Full Version: Summer News Cycle
With the close of the Memorial Day weekend, we now embark on the boring, redundant journey known as the "Summer New Cycle" (or in the UK, as I'm told, the "Silly Season").
For some reason, every summer, the mainstream media feels it is ok to latch onto one or two "big" stories and NOT let go. Last year, you'll recall it was the Summer of Amber Alerts. The summer before that it was the Summer of "that girl*" Chandra Levy. The summer before that it was Sharks, Sharks and more sharks.
None of these issues warranted an entire season's worth of coverage, but every TV news channel and program covered them *all summer long*. It's as if they fail to keep in mind there is an election for president coming up in 17 months. I guarantee we won't hear much about it until after Labor Day when clever phrases like "The Election 2004 season is heating up" start springing up everywhere.
Now I recognize that most of us here at AD are exceptions to most rules and will seek out the news on our own, but that fact should not detract from the debate.
And so, to the actual debate questions:
What are the mainstream media's motives behind finding one story and sticking with it every summer?
Do you expect this summer to be any different?
And for a little fun, throw in what you think will be the redundant story of this upcoming summer.
___________
* I distinctly recall Sean Hannity using that term repeatedly that summer to describe the then-missing intern of Gary Condit. Mike & I even emailed him asking him to stop using that phrase.
For some reason, every summer, the mainstream media feels it is ok to latch onto one or two "big" stories and NOT let go. Last year, you'll recall it was the Summer of Amber Alerts. The summer before that it was the Summer of "that girl*" Chandra Levy. The summer before that it was Sharks, Sharks and more sharks.
None of these issues warranted an entire season's worth of coverage, but every TV news channel and program covered them *all summer long*. It's as if they fail to keep in mind there is an election for president coming up in 17 months. I guarantee we won't hear much about it until after Labor Day when clever phrases like "The Election 2004 season is heating up" start springing up everywhere.
Now I recognize that most of us here at AD are exceptions to most rules and will seek out the news on our own, but that fact should not detract from the debate.
And so, to the actual debate questions:
What are the mainstream media's motives behind finding one story and sticking with it every summer?
Do you expect this summer to be any different?
And for a little fun, throw in what you think will be the redundant story of this upcoming summer.
___________
* I distinctly recall Sean Hannity using that term repeatedly that summer to describe the then-missing intern of Gary Condit. Mike & I even emailed him asking him to stop using that phrase.
"What are the mainstream media's motives behind finding one story and sticking with it every summer?"
Well imo and its just an opinon.I believe at least in the states they try to latch on to something that will make people turn on the boob tube everyday to tune in.This is especially true in the summer because people are much more active in doing outdoor activities and vacationing.They need a catch story to make them watch.
Do you expect this summer to be any different?
Nope not at all the media if nothing else is consistent in this category.
And for a little fun, throw in what you think will be the redundant story of this upcoming summer.
Well ill go for the no brainer here and say the Scott Peterson case its already getting tons of coverage and i dont see it going away.Ill put it in the OJ category just w/o the high profile defendant.
Well imo and its just an opinon.I believe at least in the states they try to latch on to something that will make people turn on the boob tube everyday to tune in.This is especially true in the summer because people are much more active in doing outdoor activities and vacationing.They need a catch story to make them watch.
Do you expect this summer to be any different?
Nope not at all the media if nothing else is consistent in this category.
And for a little fun, throw in what you think will be the redundant story of this upcoming summer.
Well ill go for the no brainer here and say the Scott Peterson case its already getting tons of coverage and i dont see it going away.Ill put it in the OJ category just w/o the high profile defendant.
QUOTE(Jaime @ May 27 2003, 01:20 PM)
Do you expect this summer to be any different?
Nope. I predict sharks, child kidnappings (reason: Kids are out playing during the summer & are ripe for the grabbing), possibly the complaining of high gas prices because of travelers, people dying from the heat & California brownouts
QUOTE
And for a little fun, throw in what you think will be the redundant story of this upcoming summer.
Scott Peterson trial. No brainer
Why? The media is unwilling to spend too much money this time of year because the ratings and readership are so low. Thus they latch onto the hottest early-summer story and stay with it. Much cheaper that way.
Peterson case is the obvious choice, depending on when the trial's scheduled.
A dark horse would be a sex scandal of any proportion involving a Republican. And if it involved homosexuality, so much the better.
One more possibility is the one we don't want to even think about. A terror attack. A series of relatively 'minor' ones to be precise.
All things considered, I'm hoping it's Peterson.
Peterson case is the obvious choice, depending on when the trial's scheduled.
A dark horse would be a sex scandal of any proportion involving a Republican. And if it involved homosexuality, so much the better.
One more possibility is the one we don't want to even think about. A terror attack. A series of relatively 'minor' ones to be precise.
All things considered, I'm hoping it's Peterson.
QUOTE(Jaime @ May 27 2003, 02:20 PM)
With the close of the Memorial Day weekend, we now embark on the boring, redundant journey known as the "Summer New Cycle" (or in the UK, as I'm told, the "Silly Season").
For some reason, every summer, the mainstream media feels it is ok to latch onto one or two "big" stories and NOT let go. Last year, you'll recall it was the Summer of Amber Alerts. The summer before that it was the Summer of "that girl*" Chandra Levy. The summer before that it was Sharks, Sharks and more sharks.
None of these issues warranted an entire season's worth of coverage, but every TV news channel and program covered them *all summer long*. It's as if they fail to keep in mind there is an election for president coming up in 17 months. I guarantee we won't hear much about it until after Labor Day when clever phrases like "The Election 2004 season is heating up" start springing up everywhere.
Now I recognize that most of us here at AD are exceptions to most rules and will seek out the news on our own, but that fact should not detract from the debate.
And so, to the actual debate questions:
What are the mainstream media's motives behind finding one story and sticking with it every summer?
Do you expect this summer to be any different?
And for a little fun, throw in what you think will be the redundant story of this upcoming summer.
___________
* I distinctly recall Sean Hannity using that term repeatedly that summer to describe the then-missing intern of Gary Condit. Mike & I even emailed him asking him to stop using that phrase.
For some reason, every summer, the mainstream media feels it is ok to latch onto one or two "big" stories and NOT let go. Last year, you'll recall it was the Summer of Amber Alerts. The summer before that it was the Summer of "that girl*" Chandra Levy. The summer before that it was Sharks, Sharks and more sharks.
None of these issues warranted an entire season's worth of coverage, but every TV news channel and program covered them *all summer long*. It's as if they fail to keep in mind there is an election for president coming up in 17 months. I guarantee we won't hear much about it until after Labor Day when clever phrases like "The Election 2004 season is heating up" start springing up everywhere.
Now I recognize that most of us here at AD are exceptions to most rules and will seek out the news on our own, but that fact should not detract from the debate.
And so, to the actual debate questions:
What are the mainstream media's motives behind finding one story and sticking with it every summer?
Do you expect this summer to be any different?
And for a little fun, throw in what you think will be the redundant story of this upcoming summer.
___________
* I distinctly recall Sean Hannity using that term repeatedly that summer to describe the then-missing intern of Gary Condit. Mike & I even emailed him asking him to stop using that phrase.
Well the motives are the audiance. As a editor for the freedom writer (school newspaper) we infact held onto some stories all year long. The truth is many people dont come to AD and HAVE to listen to what they see. If they aired lynch and they had a big audiance chances are they can have an even BIGGER audiance for the trial thus making the money
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