticism isn't too personal, he'll post it.
Not true at all. I posted specifics about the show on Saturday without name calling or profanity or getting ”personal” and Rich censored my comments. He knows his show Saturday was subpar so he is sensitive. That's fine, he'll censor this post too.
DeleteThat's not true. He consistently censors comments that are inconsistent with his self-marketing agenda. It's unfortunate because he professes to favor open communications.
DeleteRich posts all the sycophant loonies who rant about how fabulous his show is, how it's certain to be syndicated, blah, blah, blah.
DeleteEw!!! Gil Gross has turned his Facebook page into a Newtown memorial page. This is over-the-top.
ReplyDeleteI saw that and some guy commented thinking the picture of the principal was Rhoda which was very awkward
DeleteRich
ReplyDeleteI found watching the football game last night, even it was only for 3 hours, it was a distraction from the sadness.
Pam
I'm sick of the nonstop coverage of Newtown by the media and by Rich. Give us all a break. Please!
DeleteWell lovely 5:04. You could turn off all of your little gadgets that bring you this news that you're sick of. Come back to mainstream society in 800 years when we've figured it all out. And please don't kick the cat on the way out the door.
DeletePam
you mean the guy who thinks the diagnosis of adhd and high functioning autism are bullshit, said something intelligent?
ReplyDeletebullshit
all wingnuts are insane
have no prob trampling on first amendment rights...but dont take away my faux penis that proves im a man (even if im a woman)
ive been mugged...and i know for a fact that had i been carrying, i wouldnt be here to type this post
Saying it far better than I've been able to here, see www.sfgate.com,"I am Adam Lanza's MOther"..just posted
ReplyDeleteGive it a rest already Christine. We understand you're a chick who is in love with killer dogs and guns like the bushmmaaaaaahster. You're trying to find every reason under the sun to explain away the mass murderer without blaming the guns. Ok we get it. Aspergers kill people not guns. Yeah right ok...
DeleteChristine, please just go away....
DeleteI'm not a chick. I have no "killer" dogs. I have no bushmaster. I do have experience with a number of clients with autism. I know the difference between an automatic and a semi-automatic weapon. Almost all guns in America are semi-automatic. You really wouldn't want to read the article I mentioned, you might learn too much. Did you plan on going door to door confiscating the semi-automatic weapons of millions of Americans? Given your penchant for baseless presumptions, it should be a cakewalk.
DeleteChristine --- go to bed.
DeleteThe New York Times looked at it this way. From the beginning of the story:
ReplyDeleteNEWTOWN, Conn. — Wolf Blitzer understands that his presence here is not appreciated by some local people, who wish that the TV satellite trucks, and the reporters who have taken over the local Starbucks, would go away and leave them to ache, grieve and mourn in peace.
But he also knows that the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School ranks with the national tragedies he has covered: Oklahoma City, Sept. 11, Virginia Tech. So for now the most intimate and heartbreaking of catastrophes and the insatiable, unwieldy beast of global news media are locked in an awkward union in a bucolic New England town that never expected to encounter either.
Mr. Blitzer, the longtime CNN anchor, said the few exhortations to go home he had heard while working here had been far outnumbered by comments from people who thank him for telling Newtown’s story sensitively and who want the world to know what happened here. Still, he said, Newtown is providing a particularly vivid laboratory of how the media report this kind of tragedy.
“If you have people bringing dolls or flowers to makeshift memorials and they’re crying, that’s a powerful image, it’s part of this story, it’s part of our history right now, and we have to deal with it,” he said on Sunday.
This town, of course, has been transformed by unimaginable tragedy. But in a more mundane and presumably transitory way, Newtown and particularly the small community of Sandy Hook have also been transformed by those coming to report on it, a news media presence that has clogged quiet roads, established glowing encampments of lights and cameras, and showed up in force at church services and public memorials.
The best TV coverage I’ve seen consists of mute pictures of closed doors with “NO PRESS” or “NO MEDIA” signs.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that every member of the media can count on (myself included) is that you will be criticized by people and Rich Lieberman no matter what you do.
ReplyDeleteIf you’re one of the ones who criticize the media for not paying enough attention to victims of such an event, I respectfully ask this: How many tributes to victims have you written? And if you wrote even one, was it before or after you wrote about how the media gets it wrong?
Sorry to be so impertinent, but I’m afraid they are valid questions. And their honest answers speak volumes about your priorities, not the media’s.
