Forget Britney; Media Outrage Hits Big Spenders

When I read the front-page article “Forget Britney; Media Outrage Hits Big Spenders,” I was struck by its description of the role of tabloid media and how the events relating to frivolous spending in this time of need have infiltrated all media outlets. Maybe I hadn’t noticed because I do not personally follow tabloid media, but I found it very interesting that these sources were attempting to incorporate important stories in with their “fluff” pieces. As the article states, “The tabloid media, of course, have always peered into the excesses of the rich and famous with a mix of puritan disapproval and voyeurism. But these outlets and other news organizations are now recording troubling uses of taxpayer money at country clubs, private airports and glamorous retreats and, in so doing, explicitly tapping into a fierce populist anger at corporate America, and even pressuring Congress to hold companies accountable.” I especially enjoyed the visual of camera for the entertainment show “Extra” “huddled alongside the BBC and The Associated Press outside the courtroom as Bernard L. Madoff pleaded guilty on Thursday.” In my opinion, their decision to cover this piece proves that substance and value can be found in every media outlet, no matter what the source’s reputation may be.

Yet it is the way that these entertainment media outlets frame these stories that I find most interesting. Harvey Levin, the editor of TMZ, recognizes that viewers of the Web site “don’t come to the site for a dissertation on mortgage-backed securities.” The site posted a blog called “Bailout Bank Blows Millions Partying in L.A.” that described a party thrown by the NorthernTrust bank right after it received $1.6 billion in taxpayer money. Levin described why the site chose to include such a piece, saying “It’s hard for people to wrap their heads around $800 billion in bailout money. It’s too big a thing. It’s much easier to understand paying for a Sheryl Crow concert.” TMZ constructed this piece in a way that would appeal to the values and morals of their target audience—those seeking entertainment news, rather than “hard” news pieces.

Finally, it's interesting to note that this story is all about the way different media outlets cover the same issue, which is exactly the purpose of our communal blogs. The New York Times’ decision to run this story on the front page is significant: clearly the editors believe that taking note of the actions of other media sources is an important part of being a newspaper that intends to inform and engage their audience in an unbiased manner.

For those of you that are following these entertainment-geared media outlets, have you found many stories of this nature? I wonder how many serious pieces are found among the prevalent fluff stories… I doubt there are many.

Article can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/business/media/13shame.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Forget%20Britney;%20Media%20Outrage%20Hits%20Big%20Spenders%20&st=cse