MCGRATH%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU ("Jim McGrath") (02/02/86)
From: Chris Johnson <JOHNSON%northeastern.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>
The news media is often tacky, tasteless and inconsiderate. I
also wonder if they know a reasonable definition of news.... The
news people broadcast family and friends going from elation to
tears on the air. I never thought that this kind of thing was
news myself. News is that the shuttle blew up. News is that
seven people died. News is that nobody knows why yet. News isn't
millions of people being forced to invade someone's grief....
No, it is not news - it is entertainment. I hope no one still
believes that the press is some noble institution. As this episode
illustrates, the press are nothing but glorified snoops. However,
they are snoops that we (including myself) support, what with our need
for knowledge and human drama.
I watched the entire coverage, and was shocked as to how little was
said during that entire day. Not only was there little to say besides
the obvious, but it was clear that the media had allowed their space
coverage units to get flabby. But TV being what it is, no network
could simply say "well, we don't have anything more to add, so back to
our regular programming." Instead, they had to show the only material
they had available - the family, the accident itself, and earlier
videotape of the crew.
The news media, true to form, questioned the whole of manned space
flight and forgets the successes fast....
Actually, with a few exceptions (many on PBS), TV has been very
supportive of the program after the accident. One anchor (Rather?)
even got in what I would consider commentary, not news, when he stated
that the program must go forward both because it is needed and as a
tribute to the dead. No one has seriously called for an outside
inquiry (can you imagine the implied respect for NASA being so freely
given to any other government agency?). Only when NBC speculated on
the impact on SDI were there any down notes voiced.
Jim
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