It’s impossible, in the first hours after such a tragedy, for the media to spend a great deal of time on the victims. That’s not out of a lack of concern, but simple logistics: even the families don’t yet know their loved ones are victims, yet.
Don’t complain that the media spent too much time in its initial hours on the suspect and body count and not enough on the victims: it’s all the media had to work with.
Here's my question: Which media sources/services have provided the BEST and WORST coverage? Can you name names and justify your reasons with examples?
ReplyDeleteBEST? That's easy. Gil Gross and John Rothmann on KNEW-AM-910.
DeleteWhy don't we hire some of our nations unemployed veterans to work at our schools? They can be armed, as they are obviously well trained and capable, and at a salary of even $50K per year, would be a bargain.
ReplyDeleteYou must be a 1%er to think $50k is chump change to stand around as a guard.
DeleteMany of us are sick in our denial about the pervasive, far-reaching impact of America’s culture of violence.
ReplyDeleteAt Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, on Thursday, there was a bomb scare accompanied with graffiti on the school wall threatening to kill a teacher. The school was shut down and evacuated. Students returned to school on Friday morning only to be confronted with news of the carnage going on Newtown.
Fantastic blog. My deepest respect for ya work, Rich. Mr. Lieberman deserves a Pulitzer.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most sickening examples of immoral media coverage of the Sandy Hook shooting: South Carolina's Rock Hill Herald newspaper ran a large gun ad for a pre-Christmas gun sale embedded with coverage of the Connecticut school tragedy. An editor later issued a lame apology for the repugnant ad placement.
ReplyDeleteThe Facebook Morgan Freeman Message Hoax
ReplyDeleteThis past weekend, millions of Americans flooded Facebook with a message from Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman that lambasted the media for sensationalistic coverage of Friday's tragedy in Newtown, CT. There was just one problem: Morgan Freeman didn't write it. Freeman's publicist Stan Rosenfield told TheWrap that the actor had nothing to do with the message on the Sandy Hook shooting, deeming the entire phenomenon a bizarre hoax.
I hear a lot of talk about “mental health research,” while meanwhile ignoring the fact that nearly all of these mass shootings are carried out by people on psychotropic drugs—but alas, Pfizer and Glaxo-Smith-Klein all but keep all of these news organizations afloat with their drug ads—this little reality is very inconvenient for them if it gains traction that perhaps the mass-drugging of the American population has negative consequences.
ReplyDeleteAlso, to the people requesting stricter gun laws—all of these shootings have happened in already “gun free zones”—evidence that law abiding citizens become sitting ducks in these areas.
No one talks about the Oregon shooting that was thwarted by a concealed weapon owner over the weekend—because it doesn’t fit the narrative of disarming the American public.
Since 2002, a report by the Brave New Foundation documents that 178 children, 176 of those in Pakistan, have died from U.S. drone strikes since 2002.
Did Obama cry for the children murdered by his drone strike last Monday? Or when they’re “over there,” does their life have less value?
Please - just go to bed
DeleteThe news channels are devoting non-stop coverage of the tragic and horrific event in Newtown, which is understandable. What isn’t understandable is why the events in this country – also horrific, and hurting far greater numbers of people – barely merit a mention in the news media, let alone saturation coverage.
ReplyDeleteMany of us are painfully aware of the mass scale tragedies occurring around us every day and the sad reality is, they are so commonplace that they do not make the news because they do not feed the appetites of those who keep the media in business- the greater tragedy is that wide scale apathy leads to unwitting collusion! People power has the abilty to overturn these power structures…but who is bothered?
The reporters I know from my years of addictive TV viewing (including the news) are more affected than I've ever seen them. Many are parents, I’m sure, and like our president whose unmistakable sincerity has given him one of his finest hours, the nightmare of last Friday feels very personal.
ReplyDeleteYou nailed it! As I prepare the special gifts for a two year old and a nine year old in my life, I can't help thinking of the ephemeral nature of all of our lives. As I watch some politicians use the tragedy for their own aggrandisement,and the ones who don't,I take note.Rupert Murcoch has a fear of being shot, so his lapdog, PIers Morgan goes on lisping rants about how awful Americans are, mistating facts about weaponry,calling guns that aren't automatic, machine guns. "Concerned" commentators saying that we must not say the name of the shooter, or delve into the intricacies of Autism,( modern psychiatric medicine approaches are ineffective) calling the mother a "gun nut" for having five (5) weapons, saying that children who were direct witnesses who want to talk about what they saw, somehow should be silenced. All of it overwhelming, complex, and relentless. I love to decorate at Christmas,not this year so much.
