Tag Results for media

Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown became a national sensation as the first Republican to win a US Senate race since the 1970s. Since his victory on Jan. 19th, the coverage of Brown has been non-stop. How is the media shaping Brown's image?

Last weekend, 22-year old Amanda Knox was convicted of murdering her roommate in the fall of 2007. The 11-month trial got intense coverage in Italy where it was generally believed she was guilty. But Knox's coverage in the US was far more sympathetic.

With the primaries for the U.S. Senate now behind us, I’m starting to hear rumblings about a third candidate in the race — Joe Kennedy (photo). No, he’s not the former congressman. Rather, he’s an independent who says his views “are closely aligned with the Libertarian Party.”

Thus the media’s perpetual dilemma. Do they cover someone who poses absolutely no threat either to Democratic candidate Martha Coakley or Republican Scott Brown? Or do they ignore him and face accusations of bias in favor of the two major parties?

Such matters should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Kennedy did have to get 10,000 signatures, just like Coakley and Brown. But the majors had to test themselves in contested primaries. Kennedy, by contrast, automatically won a spot on the ballot. It hardly seems right to put him on an equal footing.

I’d also draw a contrast between Kennedy’s candidacy and those of past longshot candidates who represented actual political parties. In recent years, the Green and Libertarian parties have briefly enjoyed major-party status thanks to the appeal of strong candidates like Jill Stein and Carla Howell, respectively. In situations like those, attention must be paid. But Kennedy is not a third-party candidate; he’s a no-party candidate.

Kennedy deserves some coverage, but certainly not equal coverage. And I’d invite him to the first televised debate. If he registers in subsequent poll results and can raise some money, then he’ll deserve to be taken seriously. If not, then the media shouldn’t be blamed for focusing on candidates who actually have some chance of winning.

The twists and turns in the reporting of Tareq and Michaele Salahi.  It was a kicker story that turned into a security breach with the White House social director refusing to appear at Congressional hearings. How responsible was the media in reporting this story?

Acclaimed film director Roman Polanksi was arrested after 31 years as a fugitive from justice.  Has the press coverage on Polanski been appropriate considering his original  crime, or has he been given preferential treatment because of his talent?

Former president Jimmy Carter stirred the national debate when he claimed that protests against President Barack Obama are rooted in racism. How can the media differentiate between legitimate ideological protests and racist opposition?

This week Congress voted to cut off ACORN funding after undercover tapes allegedly show ACORN employees giving advice on how to skirt the law. The story got a lot of play from conservative media outlets.  But there has been criticism that the mainstream media was slow to pick up the story.

Earlier this week at a memorial service for Walter Cronkite, President Obama praised the CBS anchor while taking a swipe at the media saying. The president said the media today focuses on the insignificant and cheapens the public debate. Today marks the 8th anniversary of the Sept. 11th terrosist attacks on New York and Washington, DC. But is the news cycle back to its trivial pursuits?

On a special edition of Beat the Press, Emily Rooney and her panel reflect on the media coverage of Sen. Edward Kennedy over his long political career. A group of veteran reporters looks back at his early political life, his personal and family tragedies, as well as some of the lighter moments between the Senator and the press. Guests include Sam Allis of The Boston Globe, Joe Sciacca of the Boston Herald, Dan Rea of WBZ Radio and political analyst John Henning.

The release of the 9-1-1 tapes from the Henry Louis Gates arrest absolved caller Lucia Whalen as a racist and changed the story line. But the tapes revealed more about the media's reporting of the Gates arrest story.