WHAT do Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Kris Aquino have in common?
They are all victims of what Jeff Jarvis of the City University of New York said as the “one-size-fits-all” disease plaguing the media.
Almost every media outfit is covering the death of Anna Nicole Smith, dubbed as the “poor man’s Marilyn Monroe,” and Kris Aquino’s shaky marriage with James Yap, who allegedly had an affair with a receptionist of the Belo beauty clinic.
Every local newspaper must have had a front-page teaser or article on the latter scandal despite the basketball star’s denial he had an affair with the receptionist. Because of the publicity it received, every Filipino has become too involved on Kris’s life—again, after her tell-all interview on an ABS-CBN broadcast on her tumultuous relationship with former Parañaque mayor Joey Marquez on ABS-CBN newscast TV Patrol in 2003. The episode was said to be the highest-rating news segment in the history of Philippine broadcasting.
Meanwhile, porn star Smith has become a news material overnight when she died suddenly. The Philippine Daily Inquirer published a front-page article on her, with a photo of her daring cover in Playboy. Jarvis pointed out that even the New York Times had “substantial coverage of a hearing on where Smith would be buried.” Even television crews were invited to cover Smith’s burial, a report said.
Likewise, people have been flooded with news on the hotel heiress Hilton, who became famous for a grainy sex video, and on Britney Spears’ struggle with depression.
Question: why should our media institutions steer these stories in the first place? Are they worth reporting? Can these stories develop our society and further its progress?
The journalist could only make clear the lines between what is public and what is private, especially incidents involving “sleek” entertainers and celebrities who are public figures.
Lloyd Grove, former columnist for the New York Daily News, explained the media overkill on Hilton: “This is what mainstream society celebrates.” This may apply as well to Aquino, Spears and Smith.
Since sexual prominence is the most celebrated and newsworthy aspect of our pap (not pop) culture, media institutions have been more focused on commercial interests and ratings. Thus, their concern is feeding stories what people want to read (or watch), not what they need.
Maybe we should consider Associated Press’ week-long blackout on news on Hilton and try it on Kris. On that note, perhaps we should consider a holiday for crass gossip shows masquerading as “entertainment news programs.
***
I remember reading a blog entry of one of our former Varsitarian Sports writers, who is now working with the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, expressing his disappointment over the callous coverage of national dailies when they attributed to divine intervention to UST’s victory in the UAAP finals over Ateneo, instead of giving a “sober and factual analysis of the events.”
He said that while everyone was busy declaring the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UE Red Warriors as contenders when the Tigers who also ran did have a very talented line-up since three UST players, at different points of the season, were actually leading the league in points, rebounds and assists.
“It was matter of ego for some sportswriters,” he said. “Their inability to predict UST’s transformation to a top team despite all the indicators that UST was in for a breakout season was equivalent to what is called in journalism parlance as naiskupan.”