DeleteThis morning, as usual, I turned on the news as I prepared to face the day.
ReplyDeleteThe morning show I prefer, on CBS, is the more serious of the three major network's daily offerings--not because I'm serious but because if I want tabloid crap (and I often do), I'll watch the likes of Inside Edition. But, if I want actual news, I try to find it despite how tricky that has become.
The two female anchors were seated in high director's chairs, all bundled up---exactly like when covering the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Behind them, a line-up of tents and canopies erected by the army of media has encamped to provide the latest information of the horrific events in Newtown. Today that will include the first two funerals slated to occur later.
Great idea, media! What better way to elevate the name of a twisted killer to universal notoriety and make it irresistible to others (and we all know, there are others) to commit similar crimes!
Why not provide a pipeline to infamy by endlessly pumping the shooter’s photos and pathetic life story out to the public? When did you all lose your minds, your dignity and your self-control?
Some may defend this media blitz, saying that the more focus put on Newtown’s misery, the better for the reinvigorated arguments about gun legislation.
ReplyDeleteOthers will claim that the public has the right to not only every new development, but also be privy to every expression of grief, sorrow and despair.
I say that a welcoming environment for the next lunatic is being fertilized.
I agree that the media is out of control, but the appetite for news like this is demanded by a voyeuristic public.
ReplyDeleteI cannot be the only one to find the endless coverage troubling for what it says about the media and its viewers. We seem to be a society which insists on concrete answers rather than coping with the incomprehensible.
ReplyDeleteThinking this way does not lessen the horror of what has happened in Sandy Hook and what is happening to those involved; it simply acknowledges that no amount of TV coverage can lessen it or make observers a part of it, and that only our respectful sympathy is appropriate. It has happened to them, not to us.
Is the media an accomplice in mass shootings?
ReplyDelete“ABC News will provide continuing coverage of the tragic shooting at an elementary school in Newtown Connecticut across all broadcasts and platforms,” the network stated early Friday afternoon in a widely distributed news release.
ABC wasn’t alone. Just about every broadcast news network, plenty of online general news sites, newspapers, talk and news radio, and more promoted and delivered on wall-to-wall coverage of the Newtown massacre.
There certainly seems a market for news on mass shootings, and news outlets have obliged.
From simplistic calls for gun control laws, to senseless proclamations about the propensity for violence among the mentally ill, to the scapegoating of any bogeyman available for the picking, far too many people have allowed their righteous indignation at the slaughters of these innocents to overwhelm their thoughtfulness.
ReplyDeleteYet any close look at the Newtown massacres shows that this, like so many incidents, avail no one of a simple solution.
I can see why people view the 24/7 reporting about the Sandy Hook School tragedy as an attempt to commercialize these horrible murders. In some ways, they’re right — and they, or you, may regard Rich Lieberman's post in the same manner.
ReplyDeleteBlame the media or blame the American public?
ReplyDeleteWe’re a society that wants news instantly, and with so many news outlets, we’ll go to the one that gives us the most “up-to-date” coverage.
It’s easy to be critical of the media coverage, and we need to be, but we also have to remember that the purpose of media is to inform the public about what's happening in the community and world around us.
I made a conscious effort to shield my kindergartner from the news and stopped watching television or listening to the radio in the car when he came home from school. There was no reason to rock his sense of security as mine had been.
ReplyDeleteIt was no longer helpful for me to follow the story and hear the play-by-play of how the event unfolded or the eventual images of the 20 children and 6 adults who had been mercilessly gunned down, at least not at this time.
I had to stay grounded for my son.
It was time to shield myself from the media (and social networking sites).
You might want to consider limiting your media exposure at this time if:
Your day is consumed by watching the story as it unfolds.
Your emotional reactivity is interfering with regular tasks.
Your concentration is impacted.
You are fearful and anxious.
You are having nightmares.
You are stuck in a state of shock or disbelief.
You are angry or easily irritated.
You feel sad, hopeless or even numb.
Right after I heard about the tragedy in Newtown, I know that if I watched the news or checked my Facebook page, I’d get sucked into a vortex of sorrow and fear and anger and disgust, and I wouldn’t be able to function.
ReplyDeleteLet’s face it: what happened in Connecticut on Friday is simply the tragedy at the forefront of our attention right now. But there are thousands of just as real and personal tragedies taking place across the world each and every day. Murder, illness, starvation, abuse—it’s all happening, right here, right now, even in our own backyards. In some ways I guess it’s easier to focus on one horrific tragedy at a time. So that’s what many of us do.
The other reason I’ve decided to go on a media strike is because I think the media’s twisted fascination with these types of horrible events (and, most of all, the media’s unnecessary, but pointed, focus on the perpetrators of these events) play a huge part in the increasing frequency of these crimes.
Enough with the Newtown coverage!
Here is an idea to make sure the kids are secure. Let's home school them all. Everything they need to know is on the internet anyway. Then we can turn every home into a mini-armed camp complete with barbed wire, motion detectors and attack dogs.
ReplyDeleteNewtown coverage: Not the First Amendment's Finest Hour.
ReplyDeleteRich: I've listened to you without fail since your debut on KOMY in late November. IMHO, Saturday was your worst show to date; Sunday was your best.
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked Rich did not censor you. I told him as much the day of the Saturday show but I think he was defensive and in denial. On a side note, Michael Savage took calls throughout his show today, think about it Rich. If Savage (considered the best story teller on radio) is taking calls then why would you not take calls!?!? Another tip: stop telling us about your upcoming shows three weeks from today. Give it to us nice and hard now! Don't tell us how good you'll be in three weeks. Come on!! Keep censoring us and some of your most loyal followers will bolt...
DeleteI'm watching cable news and it turns out a lot of the families appreciate the world wide support due to the media presence. They appreciate an opportunity to tell the world what their loss means, and what and who that loved one really was. Who cares if you don't like it? Turn the channel. Better still, don't tune in in the first place. I can't believe some of you watched the President last night so you could attack him for even being there. Take your sorry bitterness and put it somewhere and put it somewhere private and spare the rest of us. What exactly do YOU intend to do to insure this never happens again after you stop bitching about Obama? Oh, I know. Not a gaddammed thing.
ReplyDeleteSomeone should call in to Sussman's show and ask him if the gun shop he takes ad oney from sells the brands of weapons and ammo used to slaughter young kids in school. Sussman is the ugliest of ugly Americans
ReplyDeleteHere's a sampling of what I heard conservative pundits say about Newtown.
ReplyDeleteRUSH LIMBAUGH
“It may sound a little hard edged to say it, but I’m telling you, there are elements of the mainstream media who are doing everything they can with their No. 1 objective is to see if there’s anything they can blame on conservative media or Republican policies or the second amendment.”
ANN COULTER
"Only one policy has ever been shown to deter mass murder: concealed-carry laws."
MIKE HUCKABEE
"When we ask why there is violence in our schools, but we’ve systematically removed God from our schools. Should we be so surprised that schools have become a place for carnage because we’ve made it a place where we don’t want to talk about eternity, life, responsibility, accountability?"
Here's the scoop on Rich's weekend radio talk show,"Lieberman Live."
ReplyDelete* He got off to a difficult, problematic start on KOMY because of "gremlins"--technical glitches beyond his control that were causing all kinds of snafus.
* Now, the turn-around: the "gremlins" are gone, he has theme and bumper music, has competent technical support from engineers and producers in studio, and he's got sponsors who are supporting his program.
* People either love Rich or hate him. If you listen to him, you'll be anything but indifferent. This is, hands down, riveting and engaging talk radio--like KGO in its heyday.
* Call Rich intense and polarizing if you will. He's all that and more. One thing he's not: one-dimensional.
* Even the haters must grudgingly admit that this is must-listen-to radio. As evidenced by their posts on this blog, they are listening all the way through.
* The upshot: his radio show is gaining a lot of traction. He's built up a loyal following. Rich is becoming a force to be reckoned with as an on-air talk personality. He's got credibility.
* Say what you will about Rich, but no one can dispute the fact that he has brought a parade of impressive and engaging guests to his show... with more to come. You ain't seen nothin' yet.
* Is Rich still finding the way to his brand, to his niche. Sure he is. He's got some rough edges, but note the steady upward trajectory: his show keeps getting better.
Top 5 funniest posts on this site ^^^
Delete*and as added bonus all of his podcasts are now available in a brand spanking new web site!
DeleteDoes America have a "culture of violence?" What does this mean, exactly?
ReplyDeleteIs there a causal connection that can be conclusively demonstrated based on scientific research between gun violence in America and acts of violence as depicted in movies, TV programs, and video games?
I don't listen to any of the radio show hosts you mentioned. Nor do I listen to the other "local" morning duo, the shrill "Armstrong & Getty," from Sacramento, or KKSF's Gil Gross in the afternoon. They certainly don't influence my opinions.
ReplyDeleteI don't take them or their liberal/progressive counterparts seriously, as they're all motivated by drumming up ratings, audience share, and their bottom line is generating profits for the networks that employ them.
Commercial talk radio is not the go-to destination for consumers that take the news seriously and seek to become informed. Whether liberal or conservative, these talk show hosts are first and foremost and for better or worse, entertainers, and we should never lose sight of that.
I prefer instead to listen to noncommercial NPR, especially KQED-FM's "The Forum," the serious, substantive and informative morning program hosted by Michael Krasny, in which current events are discussed intelligently.
How does KQED fare in the ratings with KSFO anyway?
O'REILLY / THE FACTOR / BLAME THE LIBERAL MEDIA!
ReplyDeleteBill O'Reilly, the ultra-right Fox News mouthpiece with the largest TV audience of any cable/satellite TV news outlet, is accusing liberals of exploiting the Newtown tragedy for political gain; that is, to push stiffer gun control laws, which he and the pro-gun NRA lobby can't stomach.
But wait, there's more. O'Reilly blames liberals for the uptick in violence for America. Is he nuts? You be the judge.
-- "I don't believe any gun laws would have stopped the Newtown murders. ...
-- The secular progressives have been largely responsible for the uptick in the violence in general because they have discouraged our Judeo-Christian principles that have held us together, fought against stiff punishments for violent offenders, and attempted to rewrite history with the bad guys as the role models."
Senator Feinstein, with her trusty semi-auto in her purse...wants the assault weapons ban updated and reinstated. Fair enough, but do you think that the Xe(formerly blackwater) security types paid to bodyguard folks of great prominence(I'm thinking Sen.Feinstein's billionaire,iraq contractor hubby ) should toss their fully automatic assault weapons also?
ReplyDeleteThose with contracts with the State Department would be exempt obviously.
DeleteYour anti Feinstein,misogynistic argument is faulty.
She's in the same situation as Bloomberg. They both have the means and opportunity to ensure a safe life. They know whats best for the little people. Don Perata voted against concealed carry, then decided to arm himself with a special exemption to carry.
DeleteWhat kind of nitwit puts their faith in people with that mentality?
'If it bleeds, it leads.' Matt Lewis put his finger on the problem with how the media is covering Newtown.
ReplyDelete/// "...transparent society demands reporting newsworthy incidents — and this definitely qualifies. But it should be done responsibly. And that is not what we have witnessed. We have instead a feeding frenzy that is all about beating the competition — not disseminating information.
It's about being first, beating other media outlets, and making a name for themselves. It's a ghoulish mentality that stokes controversy and violence — for business purposes. It's a sort of 'if it bleeds it leads' mentality that causes cable networks to create logos and theme music for such tragic events (all the while, they feign maudlin concern and outrage.)
Come to think of it, the media is guilty of doing what they criticize big business for — putting money (in this case, ratings, newsstand sales, and web traffic) ahead of humanity and decency. Just as greedy businessmen put profit and personal gain ahead of ethics, so too do our media outlets." ///
We just need to:
ReplyDelete1) register and licence the reporters;
2) mandate jail time and stiff fines for false or skewed reporting; and
3) ban reporting or publishing the photos of nut jobs who commit acts of insanity.
If the nut jobs can't get the attention they crave, it may reduce senseless attacks.
you'd have a huge, constitutional, insurmountable problem trying to do that.
DeleteI do think the media circus around this tragedy (and others) is reprehensible. Expecting them to 'police themselves' and do the right thing by acting ethically and responsibly is most likely impossible, too.
ReplyDeleteToday's media simply can't say something like, "These are all the facts we know right now. We'll bring you more information as we get it." They're afraid (and not without good reason) it might (and probably will) cut into their ratings.
Who knows how much the 24/7 coverage and endless speculation might stoke the next potential nut-job who is so close to 'the edge'?
Finally caught Savage the other night at his new time, he sounded renewed. Love him. So bright, so quick, so multi-dimentional.
ReplyDeleteFor the individuals who linked to European countries with low LOW gun deaths, can you answer a few questions for me.
ReplyDeleteHow many Norteno gangs exist in these countries?
Sorenos?
Bulldogs?
How many Crips and Bloods?
How much trade in crack?
FYI, our crime rate also doubled here after the liberal 1960s. Something to think about.